How to Run Burnout Paradise in VR Using VorpX

Burnout Paradise was released in 2008, well before any consumer VR headsets existed. Despite that, it is still possible to play it in 3D in a VR headset using VorpX. The effect is like playing on a giant 3D TV. Considering that the game was never designed to be played this way, it works remarkably well.

This game doesn't even have a cockpit view, so you are not going to be immersed inside the car like many other VR racing games. For a game like this you don't even need that. The wild, over-the-top racing is made even more impressive by seeing it in 3D. This is an amazing way to play the game.

In this guide I will show you what you need and how to set it up.

What You Will Need

VorpX - $40

VorpX is the program that can make a traditional 2D game render in stereoscopic 3D in a VR headset. I know VorpX has a mixed reputation, but if you are interested at all in playing older games in VR, especially racing games, it's an incredible tool. You can read my overall thoughts on the program here.

You will have to download the "Burnout Paradise Ultimate Box (G3D w/ Shadows) [bkoponen]" cloud profile in the VorpX Control Panel for this to work. I created this profile to fix the broken shadows that normally appear in Geometry 3D mode. With this profile, the shadows are rendered perfectly in 3D.

To play in VR, all you have to do is start VorpX and launch the game.

Game Crashing on Startup?

Burnout Paradise has a tendency to crash on startup on Windows 10. In my case, I often have to change the compatibility mode for the game to run. Both "Windows XP (Service Pack 2)" and "Windows 7" work, but I have to flip between them for some unknown reason. It seems that it is the act of changing the compatibility mode that lets the game launch.

To do this, locate the BurnoutParadise.exe file in your Steam Library. Right click and select Properties. From the Compatibility tab, change the compatibility mode.

Another common cause seems to involve the webcam. If you have a webcam connected, or a laptop with one built-in, run the Burnout Paradise Configuration utility and set the Webcam to None. I haven't tested this, but this has seemingly helped others.

Overall Experience

This isn't a VR title where you can look around inside the world; it is strictly playing the game on a 3D TV. Both the Geometry 3D and Z-Normal rendering modes work to display the game in 3D and it's actually up to personal preference as to which you may want to use.

In Geometry 3D mode, you get the strongest and most accurate 3D effect, but you may notice some frame rate issues, depending on the power of your computer. Also, some of the particle effects look a little flat and out of place. This breaks the illusion of the game running perfectly in 3D, but they are fairly small issues.

In Z-Normal mode, the 3D effect isn't quite as strong, but you won't have any issues with the frame rate or particle effects. For many people, I think this may be the preferred way to play. There is nothing to take you out of the experience.

In either mode, the HUD elements don't have any problem rendering properly. They don't appear at a weird depth that makes you go cross-eyed to focus on them or anything like that. Similarly, there are no problems or visual artifacts when navigating the menus. The whole of the game actually works phenomenally well in 3D.

Better than non-VR?

Whenever I play a game in VR using VorpX, I like to ask if the gameplay is actually improved in any way by doing so, or is it more of an interesting experiment without any real benefits.

This isn't a precise simulator game where you have to carefully judge your braking points, so the depth perception isn't critical to gameplay, though it certainly doesn't hurt. This is a game of spectacle, and nothing compares to seeing this game on a huge screen in 3D. The sense of speed is fantastic and the crashes are even more visceral.

There is no doubt in my mind that this is the definitive way to play the game. Going back to playing it on a normal monitor after seeing it in 3D was difficult. The game just felt lifeless in comparison.

Conclusion

Burnout Paradise is such a fun game and I highly recommend playing it in VR like this. One of the great things about VorpX is going back and trying out all these older games again. This is a perfect example of a game that you can breathe new life into simply by adding the 3D element. The game was good to begin with, but the experience is just made so much better in a VR headset.

Let me know if you have any comments or questions.