Star Citizen is quietly moving closer to virtual reality with the start of internal testing for a native VR mode. After years of speculation and community requests, Cloud Imperium Games is experimenting with how its expansive space simulation can run in VR, potentially reshaping how players experience its universe.
The testing phase is still behind closed doors, focused on performance and usability rather than any public release. While VR support has been discussed before, this is the first concrete sign that Star Citizen’s developers are actively integrating it into their workflow.
VR performance challenges
Star Citizen is a notoriously demanding game, even on high-end hardware. Its massive open environments, detailed ships, and dynamic lighting push GPUs to the limit. Running all that in VR, which requires high frame rates and consistent performance to avoid motion sickness, is a major technical hurdle.
The team’s current focus seems to be on internal benchmarks and optimizations. Achieving stable performance across different systems will likely be the biggest challenge before any form of public testing can happen.
Immersion and design considerations
If implemented well, VR could drastically change how Star Citizen feels. Piloting ships from a fully immersive cockpit or walking around detailed interiors in first-person could enhance the sense of scale the game is already known for. At the same time, the interface-heavy nature of the game poses unique design questions for VR, such as how to handle HUD elements, interactions, and long play sessions comfortably.
Developers may need to rethink some of the UI and control schemes for VR users to ensure that the experience is engaging without overwhelming players.
What comes next
There is no public timeline yet for when or if VR support will reach players. The current phase is primarily about internal testing and figuring out technical feasibility. If progress continues, the next steps might involve limited external tests or staged feature rollouts, but only once performance and comfort standards are met.
For now, VR enthusiasts can take this as a sign that Cloud Imperium Games is seriously considering immersive support for its flagship title. Star Citizen remains one of the most ambitious space simulations in development, and VR could add a new layer to its already complex experience.
Virtual Reality Explorer & Game Reviewer
Always the first to plug in. VRSCOUT dives head-first into the most immersive VR worlds, analyzing mechanics, comfort, innovation, and that elusive “presence” factor. If he says it’s worth it, it probably is.
