Star Wars Pinball VR

Star Wars Pinball VR
DeveloperZen Studios
PublisherZen Studios
EngineUnreal Engine 4
Platforms
ReleaseApril 29, 2021
GenrePinball
Mode

Star Wars Pinball VR is a pinball video game released on April 29, 2021. It is the second pinball VR game developed by Zen Studios, following Pinball FX2 VR.

Gameplay

The game uses a "fan cave" to display the pinball tables and earned customizable options: posters, models, helmets, and full-size characters.[1] It includes a cantina jukebox, with John Williams and other music.[2] This jukebox is styled after R2-D2.[3]

The game has classic and arcade modes, with classic mode a standard game of pinball, with arcade mode using passive and active abilities which can be upgraded using shards gained from playing challenges in career mode.[3]

Development

The game was announced on February 26, 2021, with a release date of April 29, 2021.[4] The game released with eight tables, including updated versions from Pinball FX3 of Star Wars: A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, Rogue One, Star Wars Rebels, and Masters of the Force. Two new tables were included, Star Wars: Classic Collectibles based on Kenner Star Wars figures, and The Mandalorian based on the first season of The Mandalorian.[5] The Mandalorian table has a full-size figure of the Mandalorian beside it. The table layout includes an elevated playfield based on the Razor Crest, and another area with the IG-11 droid. A series of chapters are based on scenes from The Mandalorian.[6]

A table based on Han Solo released as a free update on May 27, 2021.[7][8]

A further free update released a table based on Droids on June 24, 2021. The table is set when R2-D2 and C-3PO were captured by Jawas in the desert of Tatooine.[9]

Reception

CNET said the version running on the Quest 2 had fluid ball motion, and that standing at the table was convincing, and that game is an affordable way to have virtual pinball tables at home.[1] TechRadar praised the immersion of the game, and enjoyed the mini-games used on some tables.[13] Prima Games found the textures to be lower quality on the Quest 2 than on non-VR platforms. the career mode was praised, but found the menus to be off-putting.[14]

Reviewing the PC VR version, Hardcore Gamer said there is a strong collection of tables which all play differently. Playing in VR was found to be close to real pinball, avoiding the compromise of viewpoints in standard screen versions.[3] UploadVR found the table design to make it an excellent pinball game, and the fan cave to make it an excellent Star Wars experience. The text on information menus was found to be awkward to read.[15]

For the PlayStation VR version, Pure PlayStation praised the sound effects, but found the voice acting to be mostly weak. The physics were found to "feel spot-on".[12]

Legacy

Zen Studios released another VR pinball game in 2025 called Pinball FX VR.[16]

References

  1. ^ a b Stein, Scott (May 4, 2021). "Star Wars Pinball in VR is our new favorite virtual reality escape". CNET. Retrieved 2026-03-07.
  2. ^ Saltzman, Marc. "Missing the days of Pac-Man and Frogger? Retro gaming is making its return". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on 2021-07-02. Retrieved 2026-03-07.
  3. ^ a b c Cunningham, James (2021-05-10). "Review: Star Wars Pinball VR". Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on 2025-01-19. Retrieved 2026-03-07.
  4. ^ Star Wars Pinball VR - Announcement Trailer - IGN. 2021-02-26. Retrieved 2026-03-07 – via www.ign.com.
  5. ^ Cunningham, James (2021-02-26). "Star Wars Pinball VR Updates the Old Tables and Brings New Ones Too". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 2026-03-07.
  6. ^ Park, Morgan (2021-03-25). "The Mandalorian won't stop creepily watching me play VR pinball". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 2025-10-09. Retrieved 2026-03-07.
  7. ^ Sheehan, Gavin (2021-05-28). "Star Wars Pinball VR Adds Han Solo Centric Table". bleedingcool.com. Retrieved 2026-03-07.
  8. ^ "The Han Solo table is NOW available in Star Wars™ Pinball VR as a free update!". Zen Studios. 2021-05-27. Archived from the original on 2026-02-12. Retrieved 2026-03-07.
  9. ^ Sheehan, Gavin (2021-06-24). "Star Wars Pinball VR Adds Free Droids Table DLC". bleedingcool.com. Archived from the original on 2022-12-07. Retrieved 2026-03-07.
  10. ^ "Star Wars Pinball VR Reviews - Metacritic". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved 2026-03-07.
  11. ^ Paschetto, Nicolò (May 4, 2021). "Star Wars Pinball VR – Review". The Games Machine (in Italian). Archived from the original on November 17, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2026.
  12. ^ a b Peterson, Jeremy (April 29, 2021). "Star Wars Pinball VR PS5, PS4, PSVR Review". Pure PlayStation. Archived from the original on 2021-07-23. Retrieved 2026-03-07.
  13. ^ Hector, Hamish (2021-05-04). "Star Wars Pinball VR shows that the savior of the arcade could be your Oculus headset". TechRadar. Archived from the original on 2025-12-06. Retrieved 2026-03-07.
  14. ^ Grundman, Blake (2021-04-29). "Star Wars Pinball VR review — The Force is strong with this one". Prima Games. Archived from the original on 2025-08-06. Retrieved 2026-03-07.
  15. ^ Broadwell, Joshua (2021-04-29). "Star Wars Pinball VR Review: Making the Bump(er) to Hyper Space". UploadVR. Archived from the original on 2025-12-06. Retrieved 2026-03-07.
  16. ^ Argüello, Diego Nicolás (2025-04-03). "Pinball FX VR Review: A Promising Yet Pricey Commitment". UploadVR. Archived from the original on 2025-11-11. Retrieved 2026-03-07.
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