Ever since VR became a more mainstream thing, Pokemon Snap has felt like one of those games that could work insanely well, and almost 30 years after its original N64 release, somebody has finally gone and done it.
Developer DramaticShape has released a VR version of Pokemon Snap for Meta Quest 3, letting you jump into the ZERO-ONE and start taking pictures of Pokemon from a fresh perspective than you’re used to.
Pokemon Snap VR runs standalone on Quest 3
The project in question is based on the recently created Snap64 Recomp, the native port that uses N64: Recompiled to translate Pokemon Snapโs original N64 code for modern hardware. DramaticShape has taken that foundation and added proper VR functionality on top.
There is a Windows PCVR build available, but the particularly impressive part is the dedicated Quest APK, meaning the game can run standalone on the headset without needing a gaming PC connected in the background.
The latest release at the time of writing is Snap64RecompVR 1.0.2, but weโre sure itโll get worked on more moving forward.
We tried it and think Pokemon Snap fits the format ridiculously well. Rather than controlling the camera with an N64 analogue stick, you can physically grab it from a holster using either hand, aim naturally, and pull the trigger to take a photograph.
The motion controls extend beyond snapping pictures too. Apples and Pester Balls can be picked up and physically thrown, while the Poke Flute gets its own button within the VR environment.
The ZERO-ONE still follows its original predetermined route, so this hasnโt suddenly transformed Pokemon Snap into an open-world game, but youโre free to look and lean around naturally as you travel through each course.
DramaticShape has mentioned a target of 90Hz on Quest, although they stress that this isnโt a guaranteed locked 90 FPS and some scenes may still fall below that target.
As always with these kinds of projects, youโll also need to provide your own Pokemon Snap USA Rev 1 ROM, as no copyrighted game data is bundled with the project.
There have been some cool recomp projects getting released as of like such as Animal Crossing VR and Fable 2, but this is the one that could turn heads in more ways than one.
