What you need to know
- Among Us VR is becoming Among Us 3D, a cross-platform Steam game that no longer requires a VR headset.
- The full Among Us 3D rebrand will take a "few months," adding new Stardust currency, modes, tasks, and accessories. However, a demo will be available on Steam Next Fest from February 24 to March 3.
- Among Us 3D won't be compatible with the 2D version, though there will be "collabs" between the two.
- Schell Games hasn't said yet whether Among Us VR buyers will get the Steam version for free or not.
Among Us VR launched as one of our favorite multiplayer Quest games, but despite several major updates since 2022, it can be hard to keep a steady user base with so many Quest gamers spending their time in Horizon Worlds or new Gorilla Tag clones. So Schell Games is turning to non-VR Steam gamers with "Among Us 3D," and it's a sign that crossplay might be the best future for VR games.
Announced on Thursday, Among Us 3D is a new Steam PC port of the original Among Us VR game. Starting as a demo during Steam Next Fest from February 24–March 3, Among Us 3D will eventually let Steam gamers play as crewmates and imposters with VR gamers on Quest 3 and Quest 3S, PSVR 2, and Steam VR.
"With Among Us 3D, we're excited to bring the first-person perspective to an even wider audience," said Ryan Hall, project director at Schell Games. "By uniting VR and PC players, we're opening up even more ways to brutally betray your friends — your whole crew can get in on the fun!"
Among Us 3D is available to wishlist on Steam today, though there's currently no release date. Among Us VR on Quest will be "rebranded to Among Us 3D" in the coming months, adding a new in-game currency called Stardust to "expand customization options" and "support the expansion of the game." It's possible that Schell Games wants the original Quest game ready before launching the non-VR port.
After the full launch, Schell and Innersloth are promsing new modes and tasks, as well as "collabs" with the original Among Us. Despite the image below, don't expect actual crossplay between the 2D and 3D Among Us versions: It simply refers to original, fan-favorite cosmetics coming to the 3D version.
Despite having fewer maps than the main version, Among Us VR impressed us with its loving recreation of Skeld and seamless VR motion controls for beloved tasks, as well as proximity chat to make you truly feel like a crewmate in danger or an imposter listening for witnesses. And we appreciated post-launch updates like the Polus Point map.
With Among Us 3D, Schell Games is committing to continuing to support the VR version, but using an influx of Steam gamers to keep funding their work and add fresh bodies to their murderous little world. The main question will be how the VR-centric controls have been ported to keyboard-and-mouse controls.
Will crossplay revitalize Quest multiplayer?
Meta Quest games are going through a free-to-play crisis. The Quest Store overall is making more money than ever, but most often via in-app purchases in free-to-play titles. Meta's metaverse is a jumble of Gorilla Tag clones attracting younger gamers, while the more polished VR titles struggle to get proper storefront space or make back their development costs.
We've seen how many of the best VR multiplayer games have struggled with user retention, or else didn't make enough money to keep up with updates; Echo: VR is the most notorious example, shutting down despite its critical acclaim and avid fanbase.
Now, with Among Us VR turning into Among Us 3D, we're seeing a potential new pathway that more VR studios could take: Convert their VR-only game into a non-VR, first-person experience that adds an influx of gamers but still supports their original fanbase.
Many original Steam games have Steam VR ports, but these are secondary add-ons, and we've seen for years how PC VR is a niche platform for a few die-hard enthusiasts — not an especially profitable or popular one. Ideally, we'd see more Quest games that jump to Steam, with the largest VR and PC communities joining together.
Even if they're better in VR, multiplayer shooters like Contractors, Breachers, and Ghosts of Tabor would work on flat screens, too, and they'd launch with a dedicated user base so new Steam gamers would know they'd immediately have people to play with. Plus, VR gamers feeling too lazy to put on their headsets — or who notice their Quest 3 battery is dying — can keep the fun going on their gaming rigs.
Perhaps this kind of VR-to-traditional gaming transition is more difficult than we're making it sound; or perhaps these games' fanbases would balk at resources going to a new version they won't care about. But we still think this kind of strategy will give VR devs the resources they need to keep making great games despite a challenging sales climate, and that's a great thing in our books!
