Summary
Beatable brings a creative, enjoyable experience to the table best enjoyed with friends. Being able to use your desk or a table as a controller really gives you a chance to feel like you're physically doing something. XR Games has done an excellent job at producing an interactive rhythm game in a landscape of many giants.
Developer – XR Games Ltd.
Publisher – XR Games Ltd.
Platforms – Meta Quest 3S, Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest Pro, Meta Quest 2 (Reviewed)
Review copy given by Developer
It’s no secret that Meta Quest tends to blur the line between virtual and reality, allowing developers to run wild and create a gaming experience that piques your interest and wins a place in your collection. Developer XR Games is pushing to release your next favorite VR game with the early access release of a rhythm-based game called “Beatable,” but is it worthwhile?
Beatable promises to bring a rhythm-based game to the Meta Quest library in the style of your average rhythm games you would find in an arcade, like Piano Keys or even a Project Diva game. The first time jumping in, you start with calibrating your controls—well, not exactly. Beatable actually uses hand tracking instead of controllers, giving you a way more free-flowing experience.
Due to some space restrictions, I can’t play most popular VR games without worrying about judo chopping something around me, but thankfully Beatable uses a small amount of space, making it accessible for pretty much every experience. You’re recommended to play with a table, using your hands against a table as the play area, turning your surroundings into a 4-button drum set. If you don’t want to play with a table because of the noise, you can calibrate yourself and play normally without the use of a table, and it works just as well from experience.
Something that sticks out to me is how well it actually works; mixing tapping the tiles with snaps and claps in between all feels natural and super smooth and snappy. Beatable is significantly less movement intensive than Beat Saber, so if you struggle to play for an extended amount of time, Beatable is way more user-friendly and easier on you if that’s a worry you expect. The overall user experience is very enjoyable, allowing unseasoned VR players an opportunity to play a lesson-intensive rhythm game that’s accessible for the family.
Beatable can be experienced either in their world or in mixed reality (experience may vary depending on which quest you have). In my case, mixed reality on a Quest 2 is a far cry from the Quest 3’s significantly superior pass-through, but the experience was still smooth and not strenuous at all. The UI is very basic, so there isn’t anything you can really miss or distract you from playing. Immersion with the Quest 3, I assume, would be a better experience, of course, but even the Quest 2 offers a fairly decent experience for those who choose pass-through.
Notably, Beatable is in early access, so it’s got some way to go before it’s dialed in to perfection, but they’re off to a really strong start. Playing with the desk gives you some actual haptic feedback, making the experience that much better, which I feel should be utilized more in other ways in the future.
The tracklist currently is really small and full of mostly instrumental-style music, with no super mainstream music like Beat Saber, but that may be subject to change in the future. The songs felt a bit meh to me and didn’t really give me that itch to play them multiple times, which is one of the major downsides from my experience. There is an option to download community tracks from the developers Discord, but I didn’t go and download user-created content at this time. I understand VR is not for everyone, but I didn’t find myself feeling sick from any motion on extended play sessions; however, if you suffer from epileptic episodes, this would be a pass for your safety.
Beatable brings a creative, enjoyable experience to the table best enjoyed with friends. Being able to use your desk or a table as a controller really gives you a chance to feel like you’re physically doing something. XR Games has done an excellent job at producing an interactive rhythm game in a landscape of many giants.
