While VR gaming can be visually immersive, you can quickly be pulled right back out of the illusion due to the controller input. That’s definitely the case with hunting simulators – Quest controllers just don’t have the weight or feel of a real rifle, leaving you with an arcade-style game at best. GAIM claims that their Shooting Simulator – a VR software and peripheral combination – is realistic enough that you can sharpen your shooting skills without leaving the comfort of your home. Living In My GameSpace was offered the chance to try out the system, so I turned my GameSpace into a hunting ground and put their claim – and my shooting skills – to the test. It turns out their claim is more accurate than my aim.
GAIM Shooting Simulator – The Hardware
After a quick look at the GAIM website, I knew their shooting simulator was more than a VR Big Buck Hunter. I knew that the rifle I would be receiving wasn’t some plastic light gun, but I still didn’t expect what arrived. The GAIM Adjustable Rifle (GAR) they sent is about as close as you can get to a real rifle without going to the gun store.
The GAIM Adjustable Rifle sits at the top end of GAIM’s training rifles. The handmade walnut stock is styled after classic hunting rifles like the Remington 700 and Winchester Model 70, with a rubber buttpad and fore-end checkering. Measuring 31.9 inches long in its compact form, the butt of the stock can be extended to 33.07 inches. An adjustable comb also allows the user to fit the rifle to their particular feel.
Since it is used in VR, there is no need for iron sights or a scope. Instead, a holster attached to the top of the fore-end holds a Quest controller that is used for sight tracking. A quick trip to the settings options lets you get the sights lined up correctly. This is accomplished by altering the rifle’s position in VR to match your natural shooting position. There are options to move the gun left, right, forward, and backward in the virtual world. You can also adjust the height of the sights and rotate the rifle along the x, y, and z-axis to get the sights set perfectly in your vision.
Once you have the rifle comfortably positioned in virtual space, there are a few other options you can set. You can choose to go with iron sights, a “realistic” scope with a red-dot sight, or a ghost sight for a more “game” style sight. You are also able to set the size of your red dot sight, scope magnification, and even adjust the choke for pellet spread when using a shotgun.
Each rifle comes with a removable trigger. The trigger links to the Quest headset via Bluetooth. The first connection to the headset took a couple of tries, but after that, the trigger connected automatically when the simulator started. The trigger only works within the GAIM software, leaving you awkwardly holding the rifle as you reach around for the Quest controller to access any out-of-game menus. It took a little bit to get used to this, but after starting and stopping video recording and taking screenshots, it became nothing more than a minor nuisance.
Lacking a bolt and barrel, the GAR weighs in at 4.48 lbs, much lighter than an actual wood-stock hunting rifle. You aren’t generally holding a rifle in the shooting position for 15 or 20 minutes while firing at a constant stream of targets, so I actually welcomed the reduced weight.
Overall, the GAR feels like a real rifle during use. You visually see the full rifle in VR, so the lack of a barrel doesn’t matter. The metal trigger gives the tactile feel of actually firing a weapon. The only thing keeping the GAR from feeling 100% authentic is the lack of a kick. You also don’t have to manually chamber each round, although bolt action and clip loading are simulated in the software.
The GAIM Adjustable Rifle will set you back $650, or about the price of a mid-range rifle. If you don’t think you’ll need the adjustable stock and comb, the GAIM Wooden Rifle has the same quality handmade walnut stock for $530, and a laminate option for a more budget-friendly $339. A training handgun is also available for $330.
GAIM Shooting Simulator – Software
The training gun is only half of the equation. The GAIM system is compatible with Meta’s Quest lineup, including the Quest 2, Quest 3, and Quest 3S. The overall visual resolution will depend on which headset you use, but I was pleased with GAIM’s performance on the 3S. Motion was fluid, and once I had the gun sighted in VR, tracking felt right on target. GAIM uses a complete ballistics model that realistically simulates bullet drop and target movement speed. I could even see the slight jerk on the weapon as I pulled the trigger, something I now know I need to work on.
Your virtual rifle (or pistol) is skinned to match the weapon used in each scenario. The default rifle skin looks identical to the physical rifle, enhancing immersion. Other weapons used in specific scenarios include an AR variant and multiple shotgun models. All of the weapon skins are high quality, and even though they don’t all match the physical rifle, they are close enough that the difference doesn’t break immersion like using a controller does.
