Jamie Feltham – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

July 1, 2023July 11, 2023

Best PC VR Games: 25 Titles On Steam And Oculus (Summer 2023)

Searching for the best PC VR games on Steam and Oculus? We’ve got you covered with our top 25 list.

The PC VR landscape has changed dramatically over the years. It used to be the front-and-center focus on an entire industry, but new headsets across different categories have since seen developers and publishers split their attention. Still, we’re often rewarded with various new gems every year that push the fidelity of VR experiences in ways lesser hardware can't manage.

What’s nice about the list of the best PC VR games, then, is that even some of the oldest games on this list — now some six years old — remain some of the best-looking and playing titles in all of VR today.

You’ll find most of these experiences on both the Oculus Store and SteamVR, alongside a few on Viveport. Take note, though, that we have included a few Oculus exclusives in this list because we felt these games were simply too good to ignore. We’re also including early access titles in the list for the first time, as some of PC VR’s best games are still in pre-release to this day.

If you’re looking for our other lists, you’ll find those here.

Best PC VR Games On SteamVR And Oculus

25. The Gallery Episodes 1 & 2

We’re grouping in the first two installments of Cloudhead Games’ compelling adventure series together as the first episode is on the shorter side and the two together cost about as much as a normal VR game. The Gallery has its roots in Henson-esque dark fantasy, transporting you to amazing worlds of impossible landscapes and crazy characters on the hunt for your sister. The imaginative design makes these some of the best PC VR games despite their age. We’re just hoping Cloudhead one day gets to make Episode 3.

Read More: The Gallery / The Gallery Episode 2
Platforms: Steam Store, Viveport, Rift

24. Hubris

We won't lie – the main draw of this sci-fi action adventure game on PC VR isn't the gameplay, it's the visuals. Hubris features some absolutely stunning vistas and environments that, at times, rival the quality we've come to expect only from AAA titles.

That said, the gameplay isn't quite up to the same standard. That's not to say it's terrible by any means – just closer to an average, enjoyable-enough action adventure shooter with fairly standard-if-repetitive combat and a so-so storyline. Don't go in expecting revolutionary gameplay then, but it's a fun space shooter romp with high-quality visuals that show what high-end PC VR is capable of in 2023.

Read more: Hubris PC VR Review
Platforms: Steam Store / Oculus Store

23. A Fisherman’s Tale

A Fisherman’s Tale remains, to this day, one of the smartest and most striking uses of VR. You’ve undoubtedly heard its premise, which leans heavily on recursive puzzling as you play cooperatively in single-player, passing things between bigger and smaller versions of yourself. It’s a stunning spectacle, a curious tale of fatherhood and a warm visual style anchors the game. It’s still a treat and still one of the best PC VR games to date.

Read More: A Fisherman’s Tale / Another Fisherman’s Tale
Platforms: Steam Store, Viveport, Rift

22. Wanderer

The best thing you can say about Wanderer is that it’s an escape room game that doesn’t always feel like an escape room game. Its puzzles make great use of VR interactivity and its ambitious setup sees you jumping between timezones across (and sometimes off) the world at a moment’s notice. It’s also one of the best-looking games to release in recent memory and a real showcase for the power of PC VR. Don’t miss Wanderer – it’s easily one of the best PC VR games.

Read More: Wanderer / Wanderer: The Fragments of Fate
Platforms: Steam Store, Viveport, Rift

21. Song in the Smoke

There have been a lot of decent attempts to bring the survival genre to VR but, with its native mechanics, focused structure, and earthy atmosphere, Song in the Smoke is the best of them by some way. You progress through multiple zones in a prehistoric wilderness, hunting and crafting whilst tackling unique new challenges in every area that teach you new tricks and abilities. If you don’t like the aimlessness of some survival games then you’ll appreciate Song in the Smoke’s focused campaign.

