SteamVR Performance Test
- February 22, 2016
- Valve
- 11h median play time
SteamVR Performance Test is a free tool that helps determine if your PC is capable of running virtual reality content. It uses a realistic VR demo to measure your system's performance and provides a detailed report on whether your computer meets the requirements for the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. The test takes only a few minutes to run and can help identify potential bottlenecks in your system.
Reviews
- graphics635 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 86 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with many users praising the stunning visuals and lifelike graphics that enhance the gameplay experience. However, a significant number of players have reported issues with the software failing to recognize dedicated graphics cards, defaulting instead to integrated graphics, which leads to inaccurate performance assessments and recommendations for upgrades that may not be necessary. Overall, while the graphics are often described as impressive, the detection issues with hardware can detract from the overall experience.
“The graphics are mind-blowing, especially on my 3060.”
“Incredible story, fantastic characters, breathtaking graphics.”
“The visuals are astounding; I was breath taken after starting the beauty that is the SteamVR performance test.”
“The program won't use my dedicated graphics card and will only check based on my intel integrated graphics card.”
“It keeps using my intel hd graphics instead of my nvidia card.”
“Does not properly detect dedicated nvidia graphics in laptop computers, instead using integrated for the test.”
- optimization280 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The optimization of the SteamVR Performance Test has received mixed feedback from users. While many appreciate its ability to gauge VR readiness and performance, several users report issues with the software not accurately detecting dedicated graphics cards, often defaulting to integrated GPUs, which skews performance results. Additionally, some users express a desire for updates to improve compatibility with newer hardware and better performance metrics.
“Most VR titles have been tuned to run smoothly at the recommended visual quality.”
“This performance test is both stable and an accurate program for letting you know if your PC or machine is ready for virtual reality technology.”
“The tool will let you know what sort of performance to expect from your computer if it is VR ready or let you know if lacking with your graphics card, CPU, or both.”
“This is a terribly optimized game.”
“The software crashes every time I try to test the performance; I guess this is because my PC is really bad at running VR.”
“What is the point of this test if it is decided before the actual test is run, based entirely on the components you bought? Clearly, the Steam VR test doesn't seem to register my SLI setup and assumes only one card is running.”
- story242 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's story has received a wide range of feedback, with many players praising its emotional depth, character development, and engaging plot twists, often describing it as beautiful and impactful. However, some critiques highlight issues such as brevity, lack of clarity, and occasional plot holes, suggesting that while the narrative is compelling, it could benefit from further development and lengthening. Overall, the story is seen as a standout feature, with many players expressing a strong emotional connection to it.
“This game has a masterpiece of a story, great characters, marvellous graphics and much, much more.”
“The story is absolutely amazing, I wouldn't miss it for the world.”
“Incredible story, fantastic characters, breathtaking graphics.”
“Unfortunately, the story is a little short; I finished it in 2 minutes, but this game was so good that I decided to replay it ~180 times.”
“The gameplay was decent, but the story was abysmal, and it was filled with plot holes.”
“Boring story, long load times, short campaign.”
- gameplay116 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its innovative mechanics, immersive experience, and engaging story, while others criticize it for being repetitive, lacking depth, or overly reliant on cutscenes. Some players highlight the game's stunning graphics and sound design, enhancing the overall experience, but there are also complaints about technical issues and a monetization model that detracts from gameplay enjoyment. Overall, while many find the gameplay enjoyable and unique, others feel it falls short in terms of variety and depth.
“This game is one of the best I have played in a while; it really filled that hole deep inside of me that was lacking, a game with a wonderful story and amazing, new game mechanics that truly made for a modern-day classic.”
“The gameplay is amazing; too many microtransactions and plot holes, though.”
“The gameplay feels so real, like you're actually in an action movie while the story feels like a full book.”
“Story was too short, and gameplay was straight up garbage.”
“Just another bland AAA title pushed out early to meet deadlines, only 5 minutes of gameplay and the story is boring.”
“There is no gameplay to be found, just a series of cutscenes with no relevance to each other at all.”
- emotional44 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is overwhelmingly positive, with many players expressing deep feelings of sadness and attachment throughout the narrative. Numerous reviews highlight the game's ability to evoke tears, with players reporting multiple emotional moments and a particularly impactful ending that resonates long after gameplay. Overall, the storytelling and character development are praised as some of the most engaging and heart-wrenching experiences in gaming, making it a memorable journey for many.
“A true masterpiece, I cried at the end.”
“The story is the most engaging, eye-opening, and most emotional rollercoaster I've experienced.”
“This experience has been extremely emotional to me.”
- humor22 mentions
- 95 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with many users finding it to be exceptionally funny and memorable, often highlighting specific humorous moments and characters like Atlas. However, some reviews note that the comedic elements sometimes overshadow technical issues, suggesting that the developers could have focused more on performance rather than humor. Overall, the game is recommended for its humor, despite some frustrations with its functionality.
