Realtech VR announced that the remasters for "Tomb Raider" 1, 2 and 3 that are based on the mobile versions of the games are scheduled to arrive on Steam. The games are planned to launch free-to-play but will require the installation of the original games.
PC Gamer reported the news on March 11. VG247 pointed out that the upcoming remasters will work essentially as modifications (mods) for the original games — thus the need for the Disk Operating System (DOS) version sold in Steam. The remasters will run in 1080 pixels and at 60 frames per second (fps).
Realtech VR confirmed their plan to release the remasters when it replied to a tweet made by a Twitter user named "mindlessdrawing" who talked about the criticized personal computer (PC) port made by Square Enix based on the mobile version of "Chrono Trigger." The Twitter user initially said, "Imagine if Realtech VR was forced to make the ports as bad as that one." Realtech VR clarified that they were not, by any means, "forced" to make the ports for "Tomb Raider" 1 and 2 and that they are currently working on the port for the third installment of the franchise. The developer also said that the upcoming three PC ports will support OpenVR, feature new three-dimension (3D) engine (graphics options) and be playable with a controller.
When asked about why they are only releasing the game for Steam and not Microsoft, Realtech VR said that the ports are relying on the game data provided by the original games on Steam. Realtech VR also clarified that it may not be possible to release the ports to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One as they will be required to acquire licenses from both Sony Interactive Entertainment and Microsoft. Moreover, the game developer said that the quality assurance (QA) testing to ensure the port runs smoothly for the two platforms are very expensive.
Realtech VR has yet to announce a specific date for the release of the remasters.