Read More: Song in the Smoke: Rekindled
Platforms: Steam Store, Viveport, Rift

20. Pavlov VR (Early Access)

Valve isn’t bringing Counter-Strike to VR anytime soon but, fortunately, we have a worthy replacement in Pavlov VR. Consistently developed over multiple years, Pavlov has turned into the fast-paced competitive shooter to beat, with tons of weapons and environments spanning multiple eras and new game modes being added at a dizzying pace. The future remains bright for Pavlov and, for multiplayer fans, it’s one of the best PC VR games out there today.

Read More: Pavlov Shack
Platforms: Steam Store

19. Until You Fall

Until You Fall isn’t focused on the realistic melee physics of a Saints & Sinners or Boneworks, and it’s all the better for it. This arcade-infused roguelite uses on-screen indicators to force you to hone your reflexes, blocking and attacking with split-second precision. Developer Schell Games nails the moreish gameplay loop, making Until You Fall a game that’s hard to put down. And that’s a good thing considering the game is a fun workout too.

Platforms: Steam Store, Viveport, Rift

18. Moss

Third-person VR games might not make much sense at first glance, but Moss shows you why the opposite is the case. This platformer action game is a really solid adventure in its own right, but it’s the bond you build with protagonist Quill over its few hours that shines through. Moss is showing its age a little in 2023, but Moss: Book 2 offers a fine follow-up to the original adventure.

Read More: Moss / Moss: Book 2
Platforms: Steam Store, Viveport, Rift

17. Kayak VR: Mirage

Kayak VR is a quiet highlight on this list – a peaceful and serene experience with a stunning visual presentation to match. As you'd expect, the game puts you in a virtual kayak and lets you explore four locations (Papagayo, Antartica, Bjørnøya and Australia) across a variety of modes, including free roam or the more competitive online multiplayer varieties.

There's no fully-fledged campaign or a huge selection of game modes, but Kayak VR sticks out in contrast to the rest of this list as a truly relaxing, meditative VR experience.

Read more: Kayak VR Review (PSVR 2 version)
Platforms: Steam Store

16. Star Wars: Squadrons

We still can’t quite believe Star Wars: Squadrons was a thing. A full Star Wars flight action game with both a single-player campaign and a huge multiplayer component… in VR? Are we sure we’re not dreaming? Well, if we are, we don’t want to wake up because Squadrons’ highly immersive cockpits and blistering space dogfighting make for everything we ever wanted out of VR in the first place, making this, in turn, one of the best PC VR games.

Platforms: Steam Store

15. Eleven Table Tennis

There aren’t many sports that current VR technology can perfectly replicate but table tennis is one of them and, for our money, Eleven: Table Tennis is easily the best realization so far. That’s thanks to the pinpoint precision of its physics and robust multiplayer and single-player options, which ensure we’ll never need another VR table tennis game again.

Read More: New Avatars
Platforms: Steam Store, Rift

14. Onward (Early Access)

If Pavlov is VR’s answer to Counter-Strike, then Onward is closer to something like Arma, with a focus on hyperrealism that paved the way for the mechanical complexity VR can add to the shooter genre. Though it’s still labeled as early access, Onward has felt like a full game for years now and is easily deserving of its place on the best PC VR games list.

Platforms: Steam Store, Rift

13. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR

Skyrim VR successfully transplants the entire RPG into headsets with full motion controls. It’s not the most in-depth implementation, but just that fact alone makes this something you won’t want to miss in VR. Along with bestowing you with a keen sense of adventure, there are bits of Skyrim that genuinely work incredibly well in VR, like the moment you first encounter a dragon or inspect a sword you’ve worked hard to earn in tireless detail. There are better, more native VR games out there, but Skyrim VR is Skyrim… in VR, and that makes it worth a look.

Read More: Best Mods
Platforms: Steam Store

12. Beat Saber

Beat Saber has become such a sensation on basically every headset that’s it’s easy to forget the games’ humble beginnings as an early-access PC VR title. But, despite Beat Games’ acquisition by Meta years back, the PC VR version of the game remains the sharpest place to play Beat Saber and its ever-growing catalog of songs. Still one of the best PC VR games, then, but Beat Saber is a must wherever you enjoy VR.

