Onward VR Beginner Tips for Your First Matches

Onward is not a run and gun shooter. It is a MilSim game, which means slow movement, real communication, and very little help from the screen. New players often die in the first minute and never see who shot them. That is normal. These tips will get you through your first matches and help you start winning them.

Slow Down

The fastest way to die in Onward is to sprint into the open. Most fights are won by the player who sees the other one first, and moving fast makes you loud and easy to spot. Walk when you are near the enemy. Stop at corners. Look before you cross a gap.

Talk to Your Team

Onward gives you very little on screen information, so your team is your radar. Use the radio to call out what you see. Keep it short and clear:

• How many. One, two, or a squad.
• Where. Use a building, a landmark, or a direction everyone can agree on.
• What they are doing. Pushing, holding, or running.

"Two pushing the blue building, north side" is a callout your team can act on. "He is over there" is not.

Aim Without a Crosshair

There is no floating dot to help you. Every shot comes from lining up your sights or optic, so how steady you hold the rifle matters a lot more than in arcade shooters. If your sight picture shakes, your shots spread.

This is where a VR gunstock earns its place. The SMARTSTOCK gives you a real adjustable buttstock and a rifle style rail setup, so you can shoulder your rifle like the real thing. Set the length of pull to fit your body and your sights come up in the same spot every time. It weighs 181 grams and keeps your reloads quick and unrestricted.

If your game has a virtual stock setting, turn it on when you play with a physical stock.

Learn One Rifle First

It is tempting to try every loadout. Pick one rifle and one optic and play with them until reloading and aiming feel automatic. Once you know exactly where your mag pouch is and how your sights line up, you can branch out.

Stay With Your Squad

A lone player is easy to flank and has no one to trade their death. Move with at least one teammate. Cover different directions. If your buddy goes down, you know where the shot came from and you can answer it.

Use Your Real Body

In Onward, crouching and going prone make you harder to hit. Use real cover in the game and physically get low when you need to. A setup that sits on your shoulder moves with you, so your aim stays steady when you change positions.

Gear Up for MilSim

If you want Onward to feel like handling a real rifle, the SMARTSTOCK is built for it. It is $49.99 and works with Quest 3, Quest 3S, Quest 2, Quest 1, Quest Pro, and Rift S. Prefer something lighter? The iSTOCK VR Gunstock is $19.99 and also works great in Onward.