Resident Evil VII biohazard launched in January 2017, with it the first edition of the franchise to bring survival horror into the medium of virtual reality (VR). The VR component being a PlayStation VR exclusive raised some interest in the platform amongst core gamers, and those who dared to jump into the VR horror single-handedly doubled the average time players would spend in VR.
In an interview with Engadget, a Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) representative revealed that Capcom’s latest horror videogame increased PlayStation VR playtimes by approximately 100%. Prior to the launch of Resident Evil VII biohazard, the average play time session with a PlayStation VR was approximately 25 minutes, however the horror videogame increased that average time to nearly an hour.
“Different users enjoy different experiences, and it’s hard to pinpoint a particular app or experience that is most popular, but we’ve found that certain genres work very well with VR, and horror is one example,” the Sony spokesperson said. “When Resident Evil 7: Biohazard launched earlier this year, the average amount of time PSVR users spent playing doubled. [sic]”
The PlayStation VR has recently seen something of a boost to its sales numbers in Japan thanks to the launch of a new model of the head-mounted display (HMD), known as CUH-ZVR2. Though no release date has yet been discussed for this new edition in North America or Europe, it’s likely to be arriving soon as SIE has recently discontinued the original PlayStation VR model.
Resident Evil VII biohazard includes PlayStation VR compatibility in every edition of the videogame without the need for an additional purchase. As such, any gamers who already own the title and purchase a PlayStation VR HMD can immediately jump into the VR edition of the videogame.
A new retail package for Resident Evil VII biohazard, known as Resident Evil VII biohazard Gold Edition, will be launching later this year included all of the downloadable content (DLC) made available for the title thus far. VRFocus will continue to report on all the latest news regarding the VR component of Resident Evil VII biohazard and the PlayStation VR HMD itself.