Update: CrossVR, the same developer behind the ReVive hack which opens up the Oculus Home store to HTC Vive users, has created a workaround that should let Oculus Rift users play LA Noire. You can find more details here on the Reiddit thread.
Original: It’s time to ask the big question yet again: L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files has just released on Steam with native HTC Vive support, but does it support the Oculus Rift?
Sadly, it looks like the game won’t work on Rift. We’ve booted it up with a Rift plugged in and running and we get the message ‘Error: Headset Not Support’ as seen below. Through Valve’s OpenVR system, all games that support SteamVR should be able to run inside any supported headset (which also includes the news Windows ‘Mixed Reality’ kits) theoretically. However you’ll often find that games that don’t natively support a headset/controller type won’t have perfect inputs but still run, such as with Fallout 4 VR. Sadly, that’s not the case here.
It’s been a season of big releases for Vive. Earlier this month Bethesda and id Software launched Doom VFR on SteamVR, followed by Fallout 4 VR just earlier this week. The former didn’t work on Rift at launch, though a SteamVR beta update quickly fixed this. Fallout 4 VR, meanwhile, works pretty well aside from a few caveats, largely concerning the game’s menus and, ironically, having to use the stable SteamVR build instead of the beta.
Interestingly, on the game’s FAQ page it states:
“Please note, L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files on HTC Vive has been created specifically to be experienced on the HTC Vive platform. Players attempting to run the game on alternate hardware may experience performance issues.”
Showing a “Headset Not Supported” error is a little bit different than the standard “performance issues” mentioned here. When it was announced Rockstar wouldn’t discuss other headset support, instead simply insisting “it’s Vive only” when pressed.
It’s not an ideal situation but at least it’s better than nothing. Let us know your thoughts down in the comments below!
Update: Shortly after publication this article was updated with additional context and background information.
