Coming soon to a virtual reality (VR) headset near you, actress Taylour Paige guides you through the universe. In “Astra,” released this year by Meta Quest, Paige narrates the journey of an astrobiologist searching for new worlds like Earth. YouTube offers the official trailer for this VR trip.
Astra’s Plot and Premise
The mixed reality experience (MRE) of “Astra” blends elements of a choose-your-own-adventure book, a video game, and the ultimate vacation—space travel. In its backstory plot, you play the child of an astrobiologist. Your mother passes away, leaving you to find her research on the planets, their moons, and the universe as a whole. You travel in space to finish her life’s work.
By slipping on your VR headset and playing the Astra quest, you launch yourself on a journey that transforms your home into a spaceship bound for the cosmos’ edges. By exploring each planet, dark moon, and other astronomical features, you attempt to “uncover the mystery of life in the universe,” according to Meta. During the quest, you also make peace with your loss, coming to grips with it and moving through the stages of grief.
A VR Experience Bordering on Progressive Cinema
“Astra” attempts a crossover that combines storytelling elements, interactive design, and mixed reality. Using intricate settings that the user/viewer steps foot into and on, the experience defies categorization as a travel adventure or a VR game. Paige’s narration provides you with company, a companion in exploring the universe. The experience’s creators based their universe’s structures on known science and produced an awing view of space as humans know it in 2024.
The video sequences include the landscapes of Europe, Jupiter, Titan, and others. At each galactic stop, you analyze the astronomical feature’s chemical signature in your search for the overarching ingredient of life in the universe.
Only Simple Equipment Required
This cinematic journey through space directed by Eliza McNitt requires only the simplest of VR equipment. If you want to journey through space, you only need a VR headset and access to the Meta store. A standalone Quest headset ensures you can move about your room untethered to a smartphone, tablet, or computer. This factor makes it easy to tote “Astra” with you on a trip so you can continue to enjoy your voyage uninterrupted.
Access this virtual space voyage for $9.99 on Meta Quest 3S, Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest Pro, or Meta Quest 2. Available in both English and French, it works best at room scale with the user standing.