Virtual sports is a game that allows you to play both ping pong and tennis inside of the game. Although this game is not the highest rated or most popular game, this original title packs a punch with fantastic gameplay. For what it lacks in futuristic looks, it makes up for with great physics and feels. This game is not highly rated, but that is mostly because of the tennis feature. If this game strictly stuck to ping pong I believe many would regard it as a fantastic game for table tennis in VR.
You start the game in ping pong, but in this game review we are going to be starting with the sore spot of the game in tennis. Tennis is already known to be a tough to game to replicate on any virtual platform, VR or not. The developers really took a swing for the fences by including this with their ping pong game and they came up just short. When I transitioned to the tennis section of the game, I instantly wondered if I was going to be able to move to the ball or if it would just always come back to my set spot with any given hit. To my surprise, neither of those played out and I was left with a sickening experience.
Hitting the ball is no problem. It feels the same as ping pong but requires just a little more power to your swing. That was no problem in the game play. What the real problem was with the movement. After you hit the ball you are simply teleported to where the ball will be returned. The only variable when returning the ball is the speed it comes at you with. Of course this is better than having to create a free-roaming locomotion system, but this will make you feel like you’re a part of a bad experiment pretty early on of your first match.
Ping pong is a completely different story. The practice mode is a little glitchy. The ball will often disappear and the physics feel a little off. I decide to venture to the career mode early on, which was a bold move trusting this game with my fragile stomach once again. The reward I got back was a surprising one. This table tennis game, save it be the practice mode, is the best I have encounter inside of virtual reality just yet. If you are looking for a game to get your paddle on, look no further. This is truly the virtual space to play in.
From the opening game, you realize how authentic this game feels. In games like Racket NX and Racket Fury I often felt like the game was predetermined. This game felt like it had a new animation for every single hit I served up. Each opponent played a different style of game and kept the game very interesting each time. This forced me to evolve and learn new techniques on the fly.
This game incorporates the spin of the ball very well. You can angle your paddle differently each time and you will see the difference in the ball each time and the way it hits. To put spin on the ball, virtually or real, check out this comment made on Reddit from Anthony Chuah on how to put the ball in better spinning condition. Angle of approach of paddle.
- You do not hit the ball so much as “scrape” the ball really, really hard, like if you were trying to give it a friction burn.
- Wrist movement. Turn your wrist with a sudden, explosive movement right before touching the ball.
- Using your core and legs. When serving, your body should be twisting (as if throwing a punch), and this is even more true when looping. Only in close-table chopping will you not use your body weight much.
- Strength. Go to the gym and increase the strength of your legs, core, forearm (for wrist movements), and various arm muscles.
Overall this game is something I would recommend to anyone that wants to play ping pong inside of virtual reality. For a price of $19.99 I can guarantee you will enjoy your purchase and what you will get. You will be getting your moneys worth as the feel and physics are great.
