Star Wars™ Pinball VR

Star Wars™ Pinball VR delivers an engaging pinball experience set in the Star Wars universe, featuring 8 tables including 2 new ones and a fan cave hub for collectibles and customization. The gameplay mechanics and table design receive praise for their fun factor and variety, with modes like career/challenge and arcade adding replay value. However, the game suffers from significant technical shortcomings, notably the lack of support for most VR controllers except Oculus Touch and the necessity of a gamepad for many users, which breaks immersion. The graphics are widely criticized for being low resolution, blurry, and a direct port from Quest 2 with no PC VR enhancements, making it visually inferior to Zen Studios' older Pinball FX2 VR. Additionally, players report issues with Oculus software conflicts, crashes, and poor controller mapping. While the audio and Star Wars theming are appreciated, the overall package feels rushed and underpolished, leading to mixed reception and many refunds.

Despite these flaws, the core pinball gameplay and Star Wars atmosphere provide enjoyment for fans willing to navigate the technical hurdles. The game is recommended mainly on sale or for players with compatible controllers, hoping for future updates to improve controller support, graphics options, and bug fixes.

Highlights

Players praise the engaging pinball gameplay and well-designed Star Wars-themed tables that offer varied modes and challenges. The fan cave hub adds immersive customization and collectibles, enhancing replayability. The audio design and iconic Star Wars music contribute positively to the atmosphere. For those with compatible controllers, the physics and table animations provide a satisfying VR pinball experience. The addition of new tables like The Mandalorian is well received, and the overall idea of bringing Star Wars pinball into VR is appreciated by fans.

Performance is generally smooth on capable hardware when using recommended settings or community tweaks, allowing for an enjoyable play session once technical issues are managed.

Criticisms

The most common criticism is the lack of support for VR motion controllers beyond Oculus Touch, forcing many players to use gamepads, which diminishes immersion. The graphics are frequently described as low resolution, blurry, and inferior to older Zen pinball VR titles, with no in-game options for supersampling or anti-aliasing. Several users report the game is essentially a direct Quest 2 port with no PC VR enhancements. Technical issues include frequent crashes, Oculus software conflicts, inability to close the game properly, and broken AirLink functionality. Controller mapping is poor, with some controllers not recognized or functional, requiring workarounds. The uniform cabinet design and lack of leaderboards or local high score initials detract from the experience. Overall, the game feels rushed and underpolished, disappointing many long-time fans.