Hands-on with EXOcars on Quest 3: A complete VR racing experience featuring impressive graphics
EXOcars is an innovative VR racing simulation for Meta Quest and PC VR platforms. MIXED tested it on a Quest 3.
EXOcars allows you to take control of an exoskeleton racing vehicle reminiscent of the relentless machines from Mad Max. Though I’m not particularly into racing games, I was curious about the experience and visuals, particularly given the scarcity of racing titles on the Meta Quest.
The game offers four distinct gameplay modes:
- A single-player career mode where you compete against “ghosts” of other racers matching your skill level (asynchronous multiplayer). This mode enables you to unlock additional tracks, earn rewards, and rise on the leaderboards. Vehicle collisions are absent in this mode.
- Multiplayer races with up to three friends or other online players. You have the option to enable or disable vehicle collisions.
- A multiplayer battle mode: Similar to Mario Kart, you can gather weapons and power-ups to gain an advantage over other racers.
- A multiplayer tournament mode which promises real prizes. The inaugural tournament is set to commence on November 28, 2024.
Advanced physics
For this review, I tested the first five tracks of the career mode. The settings are diverse: I navigated through a canyon, a port area, a stadium, a coastal road, and a forest, and these represent just some of the environments available in the game.
EXOcars is an arcade racer featuring advanced physics. Each environment poses fresh challenges as the surfaces vary. During my initial laps, I frequently found myself crashing into the roadside. Luckily, you can instantaneously teleport your vehicle back to the center of the track with a single button press.
The sensation of driving is exhilarating due to the lack of metal surrounding you as you race close to the ground. The bumps, jumps, and collisions are visually striking and can be felt through well-executed haptic feedback.
Those sensitive to virtual movement should proceed with caution. After some time, the intense experience left me feeling queasy, which is uncommon for me. As a remedy, you can activate a helmet and vignettes, although they do not guarantee immunity from nausea.
Impressive visuals on Quest 3
The graphics are commendable for standalone VR, featuring expansive environments, intricately designed vehicles, and minimal aliasing. I was particularly taken with the stadium, which effectively showcases its scale and allows you to spot groups of spectators in the stands. With the Quest Games Optimizer, you can even squeeze out a bit more resolution from the VR game on Quest 3. It’s worth noting that the trailer above displays the PC VR version, which is visually superior compared to the Quest 3 iteration.
After some time, the loud and aggressive heavy metal soundtrack began to grate on my nerves. However, this is subjective, and thankfully, the music can be turned down or completely muted, which I opted to do.
The VR title is still actively being developed, as indicated by a recent roadmap. Future updates will introduce a tuning system, new car customization options, additional biomes and tracks, and a new multiplayer mode.
EXOcars is available for purchase on the Horizon Store for Quest 3S, 3, 2, and Pro, as well as on Steam for PC VR headsets. The game will also be released for PlayStation VR 2 and Pico at a later date
