Game2017

Space Pirate Trainer

Action

Developer I-Illusions

Space Pirate Trainer is a virtual reality (VR) first-person shooter developed and published by I-Illusions. It was one of the earliest wave shooters utilizing the VR game-play environment. The game was released alongside the HTC Vive and featured in VR arcades. In 2018, it was also released digitally through the PlayStation Store. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

182 reactions from 2 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky) · newest Oct 7, 2026 · last updated Oct 7, 2026 · How this works

Audience score

89
LovedLoved

150 positive · 18 negative
95% range 84–93%

Source+−=
Steam reviews150180
Bluesky *000

* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).

14 newer reactions are still waiting for a label.

Steam's own rating
Very Positive
2,692 of 2,853 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)

What people are saying

Summary pending — the reactions are listed below.

Reactions

60 of 182 · most liked first
  • Jeff Gerstmann @jeffgerstmann.comBluesky · Dec 12, 2024

    Also surprised that Facebook allows some of these Quest games to run as poorly as they do. Even old stuff like Space Pirate Trainer was choppy at first, like it's compiling shaders during gameplay. Seems like a bad move to have any part of a game chop up since that's just going to make people sick?

    unlabelledView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …3476Steam reviews · Feb 4, 2022 · 1 h played

    There's a reason why they call this Space Pirate Trainer and not Space Pirate Chillfest... It's a workout disguised as a VR version of Space Invaders! If you want to get anywhere in this game you're going to need to dodge, duck, and move around fast. It is physically demanding and I love that about it. This game is SO FUN! I even at one point jumped over an array of lasers that were fired at me forgetting my feet aren't tracked. Wave 1 starts out with 1 bot you have to shoot and every wave…

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Ben Kuchera @benkuchera.bsky.socialBluesky · Mar 13, 2026

    I mean no disrespect to any other VR games because it's hard to top Citizen Kane but also for such a young art form how is Space Pirate Trainer STILL the best VR game ever created? When people ask me what to play first my answer hasn't changed for a fucking decade.

    unlabelledView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …3228Steam reviews · Nov 6, 2021 · 7 h played

    I was excited about the new update for space pirate trainer because I have owned this game since it came out. I was excited to FINALLY get an update after all this time. So imagine my surprise when I find out that they have abandoned pc vr and only the quest users get the new update. Are you kidding me? 0/10 . I would never support such a scummy developer.

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …3391Steam reviews · Apr 23, 2023 · 2 h played

    All wave shooters are repetitive and boring. This one is no exception. Youre going to buy at least a few wave shooters before that really sinks in. If this is one of the ones you buy on the way to wisdom, pay $4 tops. I guess there are cool guns, levels and enemies, but the gameplay is so boring there is nothing that could save it.

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • larkroe.bsky.social @larkroe.bsky.socialBluesky · Sep 19, 2026

    I bought the Oculus Dk1 Cv1 and Valve Index. I think I’m done with VR. I had fun but the games just aren’t there. Half Life Alyx is the singular AAA game and it can be fun to fire up Beat Saber and Space Pirate Trainer. But spending $1k just have that small part of gaming be better yeah, I’m good.

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  • Steam user Steam user …0543Steam reviews · Mar 19, 2025 · 1 h played

    I bought this game over eight years ago. I was going through my VR library to see what games I had played, and what I hadn't. Saw this game only had about 30 mins of play. Figured I'd give it another go, as I remembered it positively from the early days of VR. The game seems to have changed a bit, IIRC. Seems to be a bit more fleshed out. It's definitely fun. Cool weapons, defensive options, and power ups. There are four different modes to play. I went through one round of each, just to see…

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …6847Steam reviews · Apr 2, 2024 · 4 h played

    This game is old now, but it's still a good go-to game when you want to stick a VR headset on someone and say "THIS IS WHAT VR FEELS LIKE!" 21st century Space Invaders. Love it.

