There's probably no solution to this, but is there any way to ensure (or at least greatly increase the chances) that a giveaway of a VR-only game goes to somebody who actually has a VR headset and might play the game?

Maybe I could make a forum post soliciting VR players (and checking for VR games with playtime in their Steam library), and making an invite-only giveaway. But then I'd have to give them the key via Steam chat probably (requires them being a Steam friend) and even if I do that, somebody will probably leak the giveaway.

That's the best I can think of off the top of my head. Maybe I just make it a public GA and figure 90% chance it will be won by somebody who can't actually play it, and 95% chance it won't be played either way.

I'm a member of Actually Playing Games but it's more-or-less defunct.

Interested in any thoughts you have at my fool's errand.

2 hours ago

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Making an exclusive group that is dedicated to VR users is ideal. I would personally join it. I got a Meta Quest 3. Ask people to post either a picture of their headset, or show their SteamVR tool being used, or something of a sort helps. I am fairly new to it as I used it a few times myself, but I'm not an expert, but taking screenshots helps (if that's even possible) as I have not figured it out myself how to do it.

Update: To take a screenshot in SteamVR, you can press the System button and the trigger on your controller simultaneously. You can also take screenshots in-game using the Steam overlay by pressing the F12 key.

2 hours ago*
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I agree with the VR group. But set it up in such a way that people can't just outright join and be approved, add an approval step so that an admin needs to approve the user being added to the group.

Then the best way to verify would be to either ask for a picture of the VR headset, or to check against their VR played games.
I think just about every VR game on Steam requires you to use SteamVR to play it, so you could look at playtime for Steam VR.

The picture method might be best as it would allow non Steam VR players to also enter, they might have a Quest but not use Steam VR since they just have their games on the Quest itself.

5 minutes ago
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The Gifts on Deck group ensures that people have SteamDecks by having the person post a Deck keyboard item on their profile that you only get when you get a SteamDeck. Then you're allowed into the group. Maybe something like that, but VRish. Like Vasharal's idea, basically.

I had recommended someone make a VR group a few months ago.

2 hours ago
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Hi :) do you have a link for that group I can take a look at? Seems interesting :)

32 minutes ago
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Yama is a member of the group so was easy to find
https://steamcommunity.com/groups/giftsondeck

15 minutes ago
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only way would be to make a group that requires some form of proof to join.

odds are outside of playing required groups it won't get played regardless.

2 hours ago
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Your comment just made me realize that in some cases it would be useful to have an option to have the multiple groups selection be an "and" instead of an "or", so the entries would have to be in both/all of the selected groups instead of one of them.
I wonder if something like that could be set up as a custom rule in SGtools.

1 hour ago
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You can do it in the coleypollockfilet way - make a group, (or use your whitelist) and only let people join who have completed a VR only game at least a day before your post.

1 hour ago
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Or VR exclusive inventory item. I remember getting a hat which showed up in my inventory while poking around Steam VR.

1 hour ago
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Leaked GA's is sadly always an issue, no real way of protecting against that if you don't count you doing manual checks on all winners.

As mentioned above, make a group that's VR only;
Perhaps possible to make a custom SG-Tools protected GA?
Or simply make a regular GA, write in description you only will allow users with time in VR-only games on Steam, and do manual check on winners. Re-roll any winner that don't fit the bill.

1 hour ago
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Unfortunately, VR users only group doesn't solve a large part of the problem - this of folks not heaving VR gear (and they are likely to give away the best stuff) making GAs to VR users. As for the groups requiring games to be played, they usually have too small player base for VR only GAs guarantee the 5 entries.
Also, the fact alone, that a person has timed playing a VR game does not necessarily mean, that they have a headset, if no achievements are earned - I think, that without a VR gear we can still idle VR games for cards. So I don't see any easy solution here.

1 hour ago
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Well, if you give it away in a play requirement group (e.g., TalePlay), then the winner has to play it, so they necessarily have to have a VR headset.

32 minutes ago
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Would they get 5 entries though? On Playing Appreciated this could be a problem, IMO.

20 minutes ago
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Good point, haven't thought about that. Though I'm now seeing TalePlay GAs with 50+ entries, so there is not that few group members there.

16 minutes ago
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you can do an invite only ink and just drop it in live vr vids n podcast but give a lot of time in giveaway cause most seem new to pc and dont even know about steamgifts yet and would think its a scam

3 minutes ago
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