Black Mesa
Swing the crowbar and aim the MP5 with your hands through Black Mesa and Blue Shift.
The catch: No manual reloading or two-handed weapons yet, and the README gives no install steps.
Will it run on your rig?
Check my rig
Set your rig to check fit.
Launch Kit
Get Black Mesa running
Steps are general until you ; then the runtime step matches your headset.
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Set your VR runtime
Pick your OpenXR runtime: the Meta Horizon Link app for Link or Air Link, Virtual Desktop's VDXR for Virtual Desktop, or SteamVR for Index, Beyond and Pico.
General step from us -
Install Black Mesa (Steam)
Install it and launch it once in flat mode to finish first-time setup, then quit. The creator says it needs Experimental pre-release names Black Mesa public beta buildid 25844216.
General step from us -
Have these ready
Black Mesa on Steam · OpenXR runtime · Optional: Black Mesa: Blue Shift launched with -game bshift
From the creator's guide -
Follow the creator's install guide
We haven't summarized this guide yet. Open the official page and follow it exactly.
From the creator's guide -
First launch in VR
Put the headset on, then start Black Mesa the way the creator's guide says. Calibrate your height in the first area.
General step from us
Stuck?
Quest 3 over Virtual Desktop must use OpenXR Runtime = VDXR; the SteamVR option inverts the world
Reported on the creator's page or the linked sources. Known issue
Recenter with the right thumbstick if shots misalign
Reported on the creator's page or the linked sources. Known issue
Two-handed weapons and manual reloading not implemented yet
Reported on the creator's page or the linked sources. Known issue
Roomscale support is listed as coming
Reported on the creator's page or the linked sources. Known issue
Black screen in the headset
This mod uses OpenXR. Check the active OpenXR runtime matches how you connect (the Set your VR runtime step), then start Link or Virtual Desktop before the game. General tip from us
Controllers don't show up
Start Link, Virtual Desktop or SteamVR before the game, and make sure the controllers are awake before launch. General tip from us
Stutter or low frame rate
Lower the in-game resolution or render scale first, then shadows and volumetrics. Close overlays you don't need. General tip from us
The mod didn't load at all
Recheck the game version against the creator's page; a game update is the most common cause. Then reinstall the mod files. General tip from us
Prefer a guide that talks back?
Copy a prompt for Claude Code on your PC. It asks before every download or change, and only uses the official page.