The problem with YouTube is that it’s easy to find people who have created really cool projects that you want to replicate, but you don’t have the time, patience, or the partner at the level to understand why having a ton of ugly electronics in your living room is beneficial for the whole family.
This is one of the projects that originated in Australia, and after watching the YouTube channel “Limitless VR and Simrigs,” I was jealous of what he was doing in Australia.
He modded 2019’s Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries, the first single-player Mechwarrior game since 2002, to work near-perfectly not only with HOTAS controls, but also in VR and, more importantly, with the sim-racing Motion Cockpit ring.
The two videos go into great detail on how to get the most out of the setup, and if you’re interested in trying something similar for yourself, he’s managed to get the mech to feel nearly every step and arm swing going forward.
“I’ll never forget the feeling. It feels so heavy. It really feels like I’m riding on something that weighs 50 tons. It feels like I’m riding on a 50-ton mech. It’s incredible.”
The excitement level you can see from the video is off the charts and you can tell it’s not fake. The first time I did a simulated race in VR I couldn’t believe how immersive it was, but connecting a racing rig to a futuristic sci-fi combat warrior and having it work after all that effort takes it a step further.
Projects like this are where VR excels — a game about slicing a watermelon is fine, but turning a game into a “realistic” experience is something other platforms just can’t match.
The VR used here is also “just” a Quest 3, and not a high-end simulated VR headset such as Pimax Crystal, which shows how high the Meta is in quality. The real cost is in the motion platform and the simulated seat, but these prices have certainly come down to acceptable levels, especially considering the price of a decent graphics card these days.
As you can see from the video, it’s a lot of fun to tinker with, and it might inspire you to do the same — once your divorce is finalized!