Read more: Custom Songs / Beat Saber Review 2022
Platforms: Steam Store, Rift

11. No Man’s Sky VR

No Man’s Sky went the extra mile with its VR support. Hello Games honed in on what makes VR integration feel seamless and natural, delivering an experience that almost felt like it had been designed for VR from the start. Add to that the frankly enormous number of new features and upgrades the game’s implemented since launch – including recent updates to the VR experience – and it’s impossible to deny No Man’s Sky its place on the best PC VR games list.

Read more: No Man's Sky PC VR Review / VR Interface Improvements
Platforms: Steam Store

10. Lone Echo

You could group in Lone Echo 2 with this pick to get the whole experience but, given that’d be a rather expensive proposition, we’re sticking with the groundbreaking original and its free multiplayer companion right now. Lone Echo paved the way for immersive zero-gravity movement in VR and set a bar for PC VR visuals that arguably still hasn’t been surpassed. It’s slow-paced, but the focus on building a link between your character and those around him pays off, as does the enormous spectacle of it all. We’ll be calling Lone Echo one of the best PC VR games for years to come.

Read More: Lone Echo / Lone Echo 2
Platforms: Rift

9. Asgard’s Wrath

Asgard’s Wrath might not have Skyrim levels of content but, for our money, the focus on native VR sword fighting and character progression make this the more important of the two VR games. This is an immaculately produced Norse adventure split into three parts that captures the heart of the RPG genre and realize it in its full glory using the power of PC VR, helping it vanquish its opponents in the fight for the best PC VR games.

Read More: Asgard’s Wrath / Asgard's Wrath 2
Platforms: Rift

8. Eye of the Temple

Eye of the Temple is one of the best examples of a game that puts VR-first design front and centre, resulting in a triumphant room-scale platformer. You begin the Indiana Jones-inspired adventure outside a large temple. With a whip in you right hand and a torch in your left, you'll begin to navigate deeper into the temple by completing puzzles and platforming obstacles.

Every movement you make in Eye of the Temple is a real, physical movement through your play space. Some clever design trickery means that you'll always stay within your boundary and never run out of space to move – a bit like Tea for God.

On PC VR, this requires a little bit more cable management than wireless systems such as Quest, but the game is nonetheless a thrill to play and incredibly well-designed. Fair warning though: it does require a minimum 2m x 2m play space.

Read more: Eye of the Temple Review
Platforms: Steam Store

7. Boneworks

Of all the physics-driven VR combat and puzzle games out there, Boneworks easily is the most polished and impressive. Its single-player campaign offers plenty of fun sandboxes to experiment with, whether your swinging robotic headcrabs around by their legs or beating up mindless zombies with a broom handle. Or you can just rely on the classics and find a lethally accurate shooter. Boneworks is a great PC VR game and a glimpse of where the future of VR interactivity is headed.

Read More: Boneworks / Bonelab
Platforms: Steam Store, Rift

6. Pistol Whip

Rhythm games are a dime a dozen in VR but, for our money, Pistol Whip is the most inventive and overall best of the lot. The focus on firing to the beat as you duck and weave through blinding neon obstacle courses makes the game a joyous assault on the senses that requires genuine skill to master. With new updates arriving constantly, Pistol Whip has a comfortable position in our list of the best PC VR games.

Read More: Overdrive Season
Platforms: Steam Store, Rift

5. Demeo

Fancy board game night in VR? Then Demeo will serve up pretty much all you could want from that concept and then some. This is a brilliant cooperative dungeon crawling turn-based RPG played with friends, letting you roll the dice to tackle its fiendishly difficult levels. But you can also scale the game up and down to your liking, adding an extra dimension to a fantastic social VR experience. Plus, since launch there's been a plethora of new content and expansion campaigns added to the base game, so there's more Demeo to play than ever.

