Controversial VR modder Luke Ross has released a new virtual reality mod for Larian Studios’ Baldur’s Gate 3.
Released directly after a DMCA takedown of his Cyberpunk 2077 mod, Ross has made Larian’s hundreds-of-hours-long CRPG playable within a VR headset. Unfortunately, like the modders other works, the mod is currently locked behind a paywall.
Released on the modder’s paid Patreon, Ross explained that the mod was their “very first time doing an isometric game” with their expertise being first-person titles. However, the modder has successfully got the game running on VR headsets without breaking the game’s UI.
With the mod installed, the game’s camera essentially becomes your viewpoint. The paid mod simply gives you a few files to copy into the Baldur’s Gate 3 installation folder including a RealConfig BAT file. After activating this BAT file, you then boot up the game’s DX11 exe, and the game is running in virtual reality.
There are some oddities with the game in virtual reality, of course. Like many VR conversions, the game’s cutscenes do quickly shift your view point around to focus on different camera angles, and this is always weird when in virtual reality. However, in gameplay, you can now peek as close to characters as you wish, getting a new sense of depth to Larian’s gorgeous game world.
There’s also the fact that Baldur’s Gate 3 does require a very beefy PC to run in virtual reality, so players who are susceptible to poor framerates in VR should probably give this one a miss. Nevertheless, it’s a very cool option to have, and one that Larian would never officially add to the game.
Of course, there is the issue of the mod’s paywall, something that has made modder Luke Ross something of a controversial figure as of late. Out of the 40 mods the creator has made, only two have been taken down, but the recent DMCA of the modder’s work for Cyberpunk 2077 has lit a fire under the creator.
Jan Rosner, VP of Business Development at CD Projekt Red, confirmed that they took down the Cyberpunk 2077 mod because it was pay-walled. “We never allow monetisation of our IP without our direct permission and/or agreement in place,” they said. “We were in touch with Luke last week and informed him that he needs to make it free for everyone (with optional donations) or remove it”.
Despite this, Ross’ Baldur’s Gate 3 mod, and others, are still pay-walled on Patreon, which could result in another DMCA takedown in the future. However, at the time of publication, the mod is still available online.
