A view from the driver’s seat is all we ever wanted.
The Oculus Rift is not yet an official consumer product (even if anyone can buy one right now), but the hardware’s greatest strength is undoubtedly its thriving indie developer scene. Case in point? Mario Kart VR.
Mario Kart VR has made the jump to Oculus DK2, after a brief stint on the first developer kit. I’m not sure if Mario Kart VR is built on UE4 or Unity, as the in-demo graphics don’t give it away, but the menu is pretty slick for what’s only a working demo right now. [Update: I reached out to Wilsonator, and he confirmed Mario Kart VR was built with Unity.]
What really revs my 150cc engine, though, is the first-person perspective, and being able to look down at the unfinished instrument panel. The Mario Kart series has always been campy and fun, but looking down at your map, and imagining inventory displays and other readouts? I’m sold.
So far Mario Kart VR is only in Oculus demo territory, with one basic level complete (Mario Circuit of SNES fame). Developer “Wilsonator” promises updates on YouTube, and on the Oculus VR developer forums, and it sounds like additional levels (DK Mountain) should make an appearance soon.
Source: Wilsonator (YouTube)
