Tetris Effect: Connected is now available to gamers on Xbox One, Series X | S, and Windows 10 PC. With so many gamers flocking to check out what many consider to be one of the best Tetris games of all time, there are bound to be questions about how the game works.
- Tetris Effect Steam PC Review: A virtually unbeatable rendition of Tetris Tetris Effect is an audiovisual banquet that's fantastic on a flatscreen and exemplary in VR. A brilliant blend of old and new that needs to be witnessed. Tetris Effect on Steam.
- No, due to contractual reasons with the Tetris license the game does not support XCloud or Xbox Console Streaming. Will Tetris Effect come to Steam? Yes, a Steam version of Tetris Effect: Connected is planned to launch in Summer 2021, alongside the multiplayer update for existing versions of the game.
- I've heard other people report this issue when running through Steam so it's not just me. I can't use a controller remapping program like X360ce as Windows sees the Switch controller as constantly pressing random buttons, Steam is the only way to get it to work.
Update: The story originally implied that Steam is required to launch Tetris Effect, but it only requires Steam if you are using an HTC Vive headset. I apologize for the confusion. Tetris® Effect: Connected will be available on the Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and Windows 10 (PC, Windows Store), as well as the Xbox Game Pass and Smart Deliv.
One common question is in reference to the Zone mechanic, what it does, what it’s for, and what things like a “Decahexatris” and “Perfectris” are in Tetris Effect: Connected.
How the Zone Mechanic Works in Tetris Effect: Connected
The “Zone” mechanic is directly tied to your Zone Meter in Tetris Effect: Connected. To fill your Zone Meter, you’ll need to clear lines and score points. You can do this a number of ways from Tetris Line Clears all the way to stylish T-Spins.
Once you see your Zone Meter full at the left side of your screen (shown in the red circle in the above image), you’ll be able to activate the Zone mechanic. When playing on Xbox, you can do this by squeezing the right trigger, RT.
With the Zone mechanic activated, time will slow down and the Tetriminos will be held at the top of your Tetris Matrix so you won’t have to worry about the stress of them falling on their own. You have complete control to direct where you want each piece to go.
When Zone has been activated, you’ll have a limited amount of time to clear as many lines as you can. While you’re doing this, the game will gradually reduce the play area available to you, making it harder to clear lines in multiples, eventually forcing you to clear one and/or two lines at a time.
The more lines you clear before the Zone mechanic time limit runs out (and before you top out), the better your score will be and the better your score name will be.
In Tetris Effect: Connected, there are a number of unique names for the number of lines you’re able to clear while Zone is activated like Octotris, or 8 Line Clear. A great benchmark to aim for is the Decahexatris, or 16 Line Clear.
There’s also the Perfectris, which is an 18 Line Clear. Finally, the max number of lines you can clear while Zone is activated is 20 which is referred to as an Ultimatris.
We've included a video below from a pro Tetris player Wumbotize showing what each one of these looks like while Zone is activated.
You can activate Zone while playing Journey Mode, and in some of the multiplayer modes as well, so you’ll have ample opportunity to practice and work your way up to an Ultimatris while playing Tetris Effect: Connected.
Tetris Effect: Connected is available now for Xbox One, Xbox Series X | S, and Windows 10 PC. It's also available through Xbox Game Pass.
About the author
Morgan is a writer, metalhead, horror lover, and indie game enthusiast. When it comes to games, they love nothing more than to wax poetic about all the latest and greatest indies to anyone who'll listen. They're also a Tetris fanatic who's fiercely competitive in games like Tetris 99 and Puyo Puyo Tetris.On a typical day, you'll find Morgan perched in front of the computer like a gargoyle browsing through Steam's new releases with a large cup of coffee. Morgan's current platform of choice is PC, but they're down to play games on anything and everything from Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Now here is something hilarious. Earlier today, Enhance released Tetris Effect exclusively on the Epic Games Store. However, and due to SteamVR that the game uses, Tetris Effect VR requires Steam in order to launch.
Basically, a game that is exclusive on one store requires the client of another store for which it’s not available for purchase, otherwise it cannot run. Now this is truly awesome.
Tetris Effect Xbox
As said, Tetris Effect uses SteamVR, however its developers could very well opt to use a version of SteamVR that does not require Steam in order to run. I mean, that would be the common thing to do. Instead, the game uses SteamVR and requires Steam to run.
With the exception of this, the PC version of Tetris Effect appears to be a pretty solid PC game. The game supports resolutions of 4K or more, has uncapped framerates (if Vsync is disabled), and includes ultra-wide monitor support as well as other expanded game and graphical options for both 2D and VR play (including adjustable particle volume and size, texture filtering, and more).
Still, I can only laugh at the Steam requirement for running Tetris Effect VR, especially since the game is not available for purchase on it. It’s hilarious, no matter how you look at it.
UPDATE:
Epic Games got in touch with us and shared some additional details. As we’ve already made it crystal clear in our Featured Comment, the 2D version of Tetris Effect does not require Steam. However, Tetris Effect VR does require SteamVR for both HTC Vive and Oculus.
“Hi John,
I hope that you’re doing well. I came across your article on Tetris Effect VR and I wanted to share the correct relevant information with you so that your readers are correctly informed.
Tetris Effect itself does not require steam to run. However, Tetris Effect VR does require require SteamVR, both on HTC Vive and Oculus. You can find full details on the Tetris Effect’s Epic Game store FAQ.”
UPDATE 2:
Tetris Effect Connected Steam
Enhance has shared some more details about Tetris Effect VR, stating that the game does not require SteamVR for playing on the Oculus Rift (it makes sense as it uses Oculus VR and not SteamVR).
Just to clarify re:Tetris Effect PC & VR SDKs:
1. To play in (optional) VR, you can launch via SteamVR (not Steam) for Vive (& some other HMDs that work w OpenVR API), -OR- Oculus VR for those HMD
2. Tetris Effect is VR optional, you can play in 2D w no res or framerate limit! ?
— Enhance (@enhance_exp) July 25, 2019
Tetris Effect Steam Link
John Papadopoulos
John is the founder and Editor in Chief at DSOGaming. He is a PC gaming fan and highly supports the modding and indie communities. Before creating DSOGaming, John worked on numerous gaming websites. While he is a die-hard PC gamer, his gaming roots can be found on consoles. John loved - and still does - the 16-bit consoles, and considers SNES to be one of the best consoles. Still, the PC platform won him over consoles. That was mainly due to 3DFX and its iconic dedicated 3D accelerator graphics card, Voodoo 2. John has also written a higher degree thesis on the 'The Evolution of PC graphics cards.' Contact: Email