The wait for Le Mans Ultimate is over. After a short delay, the official World Endurance Championship game has raced onto Early Access. Inevitably, moving to Early Access meant some features were cut. Sadly, Le Mans Ultimate’s early access build doesn’t support VR for players who want an extra layer of immersion.
Fear not, though, VR fans, because Motorsport Games’ CEO Stephen Hood has confirmed to RacingGames that VR support is “definitely on the radar” for Le Mans Ultimate.
VR must “meet the Le Mans Ultimate benchmark”
Under the bonnet, Le Mans Ultimate runs on an enhanced version of rFactor 2's engine, which supports VR. Because it uses the same engine, Le Mans Ultimate launching without VR on day one may seem surprising.
This will be disappointing for VR sim racing fans, but Studio 397 wants to set the bar higher than rFactor 2 and deliver a quality VR racing experience.
“Some things are not automatically carried over from rFactor 2 even though it’s the underpinnings of Le Mans Ultimate,” Hood told RacingGames.
“For us, it was about ensuring that the quality of things going to Le Mans Ultimate is very different and distinct from rFactor 2, which is a sandbox simulator that’s been around for a long time, and the quality is variable.”
“Setting the bar higher meant some things didn’t make the cut. VR is something we want to get to, but it’s got to meet the Le Mans Ultimate benchmark.”
“Just because it exists in rFactor 2 doesn’t mean it meets the quality bar for Le Mans Ultimate. We know that will disappoint the VR community. I want VR in there. But we must be determined to make this a quality product. And that inevitably means stemming the tide of features that come in.”
Hood wouldn’t say when Le Mans Ultimate will likely get VR support, but “it’s definitely on the radar.” For now, gathering feedback from players, fixing bugs, and optimising the experience are the priorities for Studio 397 before adding new features like VR, coop multiplayer, and 2024 season cars and tracks.
With Le Mans Ultimate raising the bar for sim racing graphics, you’ll need a powerful PC to run it optimally with VR. When support is eventually added, Le Mans Ultimate will hopefully provide one of the best VR racing experiences, putting you in the cockpit of the incredible Hypercar class cars.
Le Mans Ultimate Early Access review
For more on Le Mans Ultimate, check out our Early Access review to find out if the official WEC game lives up to the hype. If you’re just getting started on your Le Mans Ultimate journey, check out our guides for changing the controls, adjusting the FOV, and changing the race length.
Are you looking forward to experiencing one of the most challenging races in VR? Let us know in the comments below.
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get the latest racing game news and deals straight to your inbox!
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!