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …2372Steam reviews · Feb 3, 2022 · 2 h played

    I know why you're here. You're probably looking at a cheaper sale price here than the copy on the Meta Store and are trying to figure out whether this non-DX version (at the time of this review, at least) is worth it. Firstly, let me note that, from what I read on the discussion boards here, the devs aren't intentionally trying to make the Meta Store's version superior; they're just unable to deal with SteamVR-specific problems when it comes to integrating their approach to multiplayer here.…

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …8771Steam reviews · Nov 21, 2021

    seemed fun, which it was but just not my kind of game afterall. Space invaders in VR

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Mike Johnson @liveopenmike.bsky.socialBluesky · Feb 25, 2026

    New article up. I've played some GREAT roomscale VR like Eye of the Temple & of course Space Pirate Trainer. At least in this demo, The Amusement doesn't feel like it needs roomscale. That aside, a strong demo for a narrative based puzzle game. Love these games in VR. Give it a go!

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  • Steam user Steam user …1909Steam reviews · Oct 24, 2025 · 3 h played

    VR Space Invaders. As an old fart, I love it!

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Ben Kuchera @benkuchera.bsky.socialBluesky · Mar 10, 2025

    So I cleared out the living room to make a big area for the kids and I to play VR games for the next few days and I had forgotten what a blast Space Pirate Trainer is when you can really move. It's still a masterpiece, and understood the platform better than any other game.

    unlabelledView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …2324Steam reviews · Jan 3, 2023 · 1 h played

    gift this to people you want to sabotage by getting their VR headset soaked in sweat

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …7377Steam reviews · Nov 28, 2021 · 1 h played

    I do not understand why it is so recommended. I tried to play it and got bored fairly quickly. In comparison to that I enjoyed pistol whip and blade and sorcery very much. Some details: * You have no body presence. YOu're floating hands, again. * No height offset for seated play. If you're in a chair, you'll be shooting from the height of the chair. * You have a shield, and while projectiles do not pass thorugh the shield, you can absolutely stick your gun through it. * There's no locomotion…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …1136Steam reviews · Dec 27, 2024 · 6 h played

    One of the first VR games I bought. Is it the cutting edge of VR? No. It's a good game that is well fleshed out for the type of game it is. It holds up pretty well considering it's age. I'd say it's well worth full price, but if you can get it on sale, that's even better.

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …6627Steam reviews · Nov 3, 2024 · 32 h played

    This is the game that made me buy a VR system. Played it in a mall and went directly to the store. Feels like being inside Galaga. You shoot drones with a variety of handguns, with laser-bats and transparent shields for defense. Buy it!

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Dirk Van Welden @quarkcannon.bsky.socialBluesky · Nov 7, 2023

    Exactly 8 years ago I took a break from creating a (procedural) snowboard game to do something cool in VR. This was the first screen I posted. I would have never believed that this Space Pirate Trainer game would go so hard it kickstarted a -way better- snowboarding game called Shredders

    unlabelledView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …4392Steam reviews · Feb 25, 2026 · 1 h played

    Great game worth every penny, love the ability to whip enemies into the ground and explode them.

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …8572Steam reviews · Sep 22, 2025 · 1 h played

    My overall review of Space Pirate Trainer VR… Space Pirate Trainer remains one of the most effective pure arcades in VR: tight, physical, and endlessly replayable for score hunters, but limited if you’re after long campaigns, narrative depth, or couch‑friendly play. __No Tutorial – This was a big issue for me. Other then more possible graphics changes in the settings, not having a proper tutorial I think is a big miss. I started the game spending a while just to figure out who to change…

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …3651Steam reviews · Sep 9, 2025 · 6 h played

    Turn it on, hit play and have fun. The better you get the higher the score, the more the fun. Works fine in a small space, but I imagine a large space would be a blast. Worth Every penny.

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …7347Steam reviews · Jan 14, 2025 · 2 h played

    This is one of the games I recommend to everyone with VR

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …1843Steam reviews · Jun 22, 2022 · 4 h played

    my first steam VR game... still awesome even today

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …2786Steam reviews · Jan 4, 2022 · 1 h played

    Absolutely awesome game for casual players. Works really well and is very intuitive. No messing about, no setting up just play. I've played for 9 hours - have I changed my mind? Yes. It gets better. The more you play the more the challenges open up, the more fun it is. It's never impossible but makes you work. Music fits really well with the action. All in all I think this is a brilliant game for VR.

