1 million new VR users have joined Steam since the launch of Half-Life: Alyx

Half-Life: Alyx is arguably the biggest virtual reality game yet, and now we have a solid idea of how much of an impact it had on the medium. 

According to data compiled by Road To VR, Half-Life: Alyx made a massive splash on the virtual reality market, bringing a number of new users to Steam – Valve’s online platform. 

The aforementioned data tracks the number of virtual reality headsets that are connected to Steam throughout any given month, so doesn’t exactly mean they played Half-Life: Alyx or even used the device. Even still, it’s a big jump compared to usual numbers. 

1.91% of Steam users connected a headset during the month of April, tripling the numbers seen in the previous four months. This stat alone indicates how many new players were eager to jump in Half-Life: Alyx, acting as the franchise’s first entry in over a decade.

Related: Best VR Games 

There’s always a possibility that this sudden spike in users could be due to the coronavirus pandemic, with many players hoping to jump into virtual worlds since they currently can’t go outside very often. However, it’s likely Half-Life: Alyx had a big influence on things.

“Valve has surpassed impossible expectations with Half-Life: Alyx, bringing a series long thought buried back into the limelight with extraordinary impact,” reads our 4.5/5 review.

“While some might find it unfortunate that such an experience is housed inside virtual reality, I feel it’s an innovative step forward for the series. If you have the means to play it, Half-Life: Alyx is absolutely essential.”

We won’t spoil anything specific here, but Half-Life: Alyx opens up a number of possibilities for future installments in terms of setting, narrative and mechanics. It’s really exciting, and we can’t wait to see what’s next.