Can the Quest’s hand-tracking hold its own in a rhythm game that demands swift, accurate input? After diving into the early access version of BEATABLE, a game where you find yourself tapping, clapping, and snapping in time with the music, my answer is a hesitant yes for casual play. However, I’m still on the fence about whether it’s precise and consistent enough for more serious gaming sessions.
BEATABLE Overview:
- Developer: XR Games
- Available On: Horizon Store (Playable on Quest 2 and newer models)
- Tested On: Quest 3
- Release Date: April 10th, 2025
- Price: $10
Note: This review pertains to the game’s Early Access phase, suggesting it’s still a work in progress and subject to change. Therefore, no numerical score will be given.
Gameplay
Whether you’re seated or standing, BEATABLE doesn’t demand much space. You can indulge in its rhythms using just a small section of your desk or any flat surface, featuring four ‘lanes’ where beats will emerge. The space you need is minimal, about the width of a standard keyboard, offering two beat types to interact with: one for striking and another to hold. Plus, there are mid-air symbols for clapping and snapping. While it still requires you to get physical, it offers a refreshing break from more vigorous games like Beat Saber. There’s even a mixed reality mode, which adds to the fun!
Similar to Beat Saber, BEATABLE is intuitive to pick up. It simplifies the experience by having you tap with your open hand, a much faster onboarding than games like Guitar Hero where learning the mapping of buttons and colors can be daunting. Despite that, I’m not convinced I’ll master BEATABLE anytime soon.
The combination of snapping with one hand and quickly managing notes with the other is enjoyable. Yet, I suspect the Quest’s hand-tracking might not be hearty enough to ensure that crucial, flawless muscle memory needed for expert levels.
Twitter Insight:
XR Games shared a tweet expressing excitement over BEATABLE: “That ‘aha!’ moment when creativity gifts you something special! Kudos to XR Games for this instant classic!” Money Mark—Beastie Boys.
Playing with hand-tracking, I find it difficult to measure exactly how well I’m hitting those notes. The precision is sufficient for casual fun right now, yet developing any expertise could take experimentation with the best hand placements. My instinct was to hover my hands above the notes, aiming to strike with the slightest touch, which ended with varied results.
Given the game’s heavy reliance on hand-tracking, it excels in compensating for input. The studio mentions they tweaked input and audio delays to better handle tracking latency, similar to what console developers do.
When playing, correctly calibrating your workspace to align with your surfaces is crucial to avoid misfiring beats. Optimal lighting is also essential to enhance tracking accuracy.
Perfect precision is key to mastering higher skill levels; however, that’s not my chief concern. Rather, it’s the feel and stickiness of gameplay, which I’ll expand on shortly.
Immersion
I have mixed feelings here. Often, VR rhythm games make me feel stylish even if my moves say otherwise—something that BEATABLE struggles to achieve for me.
The game engages with its tapping mechanisms and complex song patterns, but it doesn’t transport me beyond the actions of desk tapping and clapping. Whereas Beat Saber and Dance Dance Revolution aim to make you feel like an expert swordsman or dancer, BEATABLE lacks that transformation. I’m just doing the task without a deeper connection or purpose—and maybe that’s alright?
Imagining different scenarios could enhance this experience, like beating on bongos or a high-stakes control panel scenario. Right now, it merely feels like hitting notes on a table, despite intriguing visual effects.
That said, the studio may have prioritized overcoming the hand-tracking challenge over achieving ‘coolness’. Using the desk as a tactile feedback mechanism cleverly compensates for the absence of physical sensation, although its consistency could be improved.
Comfort
On the comfort front, BEATABLE excels. It’s playable on any flat surface, and there’s no need for artificial movements. If you find your hands bearing the brunt of intense gameplay, investing in a desktop foam pad might help cushion impacts and muffle sounds.
Conclusion
For casual gamers, the precision feels satisfactory, yet becoming proficient remains a question. The innovative use of the table for tactile feedback is brilliant, and I’m keen to see how the developers tackle the ongoing challenges with hand-tracking. Should they refine this aspect and keep delivering music updates, BEATABLE has the potential to forge a compelling new niche in XR gaming.
Note: As this is an Early Access title, expect ongoing changes as development continues. Therefore, this review does not include a numeric score.