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …7982Steam reviews · Mar 23, 2026 · 5 h played

    Blast space pirates out of the sky like an 80s arcade game except... you're actually in the game in a 3D world. You get a shield, weapon options, power ups, different game modes, and more. Banger music, guns go pew pew, and space pirates that you need to save the universe from. What more could you want? Tip - If you have a Rift S or similar headset you will likely want to go into Steam settings and disable haptics for this game. Due to the Rift S design, your headset tracking has to compete…

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …6069Steam reviews · Aug 5, 2024 · 2 h played

    Really fun for about 15 minutes at a time, but then again, so are the arcade cabinets that this game is set inside

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …9596Steam reviews · Jul 21, 2024 · 13 h played

    best introductory VR game ever

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …2125Steam reviews · Mar 5, 2022

    this game only gets updated on quest now which kinda sucks, but it's still a fun game so I would recommend it.

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …1816Steam reviews · Nov 23, 2021 · 1 h played

    One of the best VR games you can buy. Its a must have for your VR.

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …0339Steam reviews · May 20, 2026 · 1 h played

    I wish the Steam version had multiplayer like the Quest version. Still one of the best VR games.

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Jess Jeverage 🏳️‍⚧️ @jessjev.bsky.socialBluesky · Apr 9, 2025

    This man is playing Space Pirate Trainer

    unlabelledView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …5897Steam reviews · Mar 17, 2025

    one of the first VR experiences i ever had was playing this on vive at an event, this is so easy to pick up and play, very fun arcade-style experience

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …9109Steam reviews · Jan 25, 2025 · 1 h played

    I just bought this again, as I had no idea it was on Steam ... I got all the way through it a couple years ago on Quest 2 standalone. Boy, the PCVR version is so epically much better visually, and sounds better too! One question I can't seem to find the answer to is how to turn off the hit scores. I don't play for points, I play for fun, to blast waves of droids. THe scores popping up all over the pace when they explode is distracting and annoying. How to fix? Absolutely recommend any…

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Christian Hammond @chipx86.comBluesky · Nov 19, 2024

    Picked up a Meta Quest 3. I’ve been wanting a portable VR headset not tied to a PC for a while (having had a Vive, PSVR, and Index in the past). This hit the price and feature set, and the AR mode is pretty decent (far better than the others). And Space Pirate Trainer remains a S-tier VR game.

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  • Steam user Steam user …8417Steam reviews · Aug 4, 2024 · 2 h played

    Great party game and a must have for any VR setup.

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …3959Steam reviews · Aug 4, 2024 · 5 h played

    I still play this kind of VR arcade game on a regular basis, really well designed and works well with my HP Reverb G2. I like the graphics, the environment and all weapons, the combat is pure fun and rewarding increased difficulty. The fog effect would be lovely but I keep it disabled as it's blurry and not properly blended in the environment. I wish there were more combat platforms or environments to choose from instead of only one, nevertheless I definitely recommend this game, a must have!

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …9540Steam reviews · Dec 5, 2023 · 1 h played

    Its fun, for an hour or so

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …4513Steam reviews · Dec 1, 2023 · 24 h played

    fun easy to get into quick endless fun get good have fun move yourself around. secret powers

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …1437Steam reviews · Nov 28, 2023

    6/10 - acceptable. wave shooter, was interesting back in 2017. will get shelved fast, collecting dust only after few tries. only get it at extreme discount.

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • UploadVR @uploadvr.comBluesky · Sep 29, 2023

    From the Space Pirate Trainer studio comes BAM, a new mixed reality multiplayer game hitting Quest 3 next month. www.uploadvr.com/bam-quest-mi...

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  • Steam user Steam user …3662Steam reviews · Apr 1, 2023 · 3 h played

    I pirated this game it did not help.

