PC and headset requirements
J_axon's HowToFishXR 1.3.0 is a free community mod with tracked hands, physical fishing, VR menus and motion-controlled weapons. Dazed Games has not announced a native VR mode through Patch 1.0.12.
Install the Windows Steam edition of How to Fish, use a PCVR headset with an active OpenXR runtime, and include the declared BepInEx 5.4.2305 dependency. The author lists Quest, Index, Vive, Rift and PICO PCVR controller support. A headset model alone does not establish compatibility with every PC or runtime configuration.
Quest 3 and Quest 3S need a PC
Connect the headset to the Windows PC using your PCVR setup, such as Quest Link, Air Link or Virtual Desktop. Start its OpenXR runtime before the game; SteamVR is another supported runtime option. The Windows game runs on the PC. There is no standalone Quest or PICO APK in this mod.
Install HowToFishXR
- Close the game and preserve your progress. Make a dated copy of the complete local game-data folder before trying a modded session.
- Select How to Fish in your mod manager. Install HowToFishXR by J_axon through Thunderstore Mod Manager or r2modman. Its declared BepInEx dependency installs alongside it.
- Use a separate profile for the first launch. Begin with HowToFishXR and its dependency. Camera, input, character-body and UI mods can conflict with the systems it changes.
- Start the headset runtime. Then launch the modded game from your manager. If the manager cannot find the game, use the installation-folder steps.
- Calibrate before fishing. Open VR Settings from the main menu and run the standing-height/body calibration.
Manual installation
Install the required BepInEx 5 package first. Unzip the HowToFishXR release and merge its BepInEx folder into the directory containing How to Fish.exe. Keep both the supplied plugins and patchers folders. The GitHub release does not bundle BepInEx. Start OpenXR, then launch the game through Steam.
VR controls
These are the author's 1.3.0 controls, using Meta/PICO button names. Other controllers use their equivalent buttons. The primary hand is fixed to the right.
| Input | Action |
|---|---|
| Left stick / click | Move / sprint; steer and throttle while driving |
| Right stick | Left/right turns; up/down changes inventory slot; click crouches |
| Right trigger | Use, fire or attack; hold to reel; operate the menu pointer |
| Left trigger | Secondary use; hold and release to cast |
| Right grip | Pick up, interact and enter or leave the boat |
| Left grip | Press to inspect; hold near the reel to crank or near a gun to steady it |
| A / B | Jump / switch bait |
| Left grip + B | Drop; hold B to charge a throw, then release |
| X / Y | Reload / pause |
Use the right-hand pointer for menus. Guns aim physically, with no separate aim-down-sights button. The mod does not assign a push-to-talk control.
Cast and reel with your hands
Cast with a controlled side swing
Hold the left trigger, bring the rod through a moderate sideways swing and release the trigger as it comes forward. The author recommends releasing slightly early; an extremely fast wrist flick is less reliable.
Grab the reel or use the trigger
Bring your left hand to the reel and hold grip, then circle that hand around the crank in either direction. Grabbing it after casting switches the rod to reel in. You can also hold the right trigger instead of physically cranking. Choose the correct rod and lure for your target before changing the motion.
Play with VR and flat-screen friends
The author says vanilla lobbies remain compatible. For full remote head, hand and body posing, the host and receiving clients need the mod. Flat-screen friends can keep it installed with VR disabled to receive those poses.
Some movements and interactions may still look incorrect to other players. A working lobby connection does not guarantee correct pose syncing. For failures before anyone joins, follow the Steam connection and lobby checks; include the mod version when reporting a modded-only problem.
Settings and returning to flat-screen play
Open VR Settings from the main or pause menu, or use F1 or both stick clicks while either menu is visible. Choose snap or smooth turning, adjust HUD size, switch between full-body and hands-only display, or recalibrate. F2 recenters forward direction; F3 starts height and body calibration.
For a flat-screen launch, add --disable-vr to the game's Steam launch options and remove it when returning to VR. For a persistent choice, set Disable VR = true in BepInEx/config/com.jaxon.howtofishvr.cfg.
If a game update breaks VR, compare with your unmodded launch and retain your backup. Report the installed game version, HowToFishXR version, headset, runtime and exact failing action to the mod author. A later game patch may require a matching mod update.