VorpX is a 3D driver that allows you to play normal PC games in VR, and if you have not tried the software yet, you should check out our review on VorpX.
Now the VorpX is a pretty amazing software, but you need to purchase it, and many might not be willing to do that. So, we have dished out some free alternatives that you could go for if you want to try playing your favorite game in VR for all you guys out there.
After going through a few Reddit posts and doing some research, we found out that three popular software would help you play a normal game in VR.
They are Vireo Perception, TriDef, and Vorpx. However, TriDef shut down, and there is no particular reason. However, this does mean that we are missing out on a free alternative.
The VorpX is a paid software, so the only free alternative that remains is the Vireo Perception. So, as you can see for yourself, you do not have much choice here.
Let’s discuss the remaining two in detail and see which one is better than the other.
Table of Contents
Vireo Perception
Vireo Perception is the only free alternative at the moment if you want to play your normal games in 3D. It works pretty well with your Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive.
When they emerged, I would not go as far as saying that Vireo Perception is an alternative since it was the first VR driver.
However, when it comes to performance, Vireo Perception is an alternative as VorpX is a little bit better when it comes to graphics and overall functionality.
Initially, Vireo Perception was made by a single developer named Andres Hernandez. He made the VR driver available to at least 20 games that included everyone’s favorites back then, Half-Life and Skyrim.
That number has increased over the years, and with the help of other developers, Vireo Perception has certainly improved its software capabilities.
You can even get it to sync the controllers and position tracking in many games. However, you have to understand that not all the games will be supported with this headset, and there are select games that include Skyrim VR and Half-Life 2.
Overall, Vireo Perception is a pretty good, free alternative for the VorpX, and since it is the only other option after TriDef got discontinued.
You can play games in two different modes here, depending on what the game supports. You can either get the game in a room on a screen in VR or get the proper 3D projection making it feel like a 3D movie.
The latest version of Vireo Perception is the VP 4.0, and this is what brought the Vireo Cinema to the users. It uses the mouse as a laser pointer that is visible in virtual reality.
You have the choice to sit in a room and play your games on a large virtual reality screen or in stereoscopic 3D that the software renders.
You can also switch to enter the game itself and not only watch it on a virtual screen. You are playing while switching modes is possible, which makes it easier for a lot of users.
Vireo Perception version 4.0 is now compatible with Vive Controllers. You can emulate the controls via your keyboard and mouse.
Either way, you will have a lot of fun experimenting with this software, and since it is free, there is no harm in trying to see how all the software-supported games work in VR.
VorpX
This is a paid alternative, and honestly, it just costs $40 so, if you want to enjoy games like Mortal Combat, Skyrim, or Half-Life 2.
VorpX has more games to offer than Vireo Perception. It has 150 games where it improved from 80 on the earlier versions.
You will enjoy all these games in VR and come with some positional head tracking as well. There can be a few glitches since you are just using a 3D driver to play the game in VR, but overall the experience with VorpX is amazing.
You can play games in a few different modes, and we are going to discuss them in brief below. If you want a detailed explanation, then you should check out our post on the VorpX review.
Direct VR
This is probably one of the best ways to project a 2D game in VR. Direct VR is by far the best among all the other options you have, and in the case you want to best use this software, this is the way to go.
You will use it with the other modes, but as said earlier, not all games are supported by Direct VR. The games that are not supported can still run with other modes.
The Direct VR does require you to have high screen resolution since that is when it works better. You need to do some trial and error to get what you want from this software. Hence we advise you to be patient enough.
The display is short of amazing as it only requires minimum specs to run the Direct VR function, but the game’s speed is still there.
The result is amazing, and I’m talking about how great it is to play any normal game in VR. If you can play a game with Direct VR, then you should try going that way. There are other modes that you can go to as well.
3D Geometry
This is the second mode that we think gives you an experience that is very close to perfection.
