Codemasters say adding VR to F1 2017 will be difficult

While Codemasters added VR to Dirt Rally, they don’t have plans to add support for any VR headsets to F1 2017, which launched on Friday. At least not at the moment because there are extra challenges in introducing VR to F1 2017 specifically.  

This isn’t to say that Codemasters aren’t interested in VR for their Formula One title, however. "We've certainly given a lot of consideration to VR," creative director Lee Mather told GamesIndustry.biz. "As you know, Codemasters did VR for Dirt Rally and we're certainly interested in doing it for Formula One.”

But there are more things to consider, as the changes that might need to be made could have a negative impact on the game. 

"It's a little trickier for us because we're pushing the boundaries when it comes to our physics,” said Mather. “We have a lot of elements on screen with the OSD, so that's a lot of information the player would have to process in VR. The changes to move the game onto VR would be fairly significant, and we wouldn't want to do it if it meant compromising any area of the game. That's why we're holding back on that at the moment, but it's something we're considering."

Fraser Brown
Online Editor

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.