Why Virtual Reality Elevates the Gaming Experience of 2D Titles

Key Takeaways

• VR headsets can create virtual screens of any size, offering a unique viewing experience.
• Using a VR headset for flat 2D games provides a private and immersive gaming experience.
• VR gaming allows for more comfortable gameplay positions, making it a versatile option for various settings, including travel.

Most of the hype around virtual reality gaming deals with immersive games that show off everything this medium can do. However, using your VR headset instead of a traditional screen to play flat games is an oft-overlooked, yet awesome, way to get even more from your headset.

The Biggest Screen You Can Image

While only some of us can afford to have a giant TV or a projector setup in the real world, if you have a VR headset, then you can have a virtual screen of effectively any size. You can sit in a virtual theater with an IMAX-sized screen, or have a much more “intimate” 200-inch display closer to your virtual eyeballs. Of course the virtual display that’s possible with today’s headsets won’t be as sharp as a real 4K tv, but most people sit so far away from their real TVs that most of that 4K resolution is lost and ends up looking like 1080p anyway.

Best of all, VR is a great solution when you only have one TV and someone else wants to use it to watch Netflix or something, and on top if that it’s a great solution for people who live in places where a TV just won’t fit, like college dorm rooms.

Playing in Private With No Distractions

Using your VR headset to play regular flat 2D games lets you benefit from the immersive properties of VR to give you the private gaming experience that’s so hard to have these days. Combine it with the right set of noise-canceling headphones, and you can just forget the outside world exists. For me, one of the best parts of this is not being able to see or hear your phone. I’m tempted far too often to check my phone while playing video games, and end up wasting time doomscrolling .

Immersed in my little VR bubble, I can fully relax and enjoy the game itself. I played a huge chunk of Diablo IV using my PSVR 2 and it completely elevated the atmosphere of that game, despite being an isometric action RPG.

You Can Play In More Comfortable Positions

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For me, one of the best things about using a VR headset to play flat games, is that I can basically do it in any posture I want. I can sit in my recliner with my neck in the most comfortable position, or I can play lying down in bed. Since the “screen” appears wherever I’m looking, I don’t have to adjust my body to accommodate the position of the TV. If you have a good place to sit or lie down, this means no neck pain or other body discomfort.

It’s Awesome For Travel

I’m a big fan of gaming laptops , but the relatively small screens these mighty portable computer have does put a mild damper on things. At home I hook mine up to a 34-inch ultrawide screen, but when away from my desk it turns out that using my Quest 2 with apps like Virtual Desktop or the Meta Quest Steam Link app is a much better solution. You can use an Xbox controller with the Quest directly to cut down on some latency as well, and in most cases I can’t detect any difference in how games play.

If you have a Game Pass Ultimate subscription , you don’t even need a computer or console. You can use Xbox Cloud Gaming on your Quest , just bring your own Xbox controller and a good internet connection. Before you know it, you’ll be hanging out in the virtual game room of your choice, enjoying retro and current games in a way you never have before.