You should understand that using the VorpX, you will find glitches in the game because it is not a native VR game, but even then, you would love it to see your favorite game in VR.
The 3D Geometry mode works perfectly with the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive, so if you are wondering how far this model can take, wait until we tell you more on this.
Most of the games you can play with VorpX will give you trouble in the alignment, but it depends on the game and adjust these problems on the HUD settings.
Generally, PC games transferred to the VorpX and then played after rendering will leave you from a third-person’s point of view.
This could be adjusted in some games, and you can get inside the game itself, but the third person POV is immersive enough, and once you get the hang of it, you will enjoy it more than just playing on your PC.
You get an almost perfect VR experience that includes additional head tracking. The positional tracking might be an issue with a few games, but overall, we felt that the experience was pretty cool.
Z-Buffer mode
The Z-Buffer method is slightly similar to the 3D Geometry mode in that it can render 2D PC Games into 3D VR ones.
The thing is, Z-Buffer has a lower resolution and display capacity than that of a 3D Geometry mode.
It makes up for the display by having a much better frame rate than the 3D Geometry, and the game moves smoother.
The Z-Buffer removes the shadow, reflection, and color misalignment, but it uses a lower resolution to make up for the speed.
This is better for you, especially if you have motion sickness. It removes all the distracting blue and red outlines and displays them on a lower resolution, but you can still see the object’s whole.
But if you have a PC that can do both the 3D Geometry and the Z-Buffer, then that would be the best option for you as VorpX allows you to switch from one mode to the other in-game.
Advanced Tweaking
In the VorpX features, you can find some games that require higher resolutions and specs for you to play the game.
Other games require a simpler setup for them to run. These games only require the basic VorpX setting to adjust the display on how you like it without damaging the speed or the FPS of the game.
But when it comes to the more advanced games that require higher specs to run, you will need the advanced tweaking to attain the best quality of the game and play it without sacrificing speed.
Advanced tweaking involves VorpX’s Advanced setting, and it might take a while for beginners to learn what to do with this.
You can make adjustments to your focal depth, positional tracking, 3D separation strength, and many more. You can see the changes in real-time, so it will be easy to track them once you get the hang of it.
Use your Heads Up Display to get access to your VorpX settings.
This feature will give you the best resolution on your game while maintaining the speed or the frames per second, so you do not have to sacrifice one or the other.
It is a matter of adjustment on how much clarity you want to see in the display and how much speed you want to have while playing the game, so it is really up to your standards.
Other Modes (Z- Adaptive/ Z-Normal)
This one can be a little different since, unlike with the other modes mentioned above, with this one, you are just going to feel like you are playing the game on the big 2D screen.
Like the VR Cinema, you are put into a big virtual reality room with a large display in front of you.
You can choose that feature or opt for a more immersive 2D display with no room around you, just you and your game in the display while playing.
This may not be as engaging as the other method mentioned above, but you still do get some really good experience out of this, and a few games like Grand Theft Auto V would give you a 3D movie-like experience which is pretty good enough.
So, even if the VorpX is a paid software, it is definitely worth your time. However, I would completely understand if you want to stick to the free software and see how that works.
Conclusion
This third alternative for 3D drivers is called Tridef, but as of now, it is not available anymore. There are no updates as of writing this article on whether it is coming back or not.
It supported almost 900 games which you can play on a stereoscopic 3D display and tweak the curve, display, frame, and more on the video.
As of now, there are only the choices above on how you can experience your classic 2D game in virtual reality.
VorpX is looking to improve its latest version by adding more games that can be played aside from the 150 games already available.
For now, we still have to wait for other alternatives on how to play the games in 3D or wait for the developers to make a 3D version of the games we want.
Either way, with the technological advancement going so fast, it will not be long until we experience having to play our favorite games in an immersive way.
Let us know what alternatives we missed in this article and try the ones mentioned above!
In both cases, do let us know your experiences in the comments below!
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