BOTW VR Mod Lets You Explore Hyrule In First-Person (& Adds Zelda)

The open-world experience of The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild will soon be even more immersive, as talented modders are working on a VR first-person mod that adds Zelda as an active character and will allow players to explore Hyrule in first-person. The mod isn’t released yet, but the possibilities of functional VR in Breath of the Wild is something that many have expressed interest in since the game released for Nintendo Switch in 2017.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild saw Link awaken after a hundred-year snooze to Calamity Ganon. This particular installment took a different approach from previous Zelda games in that players were truly free to explore any part of the Hyrule kingdom as they chose. Although the game was not originally designed for VR, Breath of the Wild received VR support in 2019 for use with Nintendo Labo’s VR goggles. The game’s stunning graphics and huge map have made it the perfect environment for players to virtually explore, but this Labo update wasn’t proper VR support on the scale that most players expected. However, emerging mods are finally taking Breath of the Wild new VR heights.

Brian Tate uploaded a video of the mod’s first test, created by himself, Etra, and MelonSpeedruns. The clip shows Breath of the Wild VR in both first-person and third-person camera angles, demonstrating that players could switch between the two as preferred. Floria Bridge, Link’s House, and the Great Hyrule Forest were just a few locations featured in the clip. The current mod does not have VR motion controls, but Tate said that the team may take the same approach as the Wii version of Skyward Sword, where players can swing the controller as if it were a sword. “That would be a very different modding challenge,” Tate said.

The mod isn’t quite ready for players yet, but Tate provided a Discord server for fans to receive updates on the project. It’s not surprising that the project will take time, considering that the mod affects the game in full. There have been Breath of the Wild VR mods in the past, including one recent VR mod for the Great Plateau section of the map. Taking on the entire game in VR mode is a completely different, time-consuming challenge.

There seems to be a ton of interest, as people expressed their excitement for the Breath of the Wild VR mod in the comments. Zelda fans have been wanting VR for a long time, and Nintendo’s own version was not enough to scratch the itch. Tate’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild VR mod may take a while to complete, but it will be worth the wait.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is available on Nintendo Switch.

Source: Brian Tate

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Elise Nelson
(106 Articles Published)

Elise is freelance writer with a love of indie mystery and horror video games and all things Mario. When she’s not spending hours typing away on her laptop, she enjoys practicing her ukulele, petting all the dogs, and redesigning her Animal Crossing island for the 800th time.

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