Hi Developers!
We are releasing the first of many updates to provide renewed Virtual Reality support for Roblox. Our initial goal is to make Roblox VR immersive and accessible for everybody, with VR working properly in all games with default scripts.
Our first set of updates includes an improved VR camera system in the camera module, with comfortable 3rd person and 1st person support. We also expanded our support for VR controllers and replaced the old radial menu with the updated system menu.
NOTE: we are aware of an issue where the system menu is sometimes not displayed and we are looking into this.
This is just the first step for better VR support in Roblox and we will continue to release improvements as well as new features in 2022 and beyond.
Summary of Improvements
System & Controls:
- SDK Updates: SteamVR and OculusVR SDK
- Controller Support: Valve Index (new) and improved Oculus Touch, Quest 2
- UI (first pass): Replaced old Roblox System Menu with new System Menu
Note: some existing VR experiences used camera rotation or similar hacks to hide the Roblox top bar. This will not work correctly with the new update(see known issues).
Camera:
- 3rd Person: default working again, plus improved compatibility and comfort.
- 1st Person: new option w/free movement, vignette overlay for comfort.
- Vehicle: steady camera with 3rd and 1st person immersion options.
Default Controls
Oculus Touch
Gamepad
The Xbox controller and other controllers are also supported and have a similar button layout to the button mapping above.
Valve Index
We have added support for the Index controller. The limited number of buttons gave us a few challenges so let us know what you think.
Camera Examples
Default Third-Person Camera
The third-person comfort cam is best for anyone prone to motion sickness. You are always in control of the action and the camera only teleports after your avatar stops moving or through a manual camera reset using the controller.
First-Person Camera
The first-person camera is more immersive but still designed for comfort. We use an automated vignette to reduce the view frustum and prevent sensitivity to the motion in your peripheral vision. You can turn your character by either physically looking around or by using snap turn controls.
To enter first-person mode, use the same controls as the gamepad, which is to depress the right thumbstick to change the zoom level.
UI
By default, the Roblox Top Bar UI stays hidden in VR. When you press the menu button, you enter UI selection mode. You can interact with game UI and open the Roblox system menu by selecting the Roblox icon in the top left corner.
Note that there is no direct access through a button for the Roblox system menu, as Oculus uses that button for their own menu, and the Index doesn’t have that button.
Known Issues
- The Roblox system menu will sometimes not show up in-game
- Some existing VR experiences in Roblox offset the camera or controller position to hide the top bar. This causes an issue with UI selection mode. The menu button may be outside the field of view or difficult to aim at and select.
- All cameras and controls are part of the playerscripts and might not be available in experiences that fork those modules, unless they are updated; we recommend that you merge the new changes if you have forked your scripts.
- The “Right Stick Up” function on the Index controller is used as the menu button, which can potentially overlap with other custom functions.
General Feedback
We would love to hear your feedback on the changes above and any suggestions for new features going forward.