Try EmuVR to Relive the Games of the 90s
We’ll never be able to relive the 90s again, but technology is bringing us pretty damn close. At this point, you could be sitting in your modern home in 2022 surrounded by iPhones, large-screen OLED TVs, and all sorts of smart gadgets, while being in a room adorned with classic posters, old-school TVs, and retro games. filling every corner of the bookshelves. It’s not magic: it’s EmuVR .
EmuVR recreates your 90s-style dream bedroom, allowing you to play one of over 70 different classic consoles on your TV and watch retro cartoons on another. Since EmuVR is an emulator at its core, you can play games on a wide variety of platforms including PlayStation, Nintendo 64, GameCube, Sega Dreamcast, SNES, NES, and even more modern consoles like the Wii.
In my opinion, the coolest part of EmuVR is recreating the gameplay down to the smallest detail. You don’t select your games from some in-game user interface or dig through Windows files to find them. As soon as you add your games to EmuVR, they appear in your “room” in the form of cartridges and discs. You can then take the console you want to play on, take the cartridge and pop it in like you did in the 90s. So cool.
Not all console models are currently supported, but there is a good list: PS1, N64, SNES (USA, PAL and Japan), NES, GameCube and PS2 have detailed models for in-game interaction. There is even a VCR! TVs are realistic too: get close and you can see pixels and scan lines. If you don’t have a CRT in your actual retro gaming rig, this is the next best thing.
You can customize your room to your liking, from the posters on the walls to how messy the space is. Also, there is multiplayer support so you can invite your friends to your room and you can visit them. Take turns playing Super Mario Bros. on your digital NES or check back for their games in Mario Kart 64 .
As cool as EmuVR is, it’s not for everyone. This is because it only works with Windows and PC VR systems such as Oculus Rift, Oculus Link (Quest with PCVR), Valve Index, HTC Vive and WMR. If you don’t have a VR headset, no problem: you can play EmuVR on your 2D monitor just like any other game or emulator. However, you won’t be able to access EmuVR on other VR headsets like PSVR, Oculus Quest (without PCVR), Oculus Go, Gear VR, or Cardboard VR. This is likely due to the fact that EmuVR is a ROM-based emulation, which means that you need to download and save the game files on your Windows PC in order to run them in the game.
This is another caveat: like any emulator, EmuVR does not provide users with games. You need to bring your own ROMs to the table. However, if you’ve used an emulator before, you know it’s not difficult. Just know that EmuVR won’t help you.
How to play EmuVR on PC
If you have a PC and/or a PC VR headset and want to try out EmuVR, you first need to go to their Discord . Read the #welcome channel to get familiar with the platform, which will also guide you through the various wikis you’ll need to get set up. This page provides an installation guide , which, while lengthy, essentially boils down to downloading and extracting EmuVR, copying your games to the correct folder, and scanning your games and downloading kernels before you’re ready to go. There are also guides on how to launch games , add light gun support, and troubleshoot any issues you may have .
Stick to these guides instead of looking for guides on YouTube. While video walkthroughs may be more helpful to some of us, they may contain outdated or incorrect information that may confuse you. The official wiki will always have the latest instructions and updates so you can customize yourself.
I don’t have a PC VR headset ( I’m a PS VR fan ) but I do have a PC so I’m excited to bring this time machine back to my childhood.