I'm not going to lie, I've not been the biggest fan of VR over the years. It's a cool feature, but I like to have some separation of reality and games when I'm playing, i.e knowing where I am when I'm playing games, having a view of an exit... you get the idea. I remember seeing two kids accidentally punching their Christmas Tree while using VR headsets while I was out walking the dog last year and I laughed so hard. I don't want to be that guy; that's why I stick with my N64 and my trusty Trident controller.
However, VR seems to be taking a retro turn this year, what with Perfect Dark and Halo getting the unofficial VR treatment, and now that I've seen Mario Kart VR and having the chance to sit in the driving seat while going on Koopa Troopa Beach is everything I wanted back when I was a kid.
I can now hit my favourite shortcut in Mario Kart 64 in glorious first person VR 😂
— Beardo Benjo (@BeardoBenjoYT) August 5, 2026
What the hell is happening with VR modding this year 🔥 pic.twitter.com/onx6DzJlg6
Hitting that shortcut in VR must feel so different, especially bursting through the waterfall on the other side and coming out into the open to grab first position. I can't imagine what it might feel like when you slip on a banana skin though or get hit by a blue shell - I'm going to be reaching for the sick bucket!
According to GitHub, this VR version is built on SpaghettiKart from Harbour Masters. You'll just need a Windows PC, a VR headset, and a legally acquired ROM of Mario Kart 64. If you don't have a headset, the gameplay will simply look flat like in the video above. There are lots of quality-of-life features in the Harbour Masters PC port of the game, but this VR version also adds in extra view settings such as view mode, world scale, cam distance, and more. Head to GitHub to check out the full range of settings and to try it for yourself!
