Welcome to the USS Lumen<\/p>\n
Set in the late 24th Century on a Defiant-class ship (made iconic by Deep Space Nine), Infection\u00a0puts you in the Starfleet regulation uniform of Ferak, a Vulcan officer who quite possibly is the U.S.S. Lumen\u2019s only hope.<\/p>\n
Ferak, something of a mystery himself, is a new recruit to the Lumen; compromised by the same titular infection that\u2019s swept through the ship, he awakes with little idea of what\u2019s happening, but a clear objective: fight the plague, save the Lumen and its surviving crew, and reveal the infection\u2019s secrets.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Star-Trek-Infection-Steam-VR-1-640x360.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Infection gives you the chance to stroll through the decks of a Defiant-class ship (Steam VR version).<\/p>\n
Virtual reality or bust<\/p>\n
Star Trek: Infection\u00a0is available on one of only two platforms: Windows PC via Steam VR, and the Meta Quest 3. Therefore, virtual reality is not optional, but mandatory; if you don\u2019t have a Meta Quest 3 or a VR headset compatible with Steam VR<\/a>, then you\u2019re out of luck. I\u2019ve had a chance to play both and The Meta Quest 3 version is a scant 3GB download compared to the Steam VR\u2019s 10GB one, and it\u2019s for that reason that the latter is more visually impressive (provided you have a PC that can play it).<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\tThe Steam VR version of the Lumen\u2019s bridge\u2026<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\u2026 and the slightly less visually-impressive Meta Quest 3 version. When starting\u00a0Infection, you\u2019ll be able to quickly tell the kind of gameplay experience you prefer, playing while sitting or standing, using your VR headset\u2019s controllers to move around in-world. I opted to almost immediately go into settings and change camera movement and rotation to smooth, which means you won\u2019t need to hit left or right and reposition your character in 45- or 90-degree arcs.<\/p>\n From there, you\u2019ll use your controller\u2019s grips and buttons to grab in-game items like isolinear chips and spanners, a tricorder, and a phaser in order to function in the world. You\u2019ll also be able to perform actions like grabbing objects, performing a Vulcan nerve pinch, and so on. While these actions are technically intuitive \u2013 reach out to hit a button on a PADD, as an example \u2013 the nature of virtual reality gaming may sometimes mean that your actions don\u2019t always translate 1:1 in the game itself. Trial and error will happen \u2013 sometimes quite frequently \u2013 so it\u2019s best that you prepare yourself for that.<\/p>\n Prepare for transport! (Meta Quest 3 version)<\/p>\n Is it Star Trek?<\/p>\n While far from perfect,\u00a0Infection\u00a0is clearly made by a team that gets\u00a0Star Trek. Its best moments come from simple actions, like deciding to leave the Lumen\u2019s captain\u2019s chair and explore its bridge before even starting the game, or helping a fellow crew member repair a shuttle in the shuttle bay of Deep Space 38. When it\u2019s just you and\u00a0Trek,\u00a0Infection\u00a0evokes feelings that I reveled in playing the now-defunct, fan-made Stage 9 or the higher-budget Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force<\/a>, both of which let you roam the halls of the Enterprise-D or Voyager respectively.<\/p>\n Without getting into too much of\u00a0Infection\u2018s plot, it revolves around the cultures of the Vulcan and Cardassian peoples, and handles each race with the care and concern they deserve. Ferak also is Starfleet to his core as the game begins, first heading out for a spacewalk in order to save Deep Space 38 before finding himself alone and unarmed on an infected Lumen. There, he\u2019s left to sneak around infected crew members or mercifully render them unconscious thanks to a well-timed Vulcan nerve pinch.<\/p>\n In its initial hour or two, Infection\u00a0is, well, infectious.<\/p>\n Is this Cardassian who he says he is? Maybe. (Steam VR version)<\/p>\n \u2026 or is it a horror game with a Trek\u00a0skin?<\/p>\n Things sadly take a turn for the more generic when more of Infection\u2018s titular malady kicks in. Ferak is forced to succumb to the threat and develops plant-like tendrils rather than his own, Vulcan arms. This brings about a series of new mechanics that feel more space-magic than\u00a0Trek, and are often clunky and awkward to perform. Frustration can abound.<\/p>\n It should be said for those worried that Infection\u00a0isn\u2019t too scary, but does delve into psychological terror. That said, it\u2019s a bit gross at times \u2013 you are required to basically gnaw at your arm to get rid of the foreign DNA in some instances \u2013 and there is a jump scare or two to be had. Consider yourself warned.<\/p>\n All up, Infection is akin to that one zombie episode of\u00a0Strange New Worlds \u2013 you can see what they were going for, but don\u2019t necessarily agree if they got there. It takes a bit of a leap of faith (and perhaps logic), and while some may be willing to go to those lengths, others will not.<\/p>\n The actual infection leaves a lot to be desired\u2026 (Meta Quest 3 version)<\/p>\n At the end of the day, this game is only for a very small subset: those Star Trek\u00a0fans who also happen to have a (remarkably pricey<\/a>) VR headset<\/a>. If you happen to be in both of those camps,\u00a0Infection\u2018s asking price of $29.99 (or on sale for $26.99 until April 15) might just be worth checking it out. If you were contemplating buying a fancy new device for this one, I\u2019d personally recommend that you hold off, or ensure there are enough other games you are interested in. Star Trek: Infection is a decent title, but not worth the upgrade to VR alone.<\/p>\n Star Trek: Infection<\/a> is now available on Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S headsets<\/a>, alongside Windows PC via Steam<\/a> and its supported VR headsets.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Star-Trek-Infection-Steam-VR-4-640x360.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Star-Trek-Infection-Meta-Quest-3-5-640x360.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Star-Trek-Infection-Meta-Quest-3-3-640x360.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Star-Trek-Infection-Steam-VR-3-640x360.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Star-Trek-Infection-Meta-Quest-3-1-640x360.jpg\")
<\/p>\n