Thursday, 10 April, 2025 UTC
Summary
BEATABLE presents an intriguing mixed reality rhythm game with hand tracking controls, and it's out now in early access on Quest.
Haptic feedback is an essential component to building immersion. You may not always notice its often subtle presence, yet you'll certainly register when it's not there. Arken Age is a great recent example where every motion feels responsive, but how do you achieve that with controller-free gameplay? Without additional accessories, that's a tough ask through hand tracking alone. It's one reason why BEATABLE caught my interest during its initial reveal last month.
Screenshot taken by UploadVR on Quest 3A mixed reality rhythm game that's hand tracking only and uses your table as an instrument is not what I expected from developer XR Games after Starship Troopers: Continuum and Hitman 3 VR: Reloaded. Getting set up is relatively simple - look straight ahead, put your hands flat on your table with your palms down, and remain still. Choose a song, select one of four difficulty options, and take it from there.
It's a straightforward and quick process that's accompanied by some helpful tutorials. I'm reminded of Prope's somewhat obscure Wii game, Let's Tap, which isn't a comparison I ever thought I'd make in my career. Only instead of placing a Wiimote on a cardboard box, you're using everyday furniture that's likely already in your home. In my case, I've been using the living room coffee table.
BEATABLE splits the action across four different lanes you need to touch, hitting notes as they reach the line. Between a simple tap, two taps across different lanes simultaneously, or 'hold notes' that require holding your finger down for a while - maybe zigzag a little across lanes on harder difficulties - it feels responsive. I couldn't spot any particularly noticeable latency during my hour-long session, and the physical feedback helps bridge the gap with hand tracking's lack of haptics.
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/0:35
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Gameplay footage captured by UploadVR on Quest 3
Missing notes feels like my failure rather than a tech issue, and several songs had me going “one more try” as I tried beating high scores posted on the leaderboards by XR Games staff or content creators. More points are awarded depending on your timing, gradually building up a multiplier through a combo system. The music selection fits the game well, although there are only 13 songs in early access. Snapping your fingers or clapping your hands also adds some extra, if minimal, variety.
Not everything is completely smooth, though. BEATABLE doesn't register more gentle tapping across each lane, which remained consistent even after recalibrating about six times. That doesn't mean you need to thump the table constantly, just that your inputs require a bit more force to register.
I also have an accessibility concern where your mileage may vary, which can be seen in the gameplay footage above. My left hand can snap my fingers with ease, though my right hand physically struggles. Single notes aren't an issue since either hand is fine, but higher difficulty songs with dual snaps feel awkward.
Turning that off or changing it with a modifier would be welcome, even if that means reduced points. Still, snapping both hands outside of songs to switch between MR and a fully immersive environment is undeniably cool, and that's enhanced further by great sound design.
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/0:06
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This took more attempts than I care to admit due to the reasons listed above
You won't need long to see everything BEATABLE offers, and I'm encouraged by what I've seen so far in early access. By combining mixed reality gaming with everyday furniture, XR Games presents an intriguing solution to hand tracking's lack of haptics with minimal latency. Some further refinements are needed to truly capitalize on the idea, though BEATABLE is off to a promising start.
BEATABLE is out now on the Meta Quest platform for $9.99.