If you have just launched Trebuchet's new VR adventure and find yourself wondering why is the ship so slow in Compass game, the answer comes down to deliberate game design. The scout ship's starting speed is intentionally capped to prevent VR motion sickness, encourage players to step away from the helm to use their hand grapples, and make the eventual engine upgrades feel earned. But do not worry—you will not be crawling through the uncharted clouds forever.
Since its release in May 2026 for Meta Quest, SteamVR, and PS VR2, Compass has charmed players with its gorgeous pastel skies and cozy exploration mechanics. However, a common thread on forums and Steam reviews is a frustration with the initial pacing. Players expecting a fast-paced dogfighter or a high-speed arcade flight simulator are often caught off guard by the methodical, almost meditative speed of their wooden scout vessel.
To understand the mechanics behind this design choice, we have to look at how VR environments interact with player psychology, and how the developers built a progression system that rewards patience. Here is a deep dive into the deliberate pacing of the game, and exactly how you can upgrade your vessel to conquer the skies.
The Core Design Philosophy: Why Is the Ship So Slow in Compass Game?
When analyzing "The Pacing of Compass", the developers at Trebuchet prioritized immersion and physical comfort over raw velocity. This deliberate choice is all about "Balancing Speed and VR Comfort". In virtual reality, moving at high speeds through complex, shifting landscapes—especially in an open-world setting with verticality—can easily trigger severe nausea.
By focusing on "Motion Comfort", playtests showed a massive "78% Sickness Reduction" compared to traditional arcade flight games. The slow speed anchors the player, making the wooden deck of the ship feel like a stable platform rather than a rollercoaster car.
The second pillar of this design is "Grapple Priority", which results in a surprising "65% Out-of-Ship Time" for the average player. Compass is not just a game about flying; it is a game about stopping. Your primary mission revolves around "Caravan Support"—flying ahead of a massive, wandering airborne caravan to chart safe routes. To do this effectively, you must constantly park your ship and explore floating islands on foot, which maximizes your "Exploration Yield".
If the ship moved at supersonic speeds, players would simply blast past the intricate environmental puzzles and ancient ruins scattered throughout the clouds. You start with a "Base Engine Speed 12 knots", which forces you to take in the scenery, but can eventually reach an "Upgraded Engine 35 knots" once you have mastered the environment. Ultimately, the game demands "A methodical approach to uncharted skies."
Navigating the Uncharted Clouds: Why Is the Ship So Slow in Compass Game Early On?
One of the most frequent complaints from new players is the lack of traditional UI elements. Understanding "The Early Game Navigation Loop" is critical. Otherwise, you will quickly find yourself "Lost in the Uncharted Clouds".
Because there is "No Real Compass" on your dashboard—ironic, given the title of the game—the "Slow Base Speed" actually saves you from disaster. If your ship were fast, a slight miscalculation in your heading could send you miles off course before you even realized your mistake. Without traditional waypoints, the "Opposite Direction Risk" is incredibly high, forcing you to rely on "Visual Landmarks" like uniquely shaped cloud formations, towering ruins, and the distant silhouette of the Caravan.
Players often have to plan "15-Minute Flight Legs" between islands, using that travel time to scan the horizon, manage their cargo, and plot their next move. As one reviewer noted, "Navigating without traditional instruments forces environmental awareness." The slow speed early on is essentially a training wheels phase. It teaches you how to read the sky. By the time you unlock faster engines, you will have developed the navigational intuition required to fly at high speeds without getting hopelessly lost.
The True Navigation Loop: Hand Grapples vs. Ship Speed
To truly grasp the mechanics of Compass, you must understand that the ship is merely a mobile base camp. The real action happens when you let go of the wheel.
At the center of your vessel, "The Wooden Helm controls the basic steering and throttle." It is rustic, tactile, and intentionally low-tech. Meanwhile, your "Magnetic Hand Grapples allow swinging through ancient ruins." This is where the game shifts from a flight simulator into a first-person platformer. The slow ship speed encourages you to drop anchor near hazardous floating landscapes and use your physical body to swing, climb, and solve puzzles.
Below deck, the "Cargo Storage Deck holds recovered lost cargo." This cargo is the lifeblood of your progression. Every time you leave the slow-moving ship to swing through a ruined temple or climb a floating monolith, you are gathering the resources necessary to leave the slow speeds behind.
