Pinball FX2 VR

Pinball FX2 VR
Type: Pinball Game
Image Quality: Good
Scale: Just a touch small
Length: Long
Cost:$4.99 for 3 tables, additional tables $2.99 - $4.99

I'm somewhat qualified to compare the Pinball FX experience in VR versus on a flat screen as I've played over 200 hours of Pinball FX3 on Steam. Stepping into the world of VR pinball was a revelation. The tables are truly three dimensional. On Steam they are a nice approximation but they are really lacking in depth. For instance ramps that go up are next to lanes that are flat and you really can't tell them apart on the computer, but in VR they definitely rise. The ball also feels more or less like a real ball with weight and not a circle moving around a flat board. The FX guys love to make little 3D characters who live on the edges of the table. Here they are really 3D and it is fun to watch them.

Speaking of characters, the various boards tend to have some kind of character or movie prop or some such near the table to give it ambiance. For instance the Back to the Future table has a model of the Delorean. My favorite is the wild west table with a scale model of a train running on a little track and the girl from the game making saracstic motions when you lose the ball.

There are two negatives. The game is a bit low resolution. The tables are very well modeled, but there are two many jagged lines and this is especially noticeable on anything made of wire. This might be a limitation of the platform. Some people were complaining in the store that there was stuttering on the tables. I assume higher resolution would have made this worse. By the way I saw no stuttering in the Go version, the ball moved very smoothly. The other thing to remember is that you are looking down while wearing a pound weight on your head that is mostly balanced forward. You need to take breaks and maybe avoid when you are tired as you can feel it in your neck and shoulders if you go too long.

While not perfect, if you enjoy pinball, and like me have never experienced it in VR, this is a great experience. The three included tables are nice, but my favorite in the Back to the Future table where you can pick from six different time periods which adds a ton of replayability. I'm going to be coming to this pinball room a lot!