The quality of the animal textures, amount of foliage, and other scenery details vary slightly across the different scenarios, and even at their best, they aren’t on par with a PC hunting game like Hunter: Call of the Wild in 4K. Still, the graphics are arguably as good as, or better than, those of any other VR hunting game. And when you throw in the feel of the GAR butted up against your shoulder and the weight of the gun as you swing around for a shot, GAIM is a far more immersive experience than any other shooting simulator on PC or VR, regardless of the video fidelity.
At the time of review, there are 13 basic hunting scenarios across different disciplines. Each scenario focuses on a specific type of animal, including ducks, pheasants, boars, deer, elk, and bears. Each scenario also comes with its own setting, such as a corn field boar hunt, duck hunting at a woodland lake, or taking down a stag in an Autumn forest.
There are also three additional Simpro scenarios. With Simpro Rough Shooting, you’ll choose to shoot hares, foxes, pheasants, or all three, and then set their starting distance, direction of travel, and movement speed to hone your reflexes. SimPro Hunting adds medium and large game to the mix, with more setting options. SimPro Hunting Exam rounds out the trio, allowing you to practice individual components of the hunting exams from Sweden, Denmark, France, and Germany.
If you’re into more technical shooting, GAIM also has six trap and range scenarios. Hone your precision aim and timing in SimPro Clay Pigeon (with similar controls as the other SimPro scenarios), put those skills to the test in the Skeet, Trap, & 5-stand scenario, and then gather up to four online shooters in American Trap. Or you can pick up the IPSC & Time Challenge bundle to test your technical skills on non-flying targets. The Sport Shooting Bundle is made specifically for the Training Handgun, and GAIM Range lets you build your own VR shooting range with a variety of targets and obstacles.
Each scenario costs $29 to $49, except GAIM Range, which costs $149. And for the hunter that loves it all, the Complete Software Bundle runs $465 and includes every scenario except GAIM Range.
GAIM Shooting Simulator – Final Thoughts
It’s been many years since I walked my grandparents’ farm hunting pheasant or deer. GAIM’s Shooting Simulator immediately brought back all of those great memories, minus the pre-dawn wake-up call and biting cold, the two main reasons I don’t hunt anymore. It also reminded me of how horrible my aim is. But it gives me hope that I could improve my skills with a little practice.
GAIM is not a toy, and it’s more than just some hunting game. The GAIM Adjustable Rifle feels like the real thing, and shooting in VR is a pretty good recreation of the real deal. The weight of the rifle, the pull of the trigger, it’s all there except the kick of the shot and the smell of gunpowder. The visual fidelity isn’t the same as a video game running in 4K, but the visuals are still quite good, and using the rifle instead of a controller pushes the immersion further than any other hunting simulator I’ve played.
There are only two requirements that you have to consider if you are interested in the GAIM Hunting Simulator. First, you need a Meta Quest Headset. A used Quest 2 runs about $100 on Facebook Marketplace, and a new Quest 3S (the model I used with the simulator) runs $299.99 for the 128GB model. If you haven’t experienced VR recently, it has come a long way in the last couple of years, and the GAIM Hunting Simulator is just one of the many great apps out there.
The other requirement you’ll need is space. I usually set my roomscale to a very conservative space that works well with normal VR gaming. With the controller attached to the end of the rifle, I found myself bumping up against the edge of my normal VR space, and had to extend my boundary by about 6 inches in all directions. Other than swinging the gun around, there is minimal movement during gameplay, so an 8ft x 8ft space should be adequate, and once I had the space set up, I didn’t have many issues, although I did have a run-in with a ceiling fan during a duck hunt.
At first glance, the price is high. But when you factor in the price of going to a real range – $50 per month plus ammo and gear for the range near me – the GAIM Hunting Simulator will pay for itself in a year or less. Sure, the simulation isn’t exactly the same as shooting a real rifle, but it’s close enough to get a beginner up to speed and a veteran shooter sharp during downtimes. And with each scenario costing less than the price of an AAA game, it’s a great way to experience new disciplines that you may not have access to.