Later, an "Aero-Fin Propeller can be installed for a 40% speed boost." This completely changes the dynamic of the game, allowing you to bypass previously tedious stretches of open sky. Finally, a "Pressure Valve regulates the upgraded steam engine." Managing these components gives you something to do during flight, transforming the ship from a passive viewing platform into an active machine that requires maintenance and attention.
How to Upgrade Your Vessel and Fix the Slow Ship in Compass Game
If you are tired of crawling through the clouds, you need to focus entirely on the game's upgrade loop. Upgrading your ship is not tied to a simple skill tree; it requires physical exploration and resource gathering. Here is the exact process to increase your ship's speed.
The upgrade loop begins with "Spotting Lost Cargo" from afar. As you pilot your slow ship, you must constantly scan the floating islands for glints of metal or brightly colored crates. Once you spot a cache, you navigate your ship as close as safely possible and drop anchor.
Then, you leave the ship, "Swinging via Grapples" across chasms and navigating hazardous environments. These platforming sections are often guarded by environmental hazards like high winds or shifting rocks. Recovering the cargo requires you to physically carry or grapple the items back to your ship's storage deck.
Once you have collected enough scrap metal, ancient technology, and Caravan tokens, you can visit the cloud dwellers—nomadic NPCs who act as merchants and mechanics. Handing over your hard-earned cargo unlocks new blueprints. Once you return with the parts, you will find yourself "Installing the Aero-Fin!" physically attaching the new propeller to the rear of your scout vessel.
After that, it is "Full Speed Ahead!"
Key Ship Upgrades to Prioritize
To minimize your time spent flying at base speed, focus on acquiring these specific upgrades as early as possible:
- Aero-Fin Propeller: The most crucial early-game upgrade. It increases your top speed by 40% in clear skies, making long-distance travel much more bearable.
- Pressure Valve: Allows you to temporarily "boost" your engine by manually regulating steam pressure. This requires you to step away from the helm and turn valves during flight, adding a fun layer of multi-tasking.
- Reinforced Hull: While it does not directly increase speed, it allows you to fly directly through minor storm clouds and hazardous debris fields rather than taking slow, sweeping detours around them.
- Grapple Winch: Extends the range of your hand grapples, drastically reducing the time it takes to clear ruins and gather the cargo needed for further engine upgrades.
By focusing on these four components, you will transform your sluggish scout ship into a nimble, high-speed vessel capable of charting the most dangerous reaches of the sky.
Comparing Compass to Other VR Flight Games
It is easy to see why players come into Compass with skewed expectations. The VR market is saturated with high-octane flight games. Titles like Nuclear Option or Warplanes condition players to expect immediate, G-force-inducing speed the moment they push the throttle.
However, Compass shares more DNA with games like Outer Wilds or Sea of Thieves (when sailing solo). In Sea of Thieves, the speed of the galleon is dictated by the wind and the player's ability to manage the sails. The travel time is the game. Similarly, Compass uses travel time to build atmosphere. The pastel clouds, the shifting light of the golden hour, and the distant, haunting calls of the Caravan are meant to be experienced slowly.
If the developers had caved to pressure and made the starting ship twice as fast, the world would feel significantly smaller. The sense of scale in VR relies heavily on the time it takes to traverse a space. By making the ship slow, Trebuchet made their universe feel vast, intimidating, and ultimately, more rewarding to conquer.
FAQ: Why Is the Ship So Slow in Compass Game?
Does the ship ever get faster in Compass? Yes. While you start with a base engine speed of 12 knots, you can gather lost cargo and trade with NPCs to install upgrades like the Aero-Fin Propeller and Pressure Valve, which more than double your top speed.
Is there a fast travel system in Compass VR? No, there is no fast travel system in the game. The core gameplay loop revolves around manual navigation, environmental awareness, and managing your ship during long flights. Upgrading your ship's engine is the only way to reduce travel time.
Why is there no actual compass in the game? The lack of a traditional UI compass is a deliberate design choice to force players to look at the environment. You must navigate using visual landmarks, the position of the sun, and the location of the wandering Caravan to ensure you are heading in the right direction.
Can I skip the grapple puzzles and just fly? Technically yes, but you will be stuck at the base ship speed forever. The resources required to upgrade your ship's engine are hidden within the floating ruins, meaning you must use your hand grapples to progress.
Sources
- Trebuchet Official Announcements and Creature Label Press Releases (Spring 2026).
- UploadVR: Compass Review: Fly The Friendly Skies (May 2026).
- Steam Community Forums: Compass Player Reviews and Navigation Guides.