Beatable, developed by XR Games for the Meta Quest platform, steps into a familiar-seeming but relatively unexplored niche: rhythm games built entirely around hand-tracking and mixed reality. There’s no need for controllers here – players use just their hands to tap, clap, and snap to the beat, turning any tabletop into a musical playground. The concept is immediately compelling, especially in how it embraces accessibility, stripping away traditional barriers to entry. At a glance, it may appear like just another rhythm game, but the moment you place your hands down and start interacting with the beat in real space, it becomes clear that the premise is more unique than it seems at first.
From the first moments, the intuitive calibration system makes it quick to get started, and the fluid hand-tracking keeps the experience feeling seamless. The simplicity of the gameplay – with just three gesture types and four lanes – is deceptive, as it still offers a satisfying challenge across multiple difficulty settings. Players are encouraged to get into a rhythm, quite literally, and that sense of flow is one of Beatable’s strongest assets. Mixed reality adds another layer to the immersion, with visual overlays syncing naturally to your surroundings.
The small tracklist at launch, with just over a dozen songs, may seem modest, but the tunes are catchy and well-suited to the gameplay. It’s a varied mix of original electronic music, and the promise of regular song updates should help maintain player interest. However, the lack of licensed tracks might be a turn-off for some – this isn’t Rock Band, Guitar Hero or even Beat Saber. The game does benefit from strong audio-visual feedback – there’s a tactile sense of connection to the beat that’s helped along by your real-world table acting as a percussion instrument, further grounding the experience.
That said, the experience isn’t without limitations. While the hand-tracking works well most of the time, it occasionally falters when the action gets particularly fast, or if lighting conditions aren’t ideal. This can make higher difficulty tiers more frustrating than they should be. Moreover, while the game does feature a performance rating system, it currently lacks deeper progression mechanics, multiplayer, or significant unlockables, which could limit its appeal over the long term for more competitive or goal-oriented players.
Visually, Beatable keeps things minimal but stylish, with clear iconography and unobtrusive menus. The use of mixed reality enhances its novelty – seeing musical elements layered onto your actual table is striking – though the presentation overall is designed more for function than flash. There’s no deep narrative or elaborate visual storytelling here, but the slick interface and vibrant effects serve the game’s arcade-style approach well. The interface is also highly and quickly readable, helping players focus on maintaining their rhythm without distraction.
In some ways, Beatable feels like a confident prototype for what hand-tracked, mixed reality rhythm games can become. Its strengths lie in its accessibility and novelty, offering a fun, physical experience that almost anyone can grasp in seconds. But it also leaves room to grow, especially in expanding its song library and refining high-speed gesture detection. With a few updates and a steady stream of content, Beatable could become the next thing in the rhythm genre on Quest – even if, right now, it’s more of a clever curiosity than a fully fleshed-out revolution.
Score: 7.2/10
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