Read More: Demeo Review / Reign of Madness Expansion

Platforms: Steam Store, Rift

4. Superhot VR

We’ll stop ranking Superhot VR so highly in our best PC VR games list when we play a shooter as intricately designed as this. It maintains immersion and utilizes your full body in ways that you simply couldn’t in the flatscreen version. The ‘time moves when you move’ mechanic remains ridiculously entertaining to this day, and the game achieves a perfect balance of slapstick action and stylish stunts.

Read More: Superhot VR Interview
Platforms: Steam Store, Viveport, Rift

3. The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners

The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners from Skydance Interactive is a VR essential, delivering some of the best design and user-interaction you’ll find in VR. Released in 2020, "it’s a zombie apocalypse within your grasp – a living, breathing virtual ruin with player-driven highs that easily outshine its experimental lows." It sets the bar for VR zombie games using Boneworks-style, physics-based combat. The game will have you wrestling with undead hordes, packing its action into a full, meaty VR campaign that sees you trekking through the remains of New Orleans. Add in side-missions and the ability to kill zombies with a spoon, and you have one of the deepest native VR games on the market.

Read More: Saints & Sinners Review / Chapter 2: Retribution
Platforms: Steam Store, Rift, Viveport

2. Vertigo 2

Vertigo 2 is one of the best PC VR-exclusive experiences available and a masterclass in enthralling, VR-first game design. What's even more impressive is that it's largely put together by one solo developer – Zach Tsiakalis-Brown from Zulubo Productions.

The game pays homage to Valve classics and seminal VR releases, but doesn't fall victim to copying them. Instead, it forges ahead to create an impressive solo gaming experience in the same vein as Half-Life: Alyx. Featuring tactile weapons, creative enemies and an engaging narrative-driven campaign, it's a shining example of what PC VR still has to offer in 2023.

Read more: Vertigo 2 Review / How Zach Tsiakalis-Brown Brought Vertigo 2 To Life
Platforms: Steam Store

1. Half-Life: Alyx

It might not technically be Half-Life 3 but make no mistake, Half-Life: Alyx from Valve is a full-sized adventure worthy of the series’ past releases. Giving it top marks in 2020, we believe that "what it does right, it almost always does the best." Playing as Alyx Vance, you fight through City 17 in a highly polished adventure fully designed for VR, relying on classic series elements and introducing plenty of new features. It’s 10+ hours of immaculate, AAA-level VR shootouts, puzzles and narrative design, features some of the best firefights you can have inside a headset and offers truly memorable moments within. Half-Life: Alyx is arguably the best PC VR game yet, and we hope to see more from Valve.

Read more: Half-Life: Alyx Review / Best Mods
Platforms: Steam Store

July 2023 update: Changed formatting. Reordered entries. Removed Wilson's Heart, Compound, Blade and Sorcery and A Township Tale. Added Vertigo 2, Hubris, Eye of the Temple and Kayak VR.

This article was initially published in March 2022. Former UploadVR Editor Jamie Feltham previously contributed entries to this list.

July 7, 2022

Ruinsmagus Review: A Gorgeous But Repetitive VR Dungeon Crawler

Ruinsmagus boasts fantastic art and solid combat but its dungeon raids can’t stave off repetition. Read on for our full Ruinsmagus review.

Speaking as someone that doesn’t have any special affinity for the medium, I have to admit anime works really well in VR. You can really feel those big, bug-eyed characters staring into your soul and the connective tissue between player and NPC grows faster than it does in more realistic worlds. Plus the overall visual style really pops inside a headset.

Ruinsmagus uses this to great effect. It’s a warm-hearted adventure that features many of the hallmarks of great anime: an enthusiastic and personable cast, sprawling lore to flesh out its idyllic world and a sweeping score that perfectly touches on both the comedic and dramatic at the right moments. As with Tokyo Chronos and others before it, it really feels like stepping into worlds previously only glanced at in manga and on screens. As a piece of VR presentation, Ruinsmagus is a love letter ready to be signed, sealed and delivered.

Some of its other elements aren’t quite there yet, though.

There is, in fairness, surprising depth to this VR dungeon crawler. Playing as a member of the titular guild, you spend your days venturing beyond a small settlement and into a set of ancient ruins to gradually uncover their mysteries. Stone guardians stalk the hallways, ready to dish out bullet hell-style attacks. To fend them off, you wield a variety of magic attacks as you defend yourself with a shield.

