Hands-On With Pinball FX VR With Arcade2TV-XR Controls

You can play pinball in VR or mixed reality with an arcade cabinet that also feels like a real pinball machine.

At GDC 2025 we tested Pinball FX VR with the Arcade2TV-XR cabinet and a pair of Quest controllers mounted on top for tracking. Pinball FX VR supports Touch controllers as well, which I tested, but my colleague Don Hopper also put those controllers on a physical Arcade2TV-XR unit to effectively track the object, using a bluetooth dongle to connect the arcade cabinet's controls to his headset.

Altogether, the Arcade2TV-XR provides a solid grounding to really get into the game. Meanwhile, during my demo with the Touch controllers, Pinball FX VR felt like a welcome evolution on the original game ahead of its launch on April 3.

Pinball remains a timeless arcade classic that's been recreated countless times over the years. From more traditional approaches like Pinball VR Classic to intriguing reinvention like Velan's Bounce Arcade, one company that's continued coming back is Zen Studios. The new game shares many similarities with 2023's Pinball FX, but this feels more like a reinvention than a direct port.

There's a pleasing amount of physicality while exploring this environment. Physical objects can be picked up, there's a music player where you can swap cassettes through touch inputs, and you can even play darts.

Customizing each room lets you make this space your own too, adjusting each room with different statues, posters, wallpapers, and carpets. I need more time to fully assess how much choice this offers, and more options appear to be unlockable, though what I've seen already shows good variety.

I began by trying mixed reality support where several tables were already set up by the studio, and it reminds me of the MR mode in Arcade Paradise VR.

Playing the Knight Rider table and watching the car drive across a road that bends around me is pretty fun, while the Indiana Jones table saw Indy come alive in my play space. His moving character model duplicated in the same spot, a momentary bug that will hopefully not be present at full release. I'm still unnerved by a Cylon from the original Battlestar Galactica table watching over me, too.

These pinball tables have been faithfully recreated to match their real-life counterparts, and it's these little extra visual details that add a lot to the experience. I appreciate that you can turn off the visual effects if you'd prefer the more purist experience, though these look great in VR.

Having that freedom to look around the table feels considerably more natural than playing off a flatscreen, as does physically pulling the plunger - or firing a gun in Indy's case - to shoot the ball into play. I encountered one glitch on the Star Trek: The Next Generation table where this motion didn't register, so I'm hoping that gets fixed. Holding the sides of each table while hitting the controller triggers for the flippers adds a subtle touch to the immersion.

I've enjoyed my time so far, but given how well designed this new explorable environment feels, there's one thing that I can't help but wish Pinball FX VR had: multiplayer. It's a solo experience only. I'd love to be able to invite friends into my arcade, hang out, and watch each other play at the tables.

As it stands, my Pinball FX VR preview has me intrigued to jump into the full release. We've been testing out the Arcade2TV-XR cabinets at home and will plan on showing it on steam in the weeks ahead as we test out the fully released version of Pinball FX VR.

Pinball FX VR will reach the Meta Quest platform on April 3. The base game for $9.99 includes three tables, with more available as DLC.