Pokémon Snap’s latest comeback is in VR, with a Quest 3 port available now

One of the Nintendo 64 era’s most memorable spin offs has taken an unexpected new step. A newly released VR version of Pokémon Snap is now available for Meta Quest 3, letting players revisit the photo safari from inside the ZERO-ONE.

Pokémon Snap just got a Quest 3 version

The new build was announced on X by user DramaticShape and is described as a fork of Snap64Recomp by JackAndBeans. Instead of viewing the game on a flat screen, Quest 3 players can look around the course through the headset while seated in the ZERO-ONE, with the controller handling the camera, item throwing and the PokeFlute.

The release is available on GitHub now. It includes a standalone ARM64 Quest APK that uses OpenXR headset tracking and Vulkan stereo rendering. A Windows package is also available, although that version requires a compatible PC VR runtime through OpenXR.

This version includes the full game, but it does not come with a ROM. The supported file is Pokémon Snap USA Rev 1 in .z64 format. On first launch, players get a dedicated ROM import screen with controller or gaze selection, Android file selection, import progress and ROM validation. Once a valid ROM has been imported, it is reused on later launches.

What Quest 3 players should know before downloading

The project is aiming for 90 Hz at the full eye resolution recommended by OpenXR, with anti aliasing turned off by default. An optional FXAA setting is available. Other changes listed for the release include batch rendering to cut GPU waits, updates to the docked camera viewfinder so it refreshes at source cadence while a held camera stays responsive to headset frames, and corrections for sky occlusion, tutorial rendering and alternating retained images during view transition fades.

Menu support has also been widened. Either analog stick can now move through menus, including post course photo selection and the VR settings panel, regardless of handedness.

There are still limitations. The 90 Hz target is not a promise of sustained 90 FPS, and some scenes can drop below that mark. Complete course and thermal soak performance testing is still outstanding, and further visual checks are still needed for animation smoothness and a brief transition after the Nintendo 64 logo.

For nostalgic players, the big change is simple: Pokémon Snap can now be explored in a much more immersive way on Quest 3, starting today for anyone comfortable sourcing the build from GitHub and supplying the correct ROM.