If you’re still mourning the fact that the Perfect Dark reboot got canned (RIP The Initiative), here’s a little palate cleanser that should soften the blow a little.
The original Perfect Dark is apparently alive and kicking in VR, running as a standalone app on Meta Quest.
The project comes from developer Alex Le Tux, who’s been showing off early footage of the port in action. Yes, it’s actually Perfect Dark in VR, not some Perfect Dark-ish knock-off.
A standalone Perfect Dark VR build is in development
According to UploadVR, this is an unofficial VR port being built as a native Quest standalone app, and it’s derived (at least in part) from the Perfect Dark decompilation project.
In the footage shared so far, you can see the player running through the classic opening mission “dataDyne Central: Defection” with head tracking and motion-controller aiming.
The fact that Le Tux is looking to get the basics you absolutely need nailed before a VR shooter feels right is promising. The big caveat, though, is that he has described the current build as “experimental” and not ready for public release, so don’t think a download link will magically appear tomorrow.
When can we expect Perfect Dark VR?
As previously alluded to, it may be a long way off. This sort of fan-driven VR port lives or dies on patience, iteration, and whether the dev can keep momentum going once the initial hype settles.
Still, it’s hard not to get a little hyped considering the IP under Xbox may be completely dead in the water.
Fan VR ports have been on a bit of a roll lately, and Perfect Dark feels like a perfect candidate for the “I can’t believe this exists” VR hall of fame.
Decompilation is also seemingly being ramped up by those dedicated enough to get the job done. This is amazing for retro gaming, and allows those who didn’t experience the titles closer to launch can do so on today’s PCs.
