Steam Frame-ready VR rhythm game Beat Saber is adding hand-tracking and a punchy new mode in its "biggest update ever"

I’m not saying that the reveal of Beat Saber’s "biggest update ever" was timed to coincide with a swell of VR interest induced by the new Steam Frame. But I am going to infer it, without evidence, before immediately moving on to what the sweaty sword-slashing rhythm game can expect when said update lands in Spring of 2027.

First and foremost is an entire new mode, Flux. This sees Beat Saber ditch the sabers and dial up the beating, demanding your own bare hands punch, prod, and slap their way through notes. A Beat Saber Unarmed build, basically. Looks fun! If probably no less tiring.

"You'll wield Flux Powers like the Flux Tether, which channels power between your palms to slice through notes in time with the beat," reads the announcement bumf. "That power also surges to your left and right hands, which you'll use to punch through other note targets. Destroying notes builds Jolt energy — squeeze your fists while slicing to trigger a Jolt and earn big scores."

While playable with controllers, Flux is also a showcase of Beat Saber’s new hand-tracking capability, which will be added in the update (and can be used for the traditional laser sword modes, if desired) as well. Flux will launch with support for 35 songs, a mix of licensed tracks from the existing Original Soundtracks, Extras, and Anniversary packs and original fare from Beat Team’s in-house songsmiths Jaroslav Beck and Zakka G.

Beat Saber’s campaign is also getting "refreshed," with new missions, added checkpoints, and most intriguingly, a "light narrative element." Hopefully the whole thing doesn’t turn out to be in-lore VR melee combat training to become, I dunno, a Slaneshii Noise Marine. It’ll provide new chances to earn cosmetic rewards too, as will the game as a whole, as another update addition will be a progression system through which skilled notebashers can unlock new looks for sabers, beats, and bombs.

All in all, that is indeed quite the bundle o' things. Giggles aside, I don’t actually think Beat Saber needs to piggyback on Valve hardware hype: despite releasing in 2019 it’s still one of the most-played VR games around, with regular song additions and a healthy modding community. That said, it does run rather nicely on the Frame’s standalone VR mode, which can't hurt.