I recently stepped back aboard Solara One to revisit how floating among the stars can take me to a place of deep relaxation and contemplation. Now, in its latest update, I learn how to bring music to the cosmos. Read on for my impressions.
Developer Aaron Cryderman shares his thoughts on the creation of Solara One.
I covered Solara One when it appeared last year, and the first time I played it, the sense of awe and wonder I got felt uplifting. While floating among some of the most detailed space scenery I’ve seen on Quest, I felt the overview effect orbiting a highly detailed model of the Earth that stayed with me long after the experience had ended.
Inside the Solara One lounge
Solara One is a deeply personal project from developer Aaron Cryderman of AC Reality that values atmosphere over explosions. The latest update doesn’t overhaul the world but instead expands it by adding a new area of the space station to explore.
Prior to the update, there was only a single lounge to inhabit; after listening to user feedback, Cryderman added an elevator that takes us to our new highly detailed private stateroom and also leads to an area resembling the Holodeck from Star Trek, with a sign teasing that an arboretum is the next area we will get to explore on Solara One soon.
Touring the new stateroom environment with Aaron Cryderman
The stateroom environment has plenty to keep you occupied in between meditations, like working kitchen appliances and a fully functional bathroom. The centerpiece, however, is a full-sized synthesizer placed in front of a large window that overlooks the wonders of the cosmos.
I spent way more time than I had expected composing musical scores that fit with the wonderful space visuals I was taking in through the window. What felt like minutes was actually closer to an hour, as the time seemed to melt away along with all of the stress of my day. I’m not the best composer, but the developer sent along a few custom tracks, which you can enjoy below:
Piano sample song performed by Aaron Cryderman
Voices sample song performed by Aaron Cryderman
Brass sample song performed by Aaron Cryderman
We will be keeping an eye on AC Reality for the upcoming arboretum update, but until then, if you’re looking for a unique way to make music among the stars or just shed the stress of a hard day, a trip to Solara One might just be what you need.
You can pick up a copy of Solara One here and also don’t forget to join us for VR Sideload this week where I’ll be talking more about my experience in the update and we’ll also be hearing directly from the developer himself sharing his thoughts on the creation of the game so be sure to tune in.