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …7859Steam reviews · Dec 31, 2022 · 1 h played

    It's a great game lots of fun and you can get a bit of exercise with this as it requires a lot of movement. Don't expect some kind of campaign from it though its just a wave based space invaders type shooter it's just simple fun and awesome robot techno music, the full asking price is a little high for this so wait for an offer if you can. If you go into it knowing these facts then I'm sure you will have a great time.

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …6251Steam reviews · Dec 21, 2021 · 18 h played

    This game is definitely going to be one of the most prolific VR games ever. It puts you right into a modernized version of Space Invaders. If you're on the fence about purchasing it... just get it. You won't regret it!

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …4231Steam reviews · Dec 19, 2021 · 3 h played

    certified space pirate

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …9159Steam reviews · Dec 4, 2021 · 1 h played

    No coop on Steam but Oculus has it? I think you guys could do better and add that to steam too lol, understandable why arena isn't added to steam. Kind of need the mobility for that. I still recommend it for both steam and Oculus, but would appreciate it if the developer also added the things that make sense to steam if added to Oculuss.

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …5363Steam reviews · Nov 7, 2021 · 5 h played

    One of the best VR games available.

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …6660Steam reviews · Aug 25, 2026 · 14 h played

    Great Game. Fun

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …4329Steam reviews · Aug 18, 2026 · 15 h played

    The only thing that can be kind of difficult to use is switching back and forth between a blaster and the laser shield by reaching behind your back. This didn't always work for me as intended and would frequently trigger in seemingly different locations. Other than that, this game is fantastic!

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • 131XR @131xr.bsky.socialBluesky · Jun 26, 2026

    What old school VR game do you still dip back into for fun? I'll start: Space Pirate Trainer

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  • Googleman @googleman81.bsky.socialBluesky · Mar 21, 2026

    There's a bunch of things to consider. Getting off the couch to play a game is a hassle for many, creating a game that actually considers physicality, like Space Pirate Trainer, is apparently complicated for devs and while the tech has come along, we're still a decade or two out from Ready Player 1.

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  • Steam user Steam user …8838Steam reviews · Jan 30, 2026 · 20 h played

    You played duck hunt as a kid..... this isn't it, It's actually BETTER! In most aspects

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …2072Steam reviews · Jan 19, 2026 · 9 h played

    amazing game :)

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Filip Němeček @nemecek-filip.bsky.socialBluesky · May 1, 2025

    I am playing "Arena" mode from VR game Space Pirate Trainer with a friend on sort of mini football field regularly and its one of best gaming experiences. It is like being inside Quake in 10x10m arena. Super niche but awesome for people with Quest headset and friend with Quest 👍

    unlabelledView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …0165Steam reviews · Sep 20, 2024 · 2 h played

    It's very well made

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …7222Steam reviews · Sep 14, 2024 · 5 h played

    A great starter game for VR an arcade stand in place game where you shoot down robots

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …7815Steam reviews · May 8, 2024

    What it does it does pretty well... unfortunately there is very little of it. There are a couple different modes but they're basically the same thing (it's just do you want to die after 3 hits, 1 hit, or slowly regenerate health). You stand in the same spot and shoot drones that appear while dodging their fire. That's it. There are some upgrades and you do get some different enemies, but the basic gameplay stays the same and after 15 minutes I already felt like the game was just repetitive and…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …7271Steam reviews · Jan 1, 2024 · 2 h played

    This was pretty good a few years ago when the VR was mostly wave shooters. I don't think I can recommend this anymore because it's basically just the arcade light gun games with the added ability of dodging shots.

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …5283Steam reviews · Dec 31, 2023

    Great shooting mechanics, cool powerups, sick soundtrack, and overall a good game. But as others have said, it's a simple wave shooter with no progression, no variety, and no real reason to play other than to beat your own highscore.

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …8559Steam reviews · Dec 3, 2023 · 12 h played

    Just good quick fun that you can pick up and play and turn off when you get tired.

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …4049Steam reviews · Nov 20, 2023 · 15 h played

    Awesome game. I sincerely wish there would be a sequel with more enemies, different weapons, different world etc... This game is very addictive. Top 10 VR games in my list.

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →

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