Best Half-Life: Alyx Alternatives in 2025

Looking for alternatives to Half-Life: Alyx? In this comparison, we take a closer look at Half-Life: Alyx alongside similar software solutions including Half-Life: Alyx, SteamVR, Oculus, Virtual Desktop Streamer and Vrew.

Our detailed comparison table highlights key features, pricing, and performance of these leading solutions, empowering you to make an informed decision. Whether you're seeking robust functionality, user-friendly design, or cost-effective alternatives, explore how Half-Life: Alyx, SteamVR, Oculus, Virtual Desktop Streamer and Vrew stack up to find the perfect software for your goals.

	Platform Compatibility	Primary Functionality	Content Library and Support
Half-Life: Alyx	Compatible with Virtual Reality (VR) headsets such as HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Valve Index, and Windows Mixed Reality devices.	A full-length VR-only single-player game with immersive gameplay in the Half-Life universe.	Features a substantial single-player campaign with a vibrant modding community offering additional content.
SteamVR	Supports a wide range of VR headsets including HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Valve Index, and Windows Mixed Reality headsets.	A VR platform and ecosystem providing applications, games, development tools, and virtual environments for VR users and developers.	Provides a large library of VR games and experiences across genres with regular updates and community-generated content via Steam Workshop.
Oculus	Supports Oculus Rift S, Oculus Quest, and Oculus Quest 2 headsets; also supports PC-connected VR experiences.	A VR platform offering both standalone and PC-connected VR experiences, including games and social applications with easy setup.	Offers a large selection of games and apps through the Oculus Store with some content requiring a subscription; supports multiplayer modes.
Virtual Desktop Streamer	Compatible with multiple VR devices including HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Valve Index, Oculus Quest and Windows Mixed Reality headsets.	Software enabling wireless streaming of PC desktop and games into a VR headset for a personalized virtual desktop experience.	Depends on PC games and applications streamed remotely; provides additional features like cinema mode but limited content by itself.
Vrew	Supports various VR devices including HTC Vive Pro, Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift S, Valve Index.	A virtual reality workspace for team collaboration and project management supporting communication and editing within virtual spaces.	Supports collaboration on diverse projects but limited by online use; offers various productivity tools integration but no offline editing.

Platform Compatibility

Half-Life: Alyx	Compatible with Virtual Reality (VR) headsets such as HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Valve Index, and Windows Mixed Reality devices.
SteamVR	Supports a wide range of VR headsets including HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Valve Index, and Windows Mixed Reality headsets.
Oculus	Supports Oculus Rift S, Oculus Quest, and Oculus Quest 2 headsets; also supports PC-connected VR experiences.
Virtual Desktop Streamer	Compatible with multiple VR devices including HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Valve Index, Oculus Quest and Windows Mixed Reality headsets.
Vrew	Supports various VR devices including HTC Vive Pro, Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift S, Valve Index.

Primary Functionality

Half-Life: Alyx	A full-length VR-only single-player game with immersive gameplay in the Half-Life universe.
SteamVR	A VR platform and ecosystem providing applications, games, development tools, and virtual environments for VR users and developers.
Oculus	A VR platform offering both standalone and PC-connected VR experiences, including games and social applications with easy setup.
Virtual Desktop Streamer	Software enabling wireless streaming of PC desktop and games into a VR headset for a personalized virtual desktop experience.
Vrew	A virtual reality workspace for team collaboration and project management supporting communication and editing within virtual spaces.

Content Library and Support

Half-Life: Alyx	Features a substantial single-player campaign with a vibrant modding community offering additional content.
SteamVR	Provides a large library of VR games and experiences across genres with regular updates and community-generated content via Steam Workshop.
Oculus	Offers a large selection of games and apps through the Oculus Store with some content requiring a subscription; supports multiplayer modes.
Virtual Desktop Streamer	Depends on PC games and applications streamed remotely; provides additional features like cinema mode but limited content by itself.
Vrew	Supports collaboration on diverse projects but limited by online use; offers various productivity tools integration but no offline editing.

Choosing the right software isn’t just about features. Size, license type, user ratings, and popularity also matter.

This quick comparison shows how Half-Life: Alyx stacks up against Half-Life: Alyx, SteamVR, Oculus, Virtual Desktop Streamer and Vrew in these key areas—helping you find the best alternative for your needs.

	Size	License
Half-Life: Alyx		Commercial
SteamVR	1.5MB	Commercial
Oculus		Commercial
Virtual Desktop Streamer	84.2MB	Commercial
Vrew		Commercial

Size

Half-Life: Alyx
SteamVR	1.5MB
Oculus
Virtual Desktop Streamer	84.2MB
Vrew

License

Half-Life: Alyx	Commercial
SteamVR	Commercial
Oculus	Commercial
Virtual Desktop Streamer	Commercial
Vrew	Commercial

Rating

Half-Life: Alyx
SteamVR
Oculus
Virtual Desktop Streamer
Vrew

Popularity

Half-Life: Alyx
SteamVR
Oculus
Virtual Desktop Streamer
Vrew