To its credit, developer CharacterBank has put a lot of thought into the game’s combat. You have a standard ranged attack backed up by two special moves — all of which can be swapped out with new abilities unlocked through story progression — and a combination of short dash moves and timing-based shield parrying give you lots of options on both the offensive and defensive sides.

And, when it clicks, Ruinsmagus’ action is pretty great. You can preemptively cast an ice turret or magic shield to hide behind before enemies pop up, and then circle aroun d them with dashes to avoid damage as you throw fireballs, summon lighting or charge a barrage of bullets. It might not be an excessively physical experience, but the use of shields and some gestures at least keeps the action rooted in VR more than a lot of other games can muster.

But this much versatility comes at the cost of some intuition. The control scheme can be awkward, with major actions assigned to strange combinations and gestures. Reloading requires you to point downward and then press both the right grip and trigger buttons at the same time. Without staring directly at your hand to view the animation, you never quite know if you did it right. Changing items is done by flicking an analog stick upward, which makes it tough to quickly cycle through them in the middle of a fight and can be frustrating when you’re in dire need of a healing potion.

Your familiarity with the controls will improve with practice but the overall layout could do with a rethink. Items are located on your chest and you can easily grab them by accident instead of summoning a special move, and many spells require you to actually throw your attack which is a historically imprecise science for VR.

What’s more problematic, though, is that Ruinsmagus is an inherently repetitive game in just about every respect. The same handful of rooms are used time and again to face off with an increasingly familiar pool of enemy types that don’t require you to change tactics, and many levels feature bullet sponge boss battles that bloat the otherwise brief mission structure.

Though the genre’s already well-served in VR, I suspect this would have worked better as a sharper, more varied roguelite that repurposed many of these mechanics and staved off the tedium. You can practically hear CharacterBank acknowledge these issues as the story progresses. In one section, some of the caverns are redecorated with graffiti, and a smattering of new enemy types are introduced as you progress into new acts.

None of these fundamentally change the core experience, though, and some of the side-plots ultimately come off more as padding than anything else. Unless you’re absolutely speeding through the campaign without taking in the story it’ll take you at least seven or eight hours to see through all the missions, but there isn’t enough variety here to sustain your interest all the way through.

But, while sometimes stale, the game’s combat is never bad, and fans of anime in general will likely find it worth seeing through to enjoy the other aspects of the game. As you play, more areas of the town open up and, though superficial, it’s a soothing delight to explore, meet wholesome characters and take pictures at cafes and stores.

There’s even the occasional flash of genuine brilliance like boss introductions take place through 3D virtual windows and offer fun, stylized sequences. Some of the cast you’ll meet are a joy to interact with like your plucky sidekick, Iris, and the combination of beautiful cobbled streets and calming violin tracks is enough to make you want to stay a minute or two longer in some areas.

Some of this is spoiled by some fairly common launch bugs, including one that makes characters appear as ghostly silhouettes missing their textures, and the dialogue could use another pass for typos, but I’m hopeful these will be fairly quick fixes.

Ruinsmagus Review – Final Impressions

Ruinsmagus is a gorgeous game with a lot to love, but it’s a padded experience that quickly succumbs to repetition. While the combat itself is engaging, heading into the same set of ruins — often even the exact same rooms — to fight the same enemies for the 100th time soon wears thin, and more could have been done to switch up the experience over the course of its campaign. Still, from a purely presentational perspective, the game is an absolute delight and a joy to spend time in. For some, that will be enough to love Ruinsmagus, but the game would need some core structural changes to become a true VR classic.

UploadVR recently changed its review guidelines, and this is one of our new unlabelled review categories. You can read more about our review guidelines here.

What did you make of our Ruinsmagus review? Let us know in the comments below!

July 6, 2022

Walkabout Mini Golf’s Labyrinth Collab Launches This Month, First Footage Here

Walkabout Mini Golf’s much anticipated Labyrinth DLC is coming this month, and we’ve got a first look at it.

