Waltz of the Wizard is making a major leap toward mainstream with upcoming iOS and VisionOS editions of the VR powerhouse.
Wizarding simulation Waltz of the Wizard will launch this fall on iOS alongside a “Skully’s Fantastic Fails” update to the game launching simultaneously on Steam, PlayStation VR2 and Meta Quest. This lets you explore the courtyard with Skully, adding in “hundreds” of new reactions and voice lines, alongside a new rocket launch section and more reactions in the Tower. It also adds a redesigned menu with an in-game Waltz Codex.
Among a short list of titles to see ongoing constant expansion since initial release in 2016, Waltz Of The Wizard from Aldin is a deeply playful magical world that’s only gotten better with age. The iOS edition in particular joins Walkabout Mini Golf in showing long-time expert developers working over many years building out a platform structured around intuitive interaction inside virtual worlds.
One could argue that Walkabout from Mighty Coconut plays best in a VR headset, and while it focuses more on multiplayer, it’s made phones much more like glass portals into another reality. Waltz Of The Wizard offers co-op and works on flatscreens too already on some systems, with player 2 accessing the same game world from a connected flatscreen. We’re extremely curious to see how the iOS version feels in comparison, and where Aldin takes this version in the future.
Aldin teases that the iOS release includes a “Reality Mode” that “lets users interact with objects and Skully in AR as if they were physically in the game. Reach beyond the screen with your hand and see it become an interactive part of the game!”
Waltz of the Wizard is also on another short list of games that’s so fully realized its absence from any major headset is a reason to hesitate before purchase. The game recently adopted hand tracking on PS VR2 and, with voice recognition, makes for quite the impressive demo of VR technology with intuitive interaction. While development studio Aldin today confirmed the game is coming to iOS, I wrote to developer Hrafn Thorisson to ask if the title would also be coming to the Apple Vision Pro headset as well.
“We agree that Waltz of the Wizard would be fantastic for Apple Vision Pro — using your hands and voice naturally in a ultra-interactive simulated alternate reality is simply a perfect fit for people from all walks of life. We are planning to release on Apple Vision Pro — but can’t confirm the timeline for it just yet,” Thorisson replied over email. “Releasing on iOS first is strategic and matches better with Apple’s Vision development timelines, while also putting Waltz in the hands of more people.”
“On iOS we’re also trying a lot of things that haven’t been tried before when it comes to adapting VR to conventional devices, including utilizing Apple’s mobile features for hand-tracking, AR tracking, face interaction and computer vision. They have an amazing range of technologies that have potential to help bring more of VR’s magic to traditional mediums. Since there’s potentially millions of people waiting to try Waltz on conventional devices after the recent viral popularity, it’s an exciting opportunity to innovate in cross-medium designs.”
Skully is the talkative human skull sitting on your wizard’s table and his long list of unexpected responses can be surprisingly entertaining. Toss him out a window and see what happens, for instance. The character has been a hit on social media and the latest Skully’s Fantastic Fails update looks to expand his role in the game even further.
We’re excited to take this new version of Waltz of the Wizard for a spin when it launches later this year, and to see how this latest release propels long-time development studio Aldin into the future of VR headsets with natural magical interactions.
This article was originally published on uploadvr