GameOrDie007/Descent-1-and-2-VR v1.2

v1.2 - Fly It Your Way

on GitHub

Descent and Descent 2 in your VR headset, from your own copy of the games: on PC VR, and standalone on a Meta Quest 3 or a Steam Frame.

Watch the install and gameplay video: https://youtu.be/8ny_fpmIa_A

New in 1.2

• World size: a slider in VR Options, Flying and World Size. 100% is the mine as made; lower makes it smaller around you, with stronger depth
• Head steering: the ship turns toward where you look
• Motion flying: hold the left grip and raise or lower that controller to slide, hold the right grip and twist it to bank, with both sticks still free for flying and looking
• FPV stick layout: for drone pilots. Climb and turn on the left stick, pitch and bank on the right stick, forward and back on the grips
• Aim with your head: a third choice beside your controller and the ship's nose
• Remappable grips: put any action on the grips in VR Options, Controls. They still raise and lower the ship until you change them
• Slide left and slide right can now go on any button
• Home recenters from the keyboard, for flying with mouse and keyboard
• The Game Manual's pages cover all of the above

All the new ways to fly are off until you turn them on, so the game plays just as before. Your pilots, saves, settings and notes carry over.

Install on PC

New here? Download Descent 1 and 2 VR Installer.exe below, double-click it and press INSTALL. (Windows may say it protected your PC: choose More info, then Run anyway. The installer is not code-signed.) Already playing? The installer shows UPDATE; your pilots, saves and settings stay.

By hand:

1. Download Descent-1-and-2-VR-1.2-PCVR.zip below and unzip it anywhere.
2. Double-click Setup.bat. It finds your games by itself (every Steam library, GOG, a disc install, or a folder you drag onto it) and adds a VR folder inside each game's folder, desktop shortcuts, and if you want, entries in your Steam and SteamVR library. Already playing? Run the new Setup; your pilots, saves and settings stay.
3. Start Virtual Desktop or SteamVR, put the headset on, and start Descent VR or Descent 2 VR.

You need Descent and/or Descent 2 for PC (Steam, GOG or disc), a PC VR headset with an OpenXR runtime (Virtual Desktop or SteamVR), and Windows 10 or 11. Nothing from the games is copied or changed. Uninstall.bat removes everything and keeps your pilots, saved games and notes; Collect logs.bat gathers the logs into one zip if you need help.

Install on Meta Quest 3

Easiest: turn on Developer mode (step 1 below), plug the headset in, open Descent 1 and 2 VR Installer.exe, pick QUEST 3 and press INSTALL ON QUEST. By hand:

1. Turn on Developer mode once, in the Meta Horizon app on your phone (the Quest download's README walks through it).
2. Download Descent-1-and-2-VR-1.2-Quest.zip below and unzip it on the PC that has your games.
3. Plug the headset into the PC with a USB-C cable and double-click Setup.bat. Put the headset on when it asks and allow USB debugging.
4. On the headset: Library, Unknown Sources, Descent 1 & 2 VR.

Setup installs the app, copies your game files to the headset and makes each game's Game Manual on your PC. Run it again after an update; it copies only what changed and keeps your pilots, saves and notes (with a copy on the PC).

Install on Steam Frame (standalone)

Easiest: with Developer Mode on and Lepton Development running on the Frame (steps 1 and 2 below), open the installer, pick STEAM FRAME, type the Frame's name and press INSTALL; PRESS START starts the game. By hand:

The Quest download runs on the Frame too, under Lepton (the Frame's Android layer), installed over Wi-Fi:

1. On the Frame, once: turn on Developer Mode and set a user password (Settings, Developer), and note its name (Settings, System, Hostname).
2. Start Lepton Development from the Frame's library.
3. On the PC, unzip Descent-1-and-2-VR-1.2-Quest.zip and double-click Setup Steam Frame.bat; type the Frame's name.
4. Start it with Start on Steam Frame.bat.

It runs at 72 Hz, the Frame's rate for standalone games.

Descent and Descent 2 are by Parallax Software. The engine is DXX-Redux, from DXX-Retro, DXX-Rebirth and D1X/D2X; its source with our changes is in this repository, under the Parallax and D1X-Rebirth licenses (non-commercial). Game Or Die's own files (the VR library, the game picker, the Game Manual's book, the splash, the installers) are all rights reserved: see LICENSE-GameOrDie.txt.

Get an email when the next port ships: follow Game Or Die on Patreon for free. Ports are never paywalled.

SHA-256 of Descent-1-and-2-VR-1.2-PCVR.zip: 2496CECF8CD0CA4F7FB7EE4FF50DF34B9508EF8552BF0283F3111446FC535CB5
SHA-256 of Descent-1-and-2-VR-1.2-Quest.zip: 8DA504664FFD1E172FDC78B9607E6781FFB6F6BEB16F075D9E981FE8B14CC071