The DLC — first announced in March — will launch on July 28, bringing scenes and characters from the iconic Jim Henson movie to VR for the first time. In the video below, developer Mighty Coconut joins members of the Jim Henson company to talk about the creation of the course.

Walkabout Mini Golf Labyrinth DLC Release Date Revealed

The video shows how some of the ideas and concepts from the movie are translating into VR. You’ll notice a lot of famous scenes that have almost been renovated in VR to become golf courses. As Game Director Lucas Martell puts it in the clip: “This is definitely going to be one of the biggest, most ambitious courses that we’ve ever done.”

Meanwhile, a tweet confirmed that the DLC will feature 18 holes with easy and hard versions as well as new Labryrinth-themed avatar customization options, and an original soundtrack. It will also feature eight player groups. Previously the limit had been for up to five players, though it’s unclear if the new player count will be supported across other levels.

Further down the line, Walkabout is also getting tie-in DLC for Myst along with a steady stream of original courses, too.

Are you going to be picking up the Labyrinth DLC for Walkabout? Let us know in the comments below!

July 5, 2022

EVE: Valkyrie And Sparc Shutting Down Next Month

CCP Games’ EVE: Valkyrie, one of the first-ever multiplayer VR games, is shutting down next month along with Sparc.

Tweets from both games’ official accounts confirmed the news. Both Valkyrie, a space combat game, and Sparc, which offered Tron-style athletic future sports, will take their remaining servers offline on August 5. After that, the games will no longer be playable.

Valkyrie is of particular significance as one of the first-ever VR games to be announced, serving as a launch exclusive for the Oculus Rift before coming to the HTC Vive and PSVR headsets too. A spin-off of CCP’s popular EVE Online MMO, the game saw you jump into the cockpit of spacecraft and face off with opponents online.

In fact, it’s so old it was one of Upload’s first video reviews, too. Seriously, I can’t even remember who’s narrating this.

Though the news may seem sudden, the writing had long been on the wall for both projects. After previously committing to VR in a big way with new studios and projects, CCP exited the VR market in late 2017, closing those new departments. Valkyrie implemented flatscreen support to help sustain its numbers but its developer, CCP Newcastle, was sold off. Neither game ever ended up releasing on the Quest platform, where many struggling long-time VR developers have gone on to find success.

What are your thoughts on EVE: Valkyrie and Sparc shutting down? Let us know in the comments below!

July 5, 2022

Zero Caliber On Quest Gets PvP This Month, PC Coming Soon

Zero Caliber: Reloaded, the Quest version of the modern FPS, is getting PvP support soon.

Developer XREAL Games recently confirmed that the standalone edition of the game will get the long-promised mode on July 28. You can see some gameplay from the update in a new trailer below.

Zero: Caliber Reloaded PvP Nears Release

Right now we know that Reloaded PvP will include 4v4 matches with four game modes: Gungame, Team DeathMatch, Death Match and Capture the Flag). This will bring the game up to the same amount of features as rivals like Contractors. We’ll definitely be interested to see how Zero Caliber’s offerings stack up next to those other titles.

As for the original Zero Caliber on PC? XREAL says PvP support is still coming this year and that these modes will have cross-play with the Quest version. That’s significant given that Reloaded currently isn’t cross-play with the original game when it comes to campaign co-op given the differences in missions. From the sounds of it the PvP is being developed to make sure both versions specifically work together.

Mod support for the PvP is also due to arrive later in the year.

Elsewhere XREAL is also working on its upcoming co-op shooter, Gambit. We revealed a first look at gameplay during the Upload VR Showcase last month.

Will you be checking out Zero Caliber’s PvP options? Let us know in the comments below!

July 4, 2022

2 New Twilight Zone VR Trailers Reveal First Episodes

We’ve got not one but two new Twilight Zone VR trailers, taking a look at the game’s first two episodes.

Both trailers feature more of the mixed reality capture for the game we first debuted at the Upload VR Showcase last month. Check them out below.

