DiRT Rally, developed by Codemasters, is regarded by many as one of the most realistic Rally Car racing games out right now. Launching in 2015 for PCs, then in April 2016 for consoles, the combination of high-end graphics, realistic physics and dynamic weather conditions gave off-road racing fans exactly what they craved.

Andy Gray, product manager at Codemasters
Andy Gray, product manager at Codemasters

Last July, Codemasters decided to take DiRT Rally‘s sense of realism to the next level by adding Oculus Rift support. Players could drive naturally, turning their heads to see the world around them, and play the whole game in VR. The upgrade was so popular that the developer decided to bring the update to the PlayStation 4 release. PlayStation VR (PSVR) support was added last month through a $13 premium add-on to the game.

When asked what initially inspired the VR update, Andy Gray, product manager at Codemasters, told [a]listdaily that “VR is a development that we have been following for some time.”

He continued by explaining how virtual reality worked to enhance the racing experience. “It is something that we are very interested in as we see it as a great fit for racing games,” said Gray. “It allows you so much more control and flexibility when you are driving. It becomes more natural and we are finding that, once people are used to it, they are able to go much quicker. You can see the inside of a bend and judge distances, braking points and look into a drift or slide with complete ease. It is very intuitive.”

Gray also discussed why the PSVR update was released as a paid DLC update. “Developing the game for PSVR obviously comes with a significant cost,” he said. “For example, we had to rework all of our art assets as you are now able to see areas of the car that we previously didn’t model in great detail.”

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However, he asserts that the experience is well worth the price. “We feel this is a really compelling update,” said Gray. “Every car, every discipline and every location is fully playable in VR. Plus, we have the all new co-driver mode which allows a second player to give the co-driver calls using a controller and the social screen. There is an awful lot of content and we believe the pricing is fair considering what is on offer.”

Codemasters is renowned for its racing games, which include multiple games and spin-offs from the DiRT franchise, the annual F1 series and Grid Autosport. When asked whether or not VR support would be included in upcoming racing games such as DiRT 4 when it releases in June, Gray said, “We will continue to monitor the take up, response and reaction to DiRT Rally and VR in general and that will inform our future decisions. It is certainly a technology that we are interested in but it is a little too early for us to state that we will definitely support it on our upcoming titles.”