X-Wing Alliance Upgrade Mod Revitalizes A Classic In Full VR

Sometimes I forget just how far talented modders can take older games in VR until something like the X-Wing Alliance Upgrade project comes along and jolts that memory back into focus. That’s exactly what happened this week when I got the mod up and running with my Quest 3 and Yaw 3 motion simulator. Read on for my impressions.

For those unfamiliar, X-Wing Alliance first launched back in 1999 as the culmination of the classic LucasArts X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter space combat sim series. The game gave us multi-stage missions, a full hangar bay to immerse ourselves in, and a story that feels like a true extension of the original trilogy. What’s remarkable is how the XWAU Project, a dedicated community mod effort, has not only updated the visuals with higher-resolution models and effects but also added modern VR support that makes it worth revisiting in 2025.

For players like me who are fortunate enough to own a motion platform, I discovered that the mod also includes native support through an INI tweak, and uncovering that hidden gem was the cherry on top.

Making it work with Quest 3 takes a bit of tinkering. But once I performed a few INI tweaks and changed some HOTAS settings in the added joystick configurator from the mod’s launch menu, I was staring out the iconic cockpit windows of an upgraded YT-2000 transport. That’s all achieved in full VR with perfect 3D, full 6-DOF movement enabled, and even hands that could activate the controls of the ship.

It looks just like the Millennium Falcon cockpit, minus Han and Chewie, of course. But that sense of “you’re there” in this iconic setting is unmistakable. And once I activate Yaw 3 and experience the pitch, yaw, and roll synchronizing seamlessly with my yoke and pedals flight system, everything just clicks in my mind. For a few moments, despite the game’s updated yet still somewhat dated graphics, I feel fully immersed!

I have vivid memories of playing this on a 100′ projector screen with stereoscopic shutter glasses back in 1999 after it first came out. However, the sense of scale you get when you enter a hangar bay or the thrill you feel while banking through the debris field of a downed capital ship is so much more impactful when you experience it in VR.

Dogfights are chaotic and thrilling, not because the game’s enemies have suddenly gotten smarter, but because your head movement and body feedback make it all feel more real. Now, I’m turning my neck to track enemies, glancing down at my radar screen, and even instinctively bracing my body slightly as my motion rig tilts into a tight banking turn. It’s immersive in a way I couldn’t have ever imagined when I was playing this for the first time all those years ago.

The mod has admittedly been around for a while, and we initially reported on the added VR support back in 2019, but I’m just finding out about it thanks to my recent discovery of the motion simulator support. Now that I’ve experienced this firsthand and have the mod on my radar, it’s wonderful to see that the XWAU Project is still very active. New releases continue to work on refining the textures and models and improving VR performance. If you’ve got the right gear and even a bit of nostalgia for this series, it’s absolutely worth setting aside a few hours to get everything set up.

So there you have it… once again talented teams of community-driven modders have breathed new life and brought full VR support into a 26-year-old game that I had honestly never expected to play again. The virtual reality modding scene is alive and thriving, and I will be on the lookout for more amazing older games like this to showcase in the future. Please tell us in the comments which of your favorite older games you would love to see modded to get full VR support, and keep your eyes on UploadVR for coverage of more interesting VR mods as we discover them. Until then… May the mods be with you… Always.

To play the VR version of X-Wing Alliance Upgrade, you will need an official copy of the game and the mod files, which can be found here.