New Twilight Zone VR Trailers Revealed

The first trailer shows an experience called Character Building in which players are hunted by a strange creature. You’ll play as a video game director that discovers that, in the words of the game’s official description, “workplace cruelty is a dangerous game.”

The second trailer, meanwhile, was posted over at Den of Greek and takes a look at the second adventure, Terror Firma. This episode seems to be set in a desolate version of London that’s been ruined by an environmental disaster and strange alien enemies. Players head out into the wasteland with the hopes of saving mankind.

The final episode is called Deadline Earth and the game’s store page reveals it will take place on an alien vessel. We’re yet to see a trailer for that one, though.

The Twilight Zone VR is due to launch on Quest 2 on July 14. A PSVR version of the game was previously announced, but it’s not clear when that version might arrive, or if it’s moved over to PSVR 2. It’s being developed by Pocket Money Games with publishing from Fun Train VR. Both are also working on a new Exorcist VR game, too.

Are you going to be picking the game up? Let us know in the comments below!

July 4, 2022

Stride Gets Fitness UI, Weapons And Quests In Single-Player Update

New content for VR parkour game Stride focuses on the game’s single-player offerings.

The free Guns N’ Drones update is available now on both Quest and PC VR. It mainly features new additions for the Arena and Endless modes. The former gets two new weapons, including an Uzi and a shotgun. There’s also new quest types that see you race ahead of drones or seize control of their data and even lasso them. Check out a trailer for the updates below.

New Stride Updates Arrive

Endless, meanwhile, gets two new pickups. One gives you a speed boost to stay ahead of the wall of death. Another will actually slow down the wall. Plus there are new door types that have you shooting out locks to pass through.

Elsewhere, there’s a new fitness dashboard that tracks how much you’ve been moving over play sessions.

These additions arrive shortly after the launch of the massive multiplayer update for the PC VR version of the game. Currently there’s no word on if that content could come to Quest or PSVR. Developer Joy Way is also working on a single-player campaign for the game but says this is also only announced for PC right now.

Last week Joy Way clarified that it was trying not to “repeat past mistakes” when it comes to how it talks about its games following the cancellation of Outlier and confusion over what features were coming to which versions of the game.

Are you diving into Stride to check out the game’s latest updates? Let us know in the comments below!

July 1, 2022

New VR Games July 2022: All The Biggest Releases

Looking for the new VR games July 2022 list? We’ve got you covered with our full rundown.

We’re into the second half of the year and things are looking up with a healthy month of good releases. Both PC VR and Quest headsets have a lot of new content to look forward to, so let’s dive right in.

New VR Games July 2022

F1 22 – PC VR

At long last an official F1 game has full PC VR support. Take to the track in the world’s fastest cars and master circuits as you experience pit stops and hard breaks in first-person. We think the VR integration here is very decent, though it could use a few tweaks.

Vail VR Open Beta (July 1) – PC VR

After a lengthy alpha testing phase, Vail is opening up to more players with its beta. Jump into this tactical multiplayer shooter and take on enemy teams in Counter-Strike-style matches.

Ruinsmagus (July 7) – Quest 2, PC VR

This is a VR dungeon crawler in which you repeatedly head into some ancient ruins to take on enemies. Between levels you upgrade your magical attacks and meet new members of a neighboring town. With over 25 missions planned, we’re looking forward to seeing how this one holds up.

PatchWorld (July 7) – Quest

Another VR music maker – PatchWorld is all about creating unique sounds in unique settings and sharing them with friends. Expect multiplayer support and more in future updates.

Thief Simulator VR – Greenview Street (July 7) – Quest 2

Originally on PC VR, a Quest port of this VR stealth game arrives in July. Break into buildings and swipe precious items in this non-violent stealth game that has you upgrading your skills as you go.

Kayak VR: Mirage (July 12) – PC VR

Okay, this time we’re pretty sure it’s coming out. After multiple delays the visually-stunning Kayak VR: Mirage is due to release in mid-July. We recently saw a new environment inspired by Costa Rica and it looks just as gorgeous as the rest of the game.

