Aces of Thunder is primarily a PSVR2 and PC VR game — there is no native standalone Quest version. Quest users can play via Oculus Link or Air Link connecting to a PC running Steam. The game also runs in flatscreen mode (no headset required) on PC and PS5, with a VR headset being optional — useful for schools that want to demonstrate the game on a monitor before VR sessions. HOTAS joystick and throttle peripherals are fully supported for the most authentic experience, though standard controllers work well.

What is Aces of Thunder?

Aces of Thunder is a VR-first combat flight simulator from Gaijin Entertainment — the Moscow-based studio behind War Thunder, one of the most played military games in the world with tens of millions of players. Released on 3 February 2026 for PSVR2 and Steam PC VR, it is a dedicated spin-off that strips away War Thunder's free-to-play grind and focuses entirely on the experience of flying legendary WWI and WWII aircraft in VR — from the cockpit, with full physical immersion, no floating HUD, and no compromise.

The result is what many reviewers are calling the finest VR dogfighting experience ever made. UploadVR describes it as delivering "excellent visual fidelity and wonderfully immersive" combat, The VR Realm calls it "one of the finest combat flight simulators" available, and PSVR2 players report it as the reason they bought the headset in the first place. The game's cockpit-only perspective — your only information comes from your instruments, your eyes and the sound of your airframe — creates an intensity that no flat-screen flight sim can replicate.

The 29-aircraft roster spans both world wars — from the fabric-and-wire biplanes of 1917 to the definitive propeller fighters of 1945. All aircraft are available from the moment of purchase, with no unlock grind. The $49.99 Deluxe Edition adds five further aircraft. The game supports HOTAS joystick and throttle controllers for the most authentic experience, though standard VR motion controllers and gamepad are both fully supported.

Everything in the Cockpit

Curriculum & Educational Fit

Aces of Thunder's most significant school value is in History — specifically GCSE and A-Level modern history units on WWI and WWII. The aircraft rosters, map locations and War Stories missions directly map to curriculum content: the Battle of Britain, Operation Overlord, the Pacific War, the strategic bombing campaign, and the role of air power in determining the war's outcome. Flying a Spitfire over the White Cliffs of Dover or a Zero over Pearl Harbor creates a visceral sense of historical place that no textbook can replicate. The Mission Editor gives teachers the ability to construct specific historical scenarios as discussion prompts. Geography teachers can use the 15 maps to anchor the concept of theaters of war spatially. For Computing and STEM, the physically accurate flight and damage models (derived from War Thunder's Dagor Engine) are a real-world example of physics simulation — aerofoil physics, drag, stall behaviour and ballistics all modelled accurately. Note: the game features wartime aerial combat with aircraft damage — appropriate from around age 13.