Apple Vision Pro’s Retrocade: The Virtual Arcade We’ve Waited For

For anyone who has ever longed to step back into the neon glow of a classic arcade, Retrocade on Apple Vision Pro delivers that nostalgic fantasy with stunning authenticity. This exclusive title, available through the Apple Arcade subscription, brings ten legendary games to life in a virtual space that feels remarkably real. While it stands as a highlight of the visionOS library, the experience is notably solitary, missing the communal buzz that defined the original arcade era.

Developed by the seasoned team at Resolution Games, Retrocade leverages their extensive XR expertise. The studio, known for hits like Demeo, was also behind the Vision Pro launch title Game Room. This latest project is a love letter to gaming’s past. While a flat-screen version exists for iPhone and iPad, the application truly comes alive on Apple’s spatial computer. You can place authentic, true-scale cabinets right in your living room or immerse yourself in a meticulously crafted virtual arcade straight out of 1989.

The collection features ten officially licensed classics:

• Breakout (1976 – Atari)
• Space Invaders (1978 – Taito)
• Asteroids (1979 – Atari)
• Pac-Man (1980 – Namco)
• Centipede (1981 – Atari)
• Frogger (1981 – Konami)
• Track & Field (1983 – Konami)
• Galaga (1981 – Namco)
• Bubble Bobble (1986 – Taito)
• Haunted Castle (1988 – Konami)

The attention to detail is exceptional. Every cabinet is recreated with precision, down to the animated joysticks and buttons. A default CRT filter perfectly mimics the look of period-appropriate displays. It’s important to note that you don’t physically touch these virtual controls. Instead, gameplay requires a Bluetooth controller, like a PlayStation DualShock. The controller maps intuitively to the cabinet: one button inserts a virtual coin, another starts the game, and the action buttons and sticks control the on-screen action. The coins are unlimited, with no microtransactions in sight.

You can toggle between a fully virtual arcade environment and a mixed reality mode that anchors a single cabinet in your physical space. This is where the power of the Vision Pro’s hardware, its M-series chip, high-res displays, and precise tracking, combines with Resolution Games’ craftsmanship to create a powerful illusion. The cabinet feels tangibly present in a way earlier 3DoF headsets could never achieve.

For all its polish, Retrocade has a few limitations. The decision to require a controller makes sense for precision but feels like a missed opportunity for hand-tracking interaction. Poking at unresponsive buttons on a hyper-realistic cabinet breaks the immersion slightly. Furthermore, the mixed reality mode operates as a Full Space, preventing you from using other visionOS apps alongside it. You can run the app in a 2D window for multitasking, but that strips away the spatial magic entirely.

The most significant shortcoming, however, is the lack of multiplayer. The magic of a real arcade was the social atmosphere, friends competing side-by-side in Track & Field or taking turns at Pac-Man. Retrocade feels lonely in comparison. While it integrates with Apple Game Center for leaderboard competition, there’s no option for SharePlay or seeing friends’ Personas share the space with you. This omission leaves the experience feeling incomplete.

As a single-player homage, Retrocade is a beautifully executed dream project. It’s a polished, immersive portal to the past, albeit one locked behind the Vision Pro’s premium price tag. One can hope the concept inspires similar offerings on more accessible VR platforms in the future. For now, it remains the definitive virtual arcade experience, just waiting for some friends to show up.

(Source: Upload VR)