DIG VR feels like a PowerWash Simulator for digging, and it's coming to Quest soon.
Developed by Just Add Water (Sniper Elite VR), DIG VR joins a growing number of sims on Quest PowerWash simulator VR And Lawn mowing simulator VR. Revealed during Wired Direct '24 by publisher Wired Productions (Arcade paradise VR), you'll need to dig up various locations in Diglington, starting with a mini digger and various attachments before unlocking more.
Leo Zullo, co-founder and CEO of publisher Wired Productions, calls DIG VR a “very personal” game and says the idea emerged during the early days of the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown. “Looking for things to do, rented I entered an excavator and that eureka moment came – the excavator controls would be perfect for a VR game,” Zulla confirmed in a prepared statement.
I went hands-on with an early build at GDC 2024, playing the opening tutorial Quest 3. DIG VR aims for an authentic control scheme that uses two levers for movement and two sticks for steering the spoon. It took time to adapt to these controls, although there is a pleasant physicality to this approach and I eventually got into it. I'm told thumbstick controls are also supported.
That physicality extends beyond direct controls. Similar to your position in Frontier Bots VR, your digger includes a radio with eight in-game stations ranging from lo-fi, classical to country western. As someone who enjoys playing PowerWash Simulator with an external music playlist, this is a welcome addition that will keep you motivated.
Naturally, the main goal of each mission is to dig up dirt with some deviations. You need to guide the spoon into the ground, scoop up the dirt and deposit it on a nearby plot of land. Simple on paper, but this required some finesse. On several occasions I've accidentally tilted it too far forward, causing the dirt to suddenly fall back into the hole, so it felt satisfying to get it right. There are eight different tool heads available that you can swap your dirt bucket for, although I only tried the drill for breaking large rocks.
DIG VR features two difficulty levels: Graded awards negative marks for infractions such as running over garden objects or not placing the dirt correctly, while better performance earns a higher payout for your services. Zen is a more relaxed option that doesn't penalize you, although it only awards a standard payout. It's a risk-reward trade-off that I haven't been able to properly compare, though I appreciate that it's included. Once you complete a mission, you'll return to a fully explorable office where you can select your next job.
There are a few features I have yet to try out, such as co-op, mini-games and sandbox mode. Still, DIG VR pleasantly surprised me. Just Add Water takes an activity you wouldn't traditionally consider adapting into a game and creates an entertaining lite simulator with enjoyable gameplay depth. I'm optimistic about what comes next.
DIG VR is coming to the Meta Quest platform “soon”.