The limited gameplay, basic presentation, and lack of meaningful interaction make Train Sim World VR: New York hard to recommend, especially at its current price point
As someone who loves getting lost in VR simulation games, I was genuinely intrigued by Train Sim World VR: New York. The idea of stepping into a train operator's shoes and navigating the bustling Harlem Line seemed like it could be another immersive VR experience to sink hours into. While I can't compare it to other train simulators, I can tell you about my journey from excitement to disappointment.
The game starts promisingly enough. You begin in a New York apartment that serves as your hub, complete with a view of the city and a TV interface for accessing missions. It's a nice touch that helps set the mood, even if the apartment itself is pretty basic. As someone new to train operation, I appreciated having this space to get my bearings before jumping into the driver's seat.
You'll be operating two types of trains on the Harlem Line between Grand Central Terminal and North White Plains - the MTA M3A and M7A. At first glance, the control panels look intimidating with their various switches, levers, and displays. However, you quickly realize that most of these are just for show, and you'll only be interacting with a handful of controls.
The basics are simple enough: turn the master key to power up, set your direction, control the passenger doors, and manage your speed with the main lever. As someone unfamiliar with real train operation, I can't speak to the authenticity, but the fundamental controls are easy to grasp.
Each mission follows a similar pattern. You'll need to:
- Maintain specific speeds through different zones
- Pass through "speed gates" at exact velocities
- Honk your horn at railway workers and train enthusiasts
- Manage passenger boarding at stations
- Reach destinations within time limits
This sounds like it could be engaging, and for the first hour or so, it is. There's a certain satisfaction in smoothly accelerating your train, hitting the perfect speed for a gate, and precisely stopping at a station. The problem is that this is essentially all there is to the game, and it gets old fast.
As a VR simulation, Train Sim World should shine in creating that sense of presence and immersion. While sitting in the cab does feel good initially - the scale feels right, and reaching for controls can be satisfying - the limited interactivity quickly becomes apparent. Most of your time is spent pulling a single lever back and forth and occasionally pressing a button or honking the horn. Give me something else to do while in VR. I get that this wouldn't work as the game is labeled as a simulation, but at least a radio playing some music would be nice. I mean these devs already did something like that in DIG VR and it was one of the best things about that game.
The game includes a free roam "Journey" mode where you can take on routes without mission constraints, and there's even a photo mode that lets you walk around stations taking pictures. However, neither adds much depth to the experience. It also lack any sort of position adjustement, so you have to finagle your way to the "perfect" position using the Meta Quest recenter button. For a VR game in 2025, it feels strangely limited.
Running on the Meta Quest 3, the game maintains a steady performance, which is crucial for comfort in VR. However, the visual presentation is kinda underwhelming. The environments suffer from noticeable pop-in, textures lack detail, and the overall world feels strangely empty. The audio work is basic - you get your train sounds and horn, but there's little atmosphere to bring the experience to life.
What frustrates me most about Train Sim World VR isn't what it does wrong, but what it could have been. VR seems perfect for a train simulation - imagine having to physically manage multiple systems, deal with emergency scenarios, or handle detailed inspection and maintenance tasks. Instead, we get a surprisingly shallow experience that barely scratches the surface of what's possible in VR.
The scoring system tries to add replay value by grading your performance, but without more varied or engaging gameplay mechanics, there's little motivation to improve your scores or tackle different routes. Plus, what is the score even for? Just for leaderboards? Let me customize my cabin at least.
I love getting lost in VR simulations - spending hours in virtual cockpits or managing complex systems - however Train Sim World VR: New York left me wanting more. While it might serve as a very basic introduction to train operation, it fails to create the kind of engaging, deep experience that makes great VR simulations so compelling.
The foundations are there - the basic controls work, the scale feels right, and there's something inherently cool about controlling a train in VR. But the limited gameplay, basic presentation, and lack of meaningful interaction make it hard to recommend, especially at its current price point. Thanks for reading!
The game was reviewed on a Quest 3 via a promo copy provided by the publisher. Train Sim World VR: New York is available on Meta Quest.
