Chalking It Up: A Virtual Pool 4 Review
Virtual Pool 4 might just be the best pool simulator on Steam and it’s not just nostalgia talking. Gert Lush Gaming dives into the slick physics, intuitive controls, and classic pub-table charm that made this title a benchmark for cue sports fans. Whether you’re chasing snooker precision or billiards variety, Virtual Pool 4 still delivers the satisfying click and clunk that sets it apart. But is it still king of the table in 2025? Let’s find out.
Holy cow, has it really been that long? It’s been close to two decades since I played Virtual Pool regularly. By regularly I mean, little, but often, and for years. To be clear I’m not a massive pool fan, being in the UK I see snooker far more often, I find it relaxing, pleasant to watch and, if I’m honest, I like to doze off to it occasionally. But, you know, sometimes you just want to knock a few balls around, pull off some cool shots, hear that satisfying click & clunk of an old pub table. Virtual Pool met that simple occasional need, it was clearly the best pool sim around and it has remained my personal benchmark for a modern pool games ever since.
There were two chief reasons for this: first, VP was incredibly quick & easy to control with the mouse & keyboard. Spin the camera and aim with the mouse, hold down S on the keyboard, cue back and forth with the mouse. It’s so simple, it feels entirely natural, you can whizz round the table and you can easily pull off the most subtle, gentle shots when required.
Secondly, the physics were spot on. Perhaps in this day & age accurate physics in a pool sim are quite rightly a given rather than a sales-blurb-bullet-point, but they nailed reality back when slightly more ‘abstract’ or ‘good-enough’ models were still the norm. Celeris has long claimed that Virtual Pool can improve your real pool skills, and it’s hard not to believe them, especially with the large amount of video tutorials included in the game.
Thankfully VP4 feels exactly the same now as it did back then, fast, fluid & very satisfying to play.
Virtual Pool has always included a tonne of game & rule variations, along with snooker and assorted billiards. Some of these other game types can be great fun to play, some would be fun with the right tweaks to the rule sets – which brings me to my major gripe with VP4, something that I don’t remember being a problem all those years ago. Although many settings can be changed they often remain rather inflexible: I can’t play a game of Straight Pool to 30 points, for example, the options leaping from 25 to 50 – doubling the length of your game with nothing in between. Some of these crude settings quite frankly kill any desire to play certain game types.
My greatest dissapointment of all though, something I used to love – playing snooker on a championship pool table – is no longer possible. I would implore Celeris to remove these restrictions. Snooker, with less reds, on a nice sized pool table = snooker for normal people.
Away from the table the presentation can look horrendously dated with ugly menus in a 4:3 aspect. VP is desperately in need of a massive visual overhaul by someone who can deliver a modern clean design.
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Not that modernity has escaped completely however, online play exists via Celeris’ website and has a solid loyal community. At the time of writing buying VP4 gets you offline play that’s good for forever, and one year’s worth of online play. Yes, that does mean there is currently a subscription model for online, although Celeris has indicated that depending upon the success of the Steam release this may well change.
Serious pool players are going to have less of a problem with subs than the general casual populace, the community itself is indeed an asset consisting as it does of friendly users with a strong sense of sportsmanship. Generally I find myself sympathising with the position Celeris find themselves in, being small & long-established but with the Steam release exposing them and VP to the masses. The ideal situation for most would of course be that online is free and utilises steamworks.
How people are going to react to that price tag of $30/£19 and the sub, man – I just don’t know. It’s probably cheaper now than it was all those years back, given the inflation busting nature of game prices, but Steam itself has changed our benchmarks for value. All of VP’s competitors are cheaper, all have a modern visual sheen, all have perfectly fine physics. None of them however have the comprehensive roster of game types and more importantly none of them have the control, the feel, that VP does.
So Virtual Pool 4 is still the best pool sim out there then, even with its current crop of issues. And if all those issues could be resolved : price (online & off), flexibility, presentation – I’d have no zero qualms about recommending VP4. As it is, if you’re curious, do yourself a favour and grab the demo from Celeris’ site, because the way VP controls you may well be willing to forgive everything else just as I do.
What I wouldn’t give to play snooker on a small table again though.
Virtual Pool 4:
Developer: Celeris Inc
Publisher: Celeris Inc
Store Link:
Review Update Log:
- 15 September 2025 – Refreshed SEO content by updating the title, meta description, new main image, review box and summary along with a new opening paragraph and excerpt. Have added Steam store link along with developer and publisher names.
Virtual Pool 4 Review
Summary
Virtual Pool 4 – The Thrills and Highlights of Gameplay:
Virtual Pool 4 still delivers the slick, satisfying feel that made it the benchmark for pool sims. The mouse and keyboard controls are fast, intuitive, and precise letting you whip around the table and pull off delicate shots with ease. The physics remain spot-on, giving every click and clunk that old pub-table realism. With a wide range of game types including snooker and billiards, plus video tutorials that genuinely help improve your real-life skills, Virtual Pool 4 nails the fundamentals and then some.
Virtual Pool 4 – Where It Falls Short: Key Negatives:
Despite its strengths, Virtual Pool 4 stumbles in flexibility. Rule settings are often crude, with awkward jumps in scoring options that kill the flow of certain game types. The inability to play snooker on a championship pool table a feature once loved is a major letdown. These limitations feel unnecessary and restrict what could otherwise be a more customisable experience.
Virtual Pool 4 – Immersive Story and Narrative Elements:
There’s no traditional story here, and that’s fine. Virtual Pool 4 is all about the gameplay and the feel of the table. The closest thing to narrative comes from the community itself loyal, sportsmanlike, and still active online. It’s a game that thrives on shared skill and friendly competition rather than scripted drama.
Virtual Pool 4 – Visual and Performance Aspects:
Visually, Virtual Pool 4 is showing its age. Menus are stuck in a dated 4:3 aspect and the overall presentation lacks polish. It’s crying out for a modern UI overhaul. That said, performance is solid and the game runs smoothly, both offline and online. The subscription model for online play may raise eyebrows, but the experience is stable and the community is welcoming.
Virtual Pool 4 – Overall Verdict: Is It Worth Playing?:
Even with its quirks, Virtual Pool 4 remains the best pool sim out there. The control and physics are unmatched, and the sheer variety of game types gives it depth. If Celeris can fix the pricing, rule flexibility, and presentation, it would be an easy recommendation. As it stands, grab the demo because once you feel how Virtual Pool 4 plays, you might just forgive everything else.
Back of the Box Quotes:
“Virtual Pool 4: Where precision meets nostalgia and the cue never lies.”