The Twilight Zone VR (July 14) – Quest 2

A unique take on the classic series that features three stories that put you right in the middle of the action. We’ll be interested to see if Twilight Zone offers some truly terrifying tales unlike anything else we’ve seen in VR.

Moss: Book II (July 21) – Quest 2

Quill returns for the standalone version of her second adventure. Moss 2 already melted our hearts on PSVR a little earlier this year but we’re looking forward to seeing how the Quest version stacks up too.

And that’s the list of new VR games July 2022 line-up! What are you planning on picking up? Let us know in the comments below.

July 1, 2022

PSVR 2 Will Use Tobii Eye Tracking, Company Confirms

The upcoming PlayStation VR2 headset will use eye tracking from specialist group, Tobii.

Tobii itself confirmed the news in a press release today. This follows on from a February 2022 announcement that the company was “in negotiation” with Sony to be integrated into the new headset.

PSVR 2 — which doesn’t yet have a release date — is expected to use eye tracking for a variety of applications, including foveated rendering. This refers to a technique that tracks the user’s gaze and then fully renders only the exact center of where they’re looking. Areas in the peripheral vision aren’t fully rendered — a process that’s intended to be imperceptible to the user — reducing the overall demand on the system powering the VR experience.

In other words, this could help PS5 VR games run and look better, though we’re yet to see the feature in action.

For years now Tobii has developed eye tracking hardware that’s already been integrated into other VR headsets. In 2018, for example, the company worked with Qualcomm to develop a standalone VR reference design with eye-tracking. In 2019, Tobii technology was integrated into the HTC Vive Pro Eye. More recently it was integrated into the HP Reverb G2 Omnicept Edition and the Pico Neo 3 Pro Eye.

Tobii says it expects the deal to represent “more than 10%” of its revenue in 2022.

While we still don’t know exactly when PSVR 2 is launching, reports are pointing towards an early 2023 release for the device and today’s announcement does suggest that Sony might only just be assembling all the necessary components to mass produce the device. This would be in line with a report from prominent supply chain analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, who noted PSVR 2 would begin mass production in H2 2022, speculating this would mean a Q1 2023 launch. As of today it’s H2 2022.

You can keep up with everything we currently know about PSVR 2 right here.

June 30, 2022

Joy Way Aims For Clearer Communication After Stride PSVR Confusion

Stride and Against developer Joy Way says it is “determined not to repeat our past mistakes” as the studio attempts to move on from issues related to how it communicates publicly.

Joy Way recently increased the price of Stride on PSVR from $14.99 to $19.99 while the company’s Twitter account posted that there’s no confirmation PSVR would see the game’s upcoming single-player campaign, which is coming to PC. If the studio can’t confirm the much needed addition is coming to Sony’s headset, then why increase the price?

The move comes a few months after Joy Way unexpectedly pulled the plug on its roguelite, Outlier, shortly after launching in early access. Responding to questions from UploadVR regarding the confusion surrounding its titles, Joy Way sent over the following statement:

“In response to the concerns of some individual players and members of the VR community, we find it necessary to remind:

When we mention that particular content is in development, we mean that we’re working on it in general, until we mention otherwise. And when we have more details about whether it will be available on a specific platform or not – we always make an official announcement. The same rule applies to the single-player content with story elements or multiplayer updates in STRIDE.

And until we announce it for specific platforms, we market the game on them as a parkour VR game with 3 game modes available: Endless, Arena, and Time Run (+Multiplayer on some of them). Please consider this when you plan to get the game on any of the platforms.

Speaking of our price policy, it may vary from platform to platform. It depends on many factors, and we are currently experimenting with it.

We are determined not to repeat our past mistakes and are now taking a more careful approach to choosing words in relation to any content for our games on any platform. So as not to encourage players to overhype stuff we’re working on”.

Though questions over Stride’s PSVR pricing remain, the company hopes to move on from these communication issues and focus on additional content for Stride alongside its other PC VR project, Against.