Sol Protocol
More actions
| Sol Protocol | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| VR/AR | Virtual Reality |
| Developer | Singular Perception |
| Publisher | Singular Perception |
| Platform | Meta Quest, SteamVR |
| Device | Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 3S |
| Operating System | Meta Horizon OS, Windows |
| Type | Game |
| Genre | Action, Rogue-like, Simulation |
| Input Device | Tracked motion controllers |
| Game Mode | Co-op, Multiplayer, Single-player |
| Release Date | September 19, 2026 (Meta Quest, Early Access); October 2026 (Steam, planned) |
| Price | US$11.99 (Meta Quest, Early Access) |
| App Store | Meta Horizon Store, Steam |
| Website | https://www.singularperception.com/ |
Sol Protocol is a cooperative science fiction roguelike virtual reality game developed and published by Singular Perception, an independent studio based in Italy. Up to three players crew a spaceship together, taking the roles of Pilot, Gunner and Captain as they travel through procedurally generated star systems, fight enemy ships and land to explore abandoned stations for loot and ship upgrades.[1][2][3]
The game entered Early Access on Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S on 19 September 2026, two days after its announced date of 17 September. A Steam Early Access release for PC VR is planned for October 2026.[4][5] UploadVR has described it as drawing inspiration from Star Trek: Bridge Crew, FTL: Faster Than Light and Void Crew.[6]
Gameplay
Singular Perception describes the game as "a dynamic VR Co-Op roguelike where you team up and physically pilot a spaceship through dangerous, procedurally generated stellar systems." Players manage the ship, man its turrets, explore abandoned stations on foot, and repair and upgrade the modular ship with parts looted from abandoned bases and vessels.[1] The team's ship is called The Pathfinder.[6]
The crew is split into three roles.[1] In UploadVR's Early Access impressions, the Captain "allocates the ship's available energy for the various sub-systems", the Pilot steers the ship and evades attacks, and the Gunner "tracks and fires at enemies with a head-tracking visor". UploadVR's August 2026 report described the roles as interchangeable and listed the third one as engineer rather than captain.[4][6] Resources found during a run include repair materials, additional weapons and supplementary ship systems.[4]
A run moves across sectors of a star map. Players warp between them, gather resources and upgrades, strengthen the ship's systems and push on into more dangerous regions.[4] Movement in the Early Access build uses zero-gravity strafing with the analog sticks, boosters to change elevation and stick clicks to rotate. The game includes optional vignetting and both smooth and snap turning as comfort options.[4]
The game is designed for a crew of up to three. Steam lists single-player and online co-op for two to three players, and UploadVR reported in August 2026 that the studio was developing autonomous crew systems called Automa to fill empty roles, along with ship configurations for different crew sizes.[1][6]
Development
Singular Perception is an independent VR studio based in Italy. Its debut title was the puzzle adventure game Epyka.[3][7]
Sol Protocol was announced at the UploadVR Winter Showcase in December 2025. At the time, the studio planned to launch on Quest and SteamVR in early 2026, "with a flatscreen version also intended for release", and players could sign up for a closed alpha through the game's Discord server.[7] Singular Perception then ran open alpha playtests on Quest 3 and Quest 3S from March 2026.[2]
The studio originally planned the Early Access release for April 2026. On 12 June 2026, a new trailer shown at the UploadVR Summer Showcase came with a revised September 2026 Early Access window on Meta Quest; no Steam date had been given at that point.[2] At the Summer 2026 VR Games Showcase in June 2026, the listing gave September 2026 on the Meta Store and October 2026 on Steam, both in Early Access.[8]
On 21 August 2026 the studio set the Quest Early Access date for 17 September and opened pre-orders. It also announced a cross-play playtest for the end of that month.[6] Singular Perception later told UploadVR by email that the release had moved from 17 to 19 September.[4]
Release
| Platform | Date | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 3S (Meta Horizon Store) | 19 September 2026 | Early Access | Moved from 17 September 2026[4][5] |
| PC VR (Steam) | October 2026 | Early Access, planned | Steam lists the game as VR only, with OpenXR VR support[1][3][8] |
When pre-orders opened in August 2026, UploadVR reported a pre-order price of US$9.99, "a discount from the $12.99 full price at release".[6] UploadVR's Early Access impressions gave the price as US$11.99.[4] On launch day, MIXED reported that the store showed only a pre-order price, which the developer described as discounted, and that the standard price had not been announced.[5] As of 29 September 2026, the Meta Horizon Store listed the game at US$11.99.[9] The store lists its genres as Shooter, Action, Hangout and Simulation.[9] The Steam page lists English as the only supported language, with full audio.[1]
Reception
In its Early Access impressions, UploadVR called Sol Protocol "a promising co-op title" with a foundation the developers could build on. The reviewer reported "gnarly frame drops and some obvious reprojection artifacts" on Quest 3, found the current scope "a bit sparse", and wrote that "If you have no interest in multiplayer, Sol Protocol will offer virtually nothing for you."[4] As of 29 September 2026, the Meta Horizon Store showed an average user rating of 4.9 out of 5 from 40 ratings.[9]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "Sol Protocol on Steam". Steam. Valve. https://store.steampowered.com/app/4250370/Sol_Protocol/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Mike Johnson (2026-06-12). "Co-op Interstellar VR Roguelike Sol Protocol Blasts Off In Early Access This September". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/co-op-interstellar-vr-roguelike-sol-protocol-blasts-off-in-early-access-this-september/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Press". Singular Perception. https://www.singularperception.com/press. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 James Galizio (2026-09-17). "Sol Protocol Early Access Impressions: A Sol-id Foundation". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/sol-protocol-impressions/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Chris Steven (2026-09-19). "Quest and Steam get 10 VR games and updates before October, here's the list". MIXED. https://mixed-news.com/en/quest-steam-10-vr-games-updates-before-october-2026/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Mike Johnson (2026-08-21). "Co-op Space Roguelike Sol Protocol Sets September Release Date On Quest 3". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/co-op-sol-protocol-sets-release-date-for-meta-quest/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Sarah Thwaites (2025-12-05). "Sol Protocol Is A Co-op Roguelike Heading To Quest & PC VR". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/sol-protocol-vr-announcement/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Everything Announced at the Summer 2026 VR Games Showcase". Road to VR. 2026-06-23. https://roadtovr.com/everything-announced-at-the-summer-2026-vr-games-showcase/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "Sol Protocol on Meta Quest". Meta Horizon Store. Meta Platforms. https://www.meta.com/experiences/sol-protocol/10067260370018011/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.