How To Play Elite Dangerous In VR

Published by Frontier Developments, Elite Dangerous is a space flight simulation game allowing players to take the role as a commander of a spaceship. The game is open world based in the Milky Way Galaxy, giving you full freedom to explore and do what you wish with the game.

A fantastic feature of the game is that due to its online multiplayer aspect, players actions can affect the narrative story of the game’s persistent universe. If you do not enjoy multiplayer games then no need to panic as there is still a single player mode for you to enjoy.

Elite Dangerous is very unique as it allows you to create your own themes and stories. If you wish to be the friendlier type and wander around the galaxy gazing at the stars and delivering packages then the game allows you to do this.

Whereas, if you want to be the best bounty hunter in the whole galaxy, leaving wrecked ships in your wake then the game will let you do this also. 

Within the Milky Way Galaxy, governments fall, wars continuously rage and the frontier of humanity constantly expands and you have the power to impact it all. 

Elite Dangerous in VR

The free roam game is one of the most popular games currently available on the PC market. By April 2020, Frontier had sold over 3.5 million units, grossing more than 100 million dollars in revenue. 

Elite Dangerous is the fourth installment in the “Elite” series. The Elite series has been running since 1995 making it one of the longest running game franchises of all time.

Virtual Reality

Since the introduction of virtual reality games into the market within recent years, gaming fans have been crying out for their favorite games to be incorporated into this virtual world.

Fans of Elite Dangerous are no exception and there is indeed a process that you can use to delve into the depths of the Milky Way through the use of virtual reality.

Keep reading to find out how you can set up Elite Dangerous to be able to run through a virtual reality headset.

Setting Up VR For Elite Dangerous

To set up VR for Elite Dangerous, there are two ways of being able to complete this successfully and this depends if you already have the game or if you still have not purchased the game. 

If you already have the game purchased then scroll down to the bottom to find out your steps in granting a virtual reality experience for this game. 

Steps If You Do Not Have Elite Dangerous Downloaded

If you are yet to download Elite Dangerous, then you are actually in for an easier process in order to set up virtual reality for the game. 

As this game is published by Frontier, you would usually look to purchase the game on their website. However, as you want to use the game in VR, you need to directly download the game either through the Oculus Store or SteamVR.

If you are installing the game from the Oculus Store, then there will be an Elite Dangerous icon in your Oculus library and clicking this will launch the game. However, before you put on your headset, you need to make sure you have created a Frontier account.

The account is free and easy to set up and allows you to log in from anywhere to play the game.

Once you have created your Frontier account, click pay in the bottom left corner of the launcher and put your headset on. As a default setting, the Rift will automatically connect itself to the XBOX controllers that come with the headset.

To change this, head over to settings and find the controls section to connect with the controls that you wish to play with. 

Those who are installing the game through SteamVR need to simply find Elite Dangerous on the store and launch the game. Once the game is launched, there will be a choice to launch the game through 32 bit, 64 bit or through a virtual reality headset.

As you are wanting to use the game through a VR setting click the VR choice and it will send you through to create a frontier account.

As you will be setting the game up through Steam, the game will automatically set the controls as mouse and keyboard. To change this simply head over to options and adjust your controls to the ones you wish to use. 

Steps If You Already Have Elite Dangerous Downloaded

Already an avid Elite Dangerous gamer and want to add VR to your experience? Here are some easy to follow steps to enhance your gaming experience.

Firstly, you need to make sure that you are sharing your information with either Steam or Oculus as you will be uninstalling the game and you do not want to be charged twice.

Once you have done this, you will need to head to the Frontier website in your browser, log in to your account and head over to the account dashboard. The account dashboard will have an option labeled Partner Keys and this will allow you to claim a key for Elite Dangerous to use on the VR platform of your choice. 

After claiming this key, redeem the code on your VR store and you will be able to download the VR version of Elite Dangerous.

Unfortunately, you will have to uninstall your current version of Elite Dangerous from your PC. This is because the latest version of the game will not enable Oculus VR or Steam VR to run on the standard version of Elite Dangerous. 

Before you uninstall the game, make sure to head to Users/[accountname]/AppData/Local/Frontier Developments/Elite

Dangerous/Options/Bindings/ in Windows and move the “custom.binds” file until the game is re-installed. 

This will cut out needing to remap your keys in the latest version of the game, to avoid losing any information. 

Richard Jones
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