Does this mean that VFR does take away auto hand-offs?
I don't think so, though there may be some situations where there is no automatic handoff. I know I get automatic handoffs in many VFR situations, e.g., handoff from Departure to Approach, and handoff from Approach to Tower when the airport is reported in sight. Using CP Mode 2 on a recent VFR flight, this was all automatic:
4/12/2017 11:02:28 PM: 900 - FS Screen : W-Q Cessna 702 Radar service terminated. Squawk 1200 Contact Approach on 123.5 Frequency change approved
4/12/2017 11:02:40 PM: 290 - Contact Approach just issued4...
4/12/2017 11:02:40 PM: 300 - FS Screen : W-M Roger 123.57 02 Good day
4/12/2017 11:02:47 PM: 490 - COM Freq changed to: 123.5 IPC Set: 9040
4/12/2017 11:02:50 PM: 600 - FS Screen : W-M Approach Cessna 702 with you level 5 thousand 5 hundred VFR Landing
4/12/2017 11:08:37 PM: 660 - FS Screen : W-M Approach Cessna 702 has the airport
4/12/2017 11:08:44 PM: 800 - Contact Tower just issued...
4/12/2017 11:08:44 PM: 840 - FS Screen : W-A Cessna 702 Contact Tower on 121.4 Radar service terminated. Squawk 1200
4/12/2017 11:08:55 PM: 380 - FS Screen : W-M 121.47 02
4/12/2017 11:09:00 PM: 460 - COM Freq changed to: 121.4 IPC Set: 8512
4/12/2017 11:09:03 PM: 540 - FS Screen : W-M Tower Cessna 702 at 9 Miles to the west at 2 thousand VFR Landing
I'm not sure about initially contacting Departure after taking off from an uncontrolled field. I have raised an issue related to this on the beta forum. In the meantime try some VFR flights in CP Mode 2.