Half-Life: Alyx mod lets you play the whole game without VR

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The new Half-Life: Alyx mod claims to be the first to let you complete the entire game without VR

Plenty of fans haven't been able to play Half-Life: Alyx due to its VR exclusivity, but a new mod aimed to fix that bottleneck makes the entire game playable without a VR headset.

Watching the mod in action, I'm impressed by how playable the action looks on a mouse and keyboard - truly, I can't imagine the work and know-how that surely went into adapting a VR-exclusive game for regular PC controls. That said, it's apparent Half-Life: Alyx was built from the ground up for VR play. You can still see a stiff pair of hands separated from their wrists in a first-person perspective, HTC Vive controllers during loading screens, and some occasional jank. Regardless, for the moment it's probably your best bet at experiencing the entirety of Half-Life: Alyx without shelling out for a VR kit.

You can get your hands on the Half-Life: Alyx no-VR mod, as well as detailed setup instructions, here. Having personally decided to wait until I have a VR setup at home, I'm interested to hear player perspectives on how it feels to play Half-Life: Alyx without a VR headset.

Half-Life: Alyx has seen mostly glowing reviews since its release last month. GamesRadar's own Rachel Weber called it "a love letter to Half-Life" and "a truly immersive experience that will impress Half-Life hardliners and newcomers alike." While I'm refraining from giving it a go without VR, I can't blame Half-Life fans too excited about Alyx to resist the new mod.

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Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.