Astro VR
Travel among the stars and planets In this VR only astronomy simulation. Within the solar system you can visit all the planets and moons as well as many asteroids, trans-Neptunian objects, and other small solar system bodies. Outside the solar system, go to thousands of stars and their exoplanets.
SIMULATION
All the solar system objects sizes and locations are based on accurate and up to date information. Where actual images are available you will see the correct texture or, if detailed information is available, a reasonable extrapolation is used. The orientation of the planets is correct relative to the solar system and the solar system itself is oriented correctly to the background stars.
Star color, brightness, size and position are taken directly from available data or are calculated. There are thousands of stars and hundreds of exoplanets to investigate. The habitability zone of each star is calculated and the exoplanets within it are textured appropriately. As you explore you will see an indication for stars that are known to have planets as well as planets that are within the habitability zone.
DATA
Every object is labeled with an option to turn off the text. In addition, detailed information on each object can be displayed. When available, we collect data on position and orbits, size, mass, temperature, magnitude, luminosity, inclination, and more. You can do side by side comparisons with the sun, Jupiter, Earth, and the moon.
Currently there are:
- 2248 Star Systems
- 2877 Individual Stars
- 8 Planets
- 197 Moons
- 75 Minor Planets
- 280 Exoplanets
- 5 Spacecraft
There will be more.
VR EXPERIENCE
You may freely move among all the stellar objects with only two controls. Left controller thumbpad/stick for movement, right to zoom. Separate scales for object size and distance allow you to see the entire solar system within arms length or you may zoom in to where size and distance scales are the same.
Currently:
Min Scale Distance: 1 meter = 2 light years.
Min Scale Object: 1 meter = 200 diameters Sol.
Max Scale (both): 1 meter = 10,000 km
Game Discussion
Steam User 9
Experienced on the Meta Quest 2
You can view my initial impressions review & gameplay here:
I do recommend this app. It's a simple, but very effective space exploration app. You can quickly travel & zoom in to almost any celestial object known to man. You can also manipulate time and watch the orbiting planets or moons, either sped up or slowed down.
I would say the UI is a little rough, but it's worth it given the sheer amount of celestial objects you can explore and zoom in on. I also wish there was information available on each celestial object identified. It's only $2.99 USD though so I can't really complain for the price. It's quick & easy exploration of the vastness of the known universe. I wish we could listen to our own music though or watch YT videos while we're exploring. Maybe we could look up info via YT on the celestial object we're looking at.
Rate ?/10.
If you enjoyed my review, please consider joining my Steam Curator Group. You can join here:
Steam User 1
The attention to scientific detail in the environment and the seamless VR integration make for a great experience. There are an enormous number of exoplanets and objects in our own solar system to explore. Once you get used to the zoom-move controls you can smoothly navigate through the cosmos. The AR works but has a lot of latency, though this could be because I don’t have an AR headset (Vive Pro). Highly recommended for anyone looking to explore the vastness of space in virtual reality.