The Unexpected Key to Beat Saber’s Enjoyment

Inside My Mind — Or Something Like It

So, I’ve been diving into this series called Inside XR Design, peeking under the hood of VR design magic. Today? It’s all about Beat Saber. Yep, that game you’ve probably smacked some virtual cubes in. But here’s the twist—I’m about to claim something that might sound, well, a bit bonkers. Beat Saber… isn’t really a rhythm game. Wait! Hear me out.

Initially, it seems like a rhythm game, right? There’s music, beats, all the flashy rhythm game stuff. But, it doesn’t time your hits for scoring. Weird, huh? Hit a block as soon as it’s in range or at the last moment? Same score. Like, what?

The real secret sauce here is the motion. Broad swings, perfect cuts—it’s all about how you move. Beat Saber practically shouts at you, "Swing like this!" And yeah, there’s music to nudge you along, but really, it’s a motion game at heart.

Now, let me throw another curveball: this whole ‘Instructed Motion’ thing? It can work in non-music VR games—seriously! Until You Fall (ever heard of it?) uses this to make combat feel intense and just plain awesome. Schell Games nailed it.

You might think physics-based combat is the holy grail. But consider this: if Beat Saber let you swing any which way without rules? Total chaos. Those arrows guide you to feel that satisfying rhythm. Same deal with combat in VR—it shapes how you move, how you feel.

In Until You Fall, blocking isn’t just about defense—it’s vulnerable, strategic. Miss a block? Ouch, you lose a hit point. High stakes. And dodging? Oh man, it’s all body movement, not just wiggling a thumbstick. Makes you feel present.

And attacking? Instead of button mashing, you swing with purpose. Wide arcs, precise angles—it’s like wielding the coolest virtual sword ever. Landing combos feels, well, epic.

So, to sum up this rollercoaster of thoughts: motion really does equal emotion in VR. It’s like Beat Saber and Until You Fall share this secret language of movement, and who would’ve thought a rhythm-non-rhythm game could teach us so much? Anyway, that’s my two cents.