Infant horror game Among the Sleep is no longer getting VR support

Players holding out for the Oculus Rift compatibility promised in Among the Sleep's 2013 Kickstarter campaign will be disappointed to learn that VR support is no longer being developed.

Krillbite Studio has released a blog post explaining why the game is no longer coming to VR. Essentially, it just wasn't working as a satisfying experience, despite seeming like a prime candidate.

Among the Sleep is a first-person horror game in which you play as a toddler. The unique perspective of a small child is important to the game, and according to the developers it just didn't feel right in VR. The problem, the blog explains, is that the game's camera often needs to seize control from the player.

"If you do this in VR it basically feels like someone is physically grabbing your head and forcing you to watch something", the post says. "Suddenly your entire body is paralysed and the sense of freedom of perspective and immersion that VR does so well is shattered. It’s a violation of the trust you are building up between your game and the player."

"After a lot of experimentation we have come to the conclusion that Among the Sleep – the story we want to tell and the relationship we want to build between the player and the child – isn’t doable for virtual reality. It requires a lot of compromises that ends up making the VR experience less powerful, less immersive and less satisfying than the original game."

Despite this, the developer is still considering using some of the game's assets "for a smaller and more focused VR-demo".

Among the Sleep released on PC in May 2014. PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions have also been announced.