Posts from October 2026

I realise I've been a bit quiet on the blog front for a few days, in part because I've also been a bit quiet on the coding front too. Looking at my GitHub contribution graph, the previous three days where I didn't commit anything are the longest run of no-commit days I've had in about 10 months. There are a couple of reasons for this: the first is that I've reached a bit of a natural pause point with my work on Rogallo (there's a biggish update brewing, but I've been taking my time with it), the second is -- as I expected -- getting my hands on the Steam Frame.

I haven't been playing with it exclusively -- when I have a good amount of free time I am back to streaming -- but I have been dipping in on occasion, and some of those occasions would be moments where I'd reach for the MacBook and bang out some code.

I'm still not set up for full-on PCVR, but I have "discovered" a game that runs really well on the Steam Frame, and it's one that's related to a favourite of mine in VR: Virtual Fighter Maneuvers.

Simply put: it's a very cut-down version of VTOL VR, designed to run well on standalone headsets. Graphically it's simplistic, and from a gameplay point of view it's very focused. There's no single-player campaign. There's no multiplayer campaign. There's no story at all. You strap on your headset, fire up the game, jump into a lobby and off you go: dogfight time!

I love it for that. I've always loved flight sims, and they're even more fun in VR. I like the slow pace and the sense of immersion. But if you're going to fly in VR it takes a bit of time to get set up and plan things. This is the total opposite. I love that I can dive in for 30 minutes, have a fun experience, and then be done. It's ideal for quick, casual sessions.

That's not to say I only want to play for those short bursts -- I have played longer sessions -- it's more to point out that it's a game that combines perfectly with the low-activation-energy accessibility of the Steam Frame. It's a game that makes the Frame feel as easy to pick up as the Steam Deck.

Of course, being a mainly multiplayer game, your chances of having a good time are mixed¹. I've been into a couple of lobbies that have been really fun, with a good mix of folk, who all seem to have joined to have a good time. I've also joined matches where it's just kids wanting to be edgelords on the Internet. Thankfully, so far, it's more the former than the latter. Sadly, though, there don't seem to be that many people playing it. In my (UK timezone) evenings there's normally, at most, four matches on the go that you might be able to join.

There also seems to be a 1v1 matchmaking service so you can get a ranking by battling folk at a similar level to you (I'm a newb to the game, of course); I've yet to actually get such a match going.

This one is a keeper and I can see myself diving into it often for a good while to come.