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The upcoming No VR Mod for Half-Life: Alyx shows off amazing progress

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I consider Half-Life: Alyx played in VR to be one of the greatest gaming experiences I've ever had but for a lot of people it's just not possible and so the No VR Mod is in progress.

For whatever reason some cannot use VR be it due to price, physical ability and more. But if you still want to be able to experience the story first-hand you're currently a bit stuck. There are a few hacky mods floating around to enable mouse/keyboard support but they're all really quite rough. The No VR Mod looks like a different breed though, with smooth movement and it all just looks good.

Modder SoMNst has been working with Optimus97, Quackson and Nicklaus on it and they've recently provided a new video to show it off that you can see below (obvious spoiler alert!):

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While many VR enthusiasts will probably think it's some sort of sacrilege, I'm glad there's people willing to do this.

The mod is not yet available but when it is, we will let you know.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly came back to check on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly. Find me on Mastodon.
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31 comments
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BielFPs Oct 1, 2021
As a big fan of Half Life series, and resident of a third world country, I'm excited to be able to play this game without having to wait 10 years for it.
Quoteor whatever reason some cannot use VR be it due to price, physical ability and more.

Some? You mean most people cannot use VR be it due to price, physical ability and more.
slaapliedje Oct 1, 2021
Quoting: Eike
Quoting: slaapliedjeI should spend more time in VR for sure. Also, someone should mod the rest of the Half-Life games into VR... I feel a lot will be left out / missing from Alyx's experience by making a flat version... Like being able to hide behind desks and throw grenades at the enemy. And realize how terrible you are at throwing things...

Don't need VR for that, I see it with shame every time I try to play with balls with my little ones (4 yo). :D
Ha, I don't have any little ones to do that with. Maybe someone can code a 'kid simulator'... then again maybe that is a horrible idea.
Julius Oct 1, 2021
Dunno... I think this mod will leave people thinking that HL:Alyx is a lack-luster FPS.

I can't imaging it having anywhere near the impact to what playing it in VR has. HL:Alyx is truly designed to be VR first, and it shows in nearly every aspect of the game.

Edit: it also doesn't progress the overall Half-Life story much, so I think people don't need to think they are missing out on the story progress. Better to only play it the way it was meant to be, then walking away from it thinking "this was boring".


Last edited by Julius on 1 October 2021 at 8:11 pm UTC
Eike Oct 1, 2021
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Quoting: slaapliedje
Quoting: Eike
Quoting: slaapliedjeI should spend more time in VR for sure. Also, someone should mod the rest of the Half-Life games into VR... I feel a lot will be left out / missing from Alyx's experience by making a flat version... Like being able to hide behind desks and throw grenades at the enemy. And realize how terrible you are at throwing things...

Don't need VR for that, I see it with shame every time I try to play with balls with my little ones (4 yo). :D
Ha, I don't have any little ones to do that with. Maybe someone can code a 'kid simulator'... then again maybe that is a horrible idea.

Absolutely. I heard they've given out baby simulation dolls to teenage girls - so they'd avoid teenage pregnancies. :-D
denyasis Oct 1, 2021
Quoting: Eike
Quoting: slaapliedje
Quoting: Eike
Quoting: slaapliedjeI should spend more time in VR for sure. Also, someone should mod the rest of the Half-Life games into VR... I feel a lot will be left out / missing from Alyx's experience by making a flat version... Like being able to hide behind desks and throw grenades at the enemy. And realize how terrible you are at throwing things...

Don't need VR for that, I see it with shame every time I try to play with balls with my little ones (4 yo). :D
Ha, I don't have any little ones to do that with. Maybe someone can code a 'kid simulator'... then again maybe that is a horrible idea.

Absolutely. I heard they've given out baby simulation dolls to teenage girls - so they'd avoid teenage pregnancies. :-D

We did that... Used eggs. Had to carry the egg with you all day from class to class and everywhere else. Most made basket carriers and decorated the eggs to look like babies. Any cracks and you failed... Wasn't just for girls. Boys too.


Back to VR... I dunno about "gimmick", but the headset is definitely in the "dude toy" realm. I can't imagine using this when my kids were babies (monitoring naps), my current aged kids (playtime), other people in the living room (some one gonna get hit), or really anywhere where some awareness is needed. Perhaps I'm the only one with these circumstances.

Now the cockpit part of VR... Makes about an much sense as having a joystick and other accessories. I can see that.


Last edited by denyasis on 1 October 2021 at 11:58 pm UTC
Nezchan Oct 2, 2021
Quoting: slaapliedje
Quoting: Eike
Quoting: slaapliedjeI should spend more time in VR for sure. Also, someone should mod the rest of the Half-Life games into VR... I feel a lot will be left out / missing from Alyx's experience by making a flat version... Like being able to hide behind desks and throw grenades at the enemy. And realize how terrible you are at throwing things...

Don't need VR for that, I see it with shame every time I try to play with balls with my little ones (4 yo). :D
Ha, I don't have any little ones to do that with. Maybe someone can code a 'kid simulator'... then again maybe that is a horrible idea.

There was literally a game called Babysitting Mama for the Wii that involved putting one of the Wiimotes into a plush child toy and doing various things with it. The fact that the mote was only so sensitive led to some hilarious situations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWZ2GZ_LU8o

Spoiler: It was a horrible idea.
rea987 Oct 2, 2021
Cool, does is work natively on Linux?
haiku Oct 2, 2021
My wife would kill me if i isolate with a VR headset
DerpFox Oct 2, 2021
Personally, I still think the VR launch at Valve was badly managed.

The Index as impressive as it is in terms of tech. It was (and still is) way overpriced in the current VR market. Let's not forget who is in front of them in that market, Facebook and Oculus has been leading the way with less good tech but way, way, way more convenient and less expensive. If it wasn't for the Quest 2 I would never have gone VR.
Compared to that, the Index impressive tech is loosing ground very fast ... against worst headset. The inconvenience of cable and price is putting it in a loosing ground. I feel like Valve should have eaten the loss and sell it around 500€ a bit like a console manufacturer. And go all out on the software part to make it easier for studios to make and sell VR games on steam. When the Valve sold the HTC Vive on steam, I've seen a good number and even try a couple of them, with the Index I have yet to see one by myself. I really hope the future standalone headset won't go that way in terms of price.

The other mistake was in a way HL:Alyx, the logic behind it is clear, get a flagship game to make people go VR. But with the price of VR in general putting countless people out, and the HL franchise has been gone for so long? The choice feel completely removed from reality. Instead of gathering people around VR it has made them outright despise it. I've met a good number of people who refuse to buy VR headset just because of Alyx (some even refuse to try it). Even if I found the reaction pitiful, I kinda can understand it. They see this as the "useless overpriced gimmick tech" that robed them from an HL game.

So, I'm happy in a way they can play that game by themselves with that kind of initiative. Maybe it will make that kind of people rethink about VR. Same for people who can't afford a VR headset. As for me, I will finally play through the game. I don't know why, but HL:Alyx give me motion sickness all the time. I can't play more than 2 min. Also, the fact you can't assign the controls as you want has been a problem for me, I can't find a control option I like in steam vr they are all awkward for me.
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