How To Play Half-Life: Alyx Without A VR Headset

Want to play Half-Life: Alyx, the first new Half-Life game in over a decade, but don't have a VR headset? Thanks to the hard work of modder r57zone it's now possible, though the workaround is neither easy to use nor particularly elegant.

As picked up by Kotaku, the Alyx mod locks the character's arms out in front, taking away the need for VR motion controls. The result can be played with a mouse and keyboard, and though it won't be as user-friendly as the VR version, you should at least be able to complete the story.

Setting up the mod isn't exactly simple--you need to check the instructions on GitHub here, with an in-depth instruction video available here. As always, be careful when downloading things from the internet

If you want the best experience out of Alyx, however, a VR headset is definitely the way to go. GameSpot's review of Half-Life Alyx says, "the very concept of VR becomes the core narrative device--your hands, and by extension, Alyx's actions, are fundamental to the delivery of its best moments. In its finality, you'll truly understand why VR was the only way this game could have even existed--it's something surreal, revelatory, and incredibly empowering. Half-Life: Alyx has far-reaching implications for the future of the franchise, both in where it goes next and what forms future games can even take. "