“The humorous moments were quite easily the funniest thing I have ever seen in my entire existence.”
“Very funny game and I would recommend.”
“Funny enough, I met another species one time flying around, and I told them my name was 'yams'.”
“As much as I'd like to post a ridiculous unfunny joke like everyone else, I figured I'd post something useful instead.”
- music21 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising the soundtrack as exceptional and comparable to iconic titles like Undertale. The combination of orchestral compositions and immersive background sounds enhances the overall experience, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere. While some players expressed a desire for more variety or integration with gameplay, the overwhelming sentiment is that the music is a standout feature deserving of high praise.
“The soundtrack is amazing; I would say 10/10.”
“The voice acting is so amazing; it's the best I've heard in years, and the soundtrack is incredible too. If it were on Spotify, it would already be in first place in the world.”
“Valve's music always seems to leave a memorable mark on the players.”
“I just wanted to play Beat Saber with my own music.”
“No story, horrible soundtrack.”
“Music: this soundtrack may be the next thing to Undertale.”
- replayability17 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is highly variable among players; while many praise its immersive features and robust upgrade system, leading to significant replay value, others criticize it for being too short or linear, resulting in minimal incentive to replay. Some users report enjoying multiple playthroughs with different outcomes, while others find the lack of story progression and subtle differences disappointing. Overall, the consensus highlights a divide between those who find endless replay potential and those who feel the game lacks depth for repeated play.
“Very immersive, tons of replayability.”
“The replay value of it is just so great, it's kind of like a fine wine.”
“Although it's somewhat quick to complete, it offers a replay value that cannot be compared to any other game.”
“Finished this in about an hour, zero replayability though.”
“No replay value after receiving the 'good' ending.”
“Linear gameplay and limited replay value really drag this title down.”
- stability15 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 73 % negative mentions
The stability of the software has received mixed reviews, with users reporting various glitches such as pixel stuttering, freezing on results pages, and visual issues. While some players noted that the program runs well overall and effectively measures performance, others expressed frustration with the frequent bugs and the need for significant patches. Overall, the experience appears to be inconsistent, with both positive and negative aspects regarding stability.
“Runs great.”
“The test runs great; it looks swish.”
“The program runs great.”
“My Vive wireless has pixel glitches and stuttering, making it impossible to play.”
“Still says VR ready, but I don't like this buggy experience.”
“Unfortunately, every time I finish the test, the results page freezes up and I'm unable to click for more info.”
- character development7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Character development in this game is praised for its depth and progression, particularly when players engage with the lore, leading to a rich and heartfelt narrative. However, some reviews note inconsistencies, with early game development feeling lacking and certain aspects of the story mode being weak. Overall, while many find the character arcs compelling, there are critiques regarding unevenness in development throughout the game.
“The character development (especially when you've explored the lore of this title) is astonishing.”
“Every time I think 'character development,' I think of this game.”
“Without spoiling such a beautiful heartfelt story with superb character development and intuitive gameplay, you follow on from the events of Portal 2 where the main character, Atlas, has come home after another day of science.”
“The character development needs a little work towards the beginning of the game.”
“Cons - absolutely no character development and a weak all around story mode.”
“Uneven character development.”
- monetization6 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The monetization model of the game has received criticism for being overly aggressive, with numerous microtransactions that detract from the overall experience. While the gameplay is praised, many users feel that the monetization approach feels like a cash grab, overshadowing the game's potential.
“The gameplay is amazing, but there are too many microtransactions.”
“Pretty sure this is just a cash grab from Valve.”
“Decent gameplay, but the monetization model is a bit in-your-face.”
“I couldn't handle the microtransactions, and the tutorial is way too long.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat excessive, often requiring significant time investment. However, many report that the enjoyable gameplay can make the grinding feel less tedious, though some express that grinding with friends can be frustrating due to uneven difficulty scaling.
“It can be a bit grindy sometimes, but the rewards make it worthwhile.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding, but the sense of achievement is incredible.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Although grinding with friends is not as fun as it should be, as the game scales the difficulty too dramatically per user in your world.”
“A bit grindy sometimes.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive quality, with exceptional lighting effects that enhance the experience, particularly during dusk and rain. Players appreciate the engaging gameplay and the unique setting that involves cultivating a planet's environment, contributing to a consistently enjoyable atmosphere throughout.
“The bow and arrow physics are top notch, and the atmospheric lighting effects (especially during dusk and when it's raining) are among the best I've ever seen.”
“The atmosphere in every single moment is perfect.”
“I gotta be honest, the gameplay quality and enjoyable atmosphere are a huge upgrade compared to other experiences.”