Is Quest’s hand-tracking up to the challenge of a rhythm game, which absolutely demands low latency and spot-on precision? After diving into the early access version of BEATABLE—an XR Games title that invites you to tap, clap, and snap along with the beat—it’s apparent that while the game suits casual play just fine, there’s a lingering conflict about whether it’s as precise and responsive as it should be.
BEATABLE Details:
Developer: XR Games
Available On: Horizon Store (Quest 2 and above)
Reviewed On: Quest 3
Release Date: April 10th, 2025
Price: $10
Note: BEATABLE is currently in Early Access, meaning it is not yet complete and may evolve over time. This review assess the game’s current Early Access state, without assigning a numerical score.
Gameplay
Whether sitting or standing, you’ll only need a small area on your desk or table to enjoy Beatable. The game displays four lanes where beats emerge, just large enough to fit across a standard keyboard. Two types of beats await your attention: ‘note’ beats for regular taps and ‘hold notes’ for longer presses. You’ll also find mid-air gestures for clapping and snapping fingers. Unlike Beat Saber, which gets your entire body moving, Beatable offers a more relaxed physical engagement, perfect for those who prefer a less strenuous rhythm game. Plus, there’s a neat mixed reality mode to explore.
Learning the ropes of Beatable is a breeze. You’ll find yourself rapidly tapping a table with your palm, cutting down the learning curve significantly when compared to something like Guitar Hero, which involves memorizing complex button mappings. Yet, as straightforward as it is, reaching mastery in Beatable might remain elusive to many, myself included.
The thrill of snapping fingers with one hand while tapping notes with the other is undeniable. Still, there’s a nagging feeling that Quest’s hand-tracking falls short of creating a consistent muscle memory you need to excel at the highest levels.
A Twitter user commented, highlighting how BEATABLE’s creativity contributes to its appeal. XR Games’ efforts to push the Quest’s hand-tracking capabilities are unmistakable.
As for precision, I’ve yet to discern whether my hits are truly perfect; your experience might differ. For casual fun, the responsiveness seems sufficient, though perfecting your skills might necessitate a bit more adjustment in hand positioning. Often, I found myself cautiously hovering over notes, trying to deliver the lightest possible taps, which resulted in mixed outcomes.
Given its reliance on hand-tracking, Beatable compensates by applying a slight input and audio delay to better sync detection—an approach familiar to console developers.
Ensuring your setup is perfectly calibrated to your table and that you play in optimal lighting conditions can significantly enhance your performance. While precision lays the groundwork for developing advanced skills, it wasn’t my primary concern with Beatable. Instead, I found myself more focused on the immersive elements, or lack thereof, which I delve into further in the Immersion section.
Immersion
Confession time: I’m torn. I’m used to VR rhythm games that make me feel effortlessly cool, even though I might look utterly ridiculous to anyone watching. That cool factor is something I find missing in Beatable.
Yes, tapping along to the music at your desk is engaging, and the patterns you follow in medium to high-difficulty songs are intriguing. Nevertheless, Beatable doesn’t seem to offer more than slapping a desk or clapping along.
Other rhythm games like Beat Saber and Dance Dance Revolution don’t make you a warrior or dancer, respectively, but they do make you feel as if you are in the moment. In Beatable’s case, I’m left questioning my actions rather than losing myself in them. And yet, perhaps that’s the point.
If only the gameplay involved something more tangible, like playing bongos or urgently tapping control panels to prevent imaginary disasters, it might evoke a stronger connection. Still, I must acknowledge XR Games’ clever workaround for the lack of haptic feedback usually found in hand-tracking games. By transforming the table into your button pad, they’ve innovatively addressed this issue, albeit with room for improvement in reliability.
Comfort
In terms of comfort, Beatable excels. You can play it anywhere there’s a flat surface, seated or standing, without worrying about any artificial movement.
Pro Tip: If your enthusiasm leads you to enthusiastically thump away, consider using a large foam pad on your desk to soften the blows and muffle the sound.
Conclusion
The precision Beatable offers is up to par for casual gameplay, but I still question its capacity to enable expert-level skills. Using the table to simulate haptic feedback is nothing short of brilliant, and I look forward to seeing how the studio further addresses the hand-tracking challenges. If XR Games continues to refine these aspects and deliver exciting new music, Beatable could very well blaze a trail for a new and intriguing subgenre within the XR gaming landscape.
Note: This is an Early Access review; the game is not yet complete and is expected to evolve. No numerical score has been assigned at this time.
