Enjoy Massive Saving’s With the Humble Spring Into VR Bundle

If you time it right then there can be some great savings to be had on high-quality virtual reality (VR) titles and currently Humble Bundle’s latest is difficult to beat. For only the second time the platform is offering a VR-specific deal where you can get up to eight PC VR titles for an incredible discount.

Called the Humble Spring into VR Bundle, the limited time offer allows gamers to unlock a selection of videogames depending on how much they wish to spend, with proceeds helping to support charitable endeavours. So for a minimum of 71p you can pickup zero-g sci-fi title Detached. Bump that up to at least £10.66 GBP and you’ll unlock Star Trek: Bridge Crew, Surgeon Simulator: Experience Reality, Swords of Gurrah and Espire 1: VR Operative.

Literally for a few pence more – £10.77 to be precise – you can add three more titles to that list, Job Simulator, Sairento VR and Borderlands 2 VR. Of course, if you are feeling charitable because you’re saving so much – total price would be £160 for all of them – you can up the bundle donation as you see fit.

The main charity highlighted for the Humble Spring into VR Bundle is Stop AAPI Hate, an organisation described as “a national coalition addressing anti-Asian racism across the U.S.” It was founded by the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (A3PCON), Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) and San Francisco State University’s Asian American Studies Department. But you can select a different charity should you wish to support one more local to you or focused on a field close to your heart.

In any case, the Humble Spring into VR Bundle is a great deal if you’ve been looking to expand that VR library with a nice mixture of titles, especially as there’s no Steam sale currently. VRFocus will continue its coverage of the latest VR software and hardware deals, reporting back with further updates.

April 7, 2021

Humble ‘Spring Into VR’ Bundle Includes Up To 8 VR Games For Just $15

Pick your price and donate what you want to the Humble ‘Spring into VR’ Bundle and get 8 PC VR games including Borderlands 2 VR and Sairento if you commit at least $15. The deal is available for two weeks, until March 21.

Humble Bundle: Spring into VR

Humble Bundle is a charity-based bundle website in which you choose to donate however much you want. If you donate at least $1 then you get Detached, pay at least $14.67 to also get Star Trek: Bridge Crew, Surgeon Simulator: Experience Reality, Swords of Gurrah, and Espire 1: VR Operative, and if you pay at least $15 you also get Job Simulator, Sairento VR, and Borderlands 2 VR. That’s over $160 worth of PC VR games.

This is only the second PC VR-focused Humble Bundle and it’s a really solid collection of classics that all headset users should consider having in their library. The $15 price tag is a great deal for any one of the top tier games on offer here, so getting all eight really is a good bargain.

Just like all of the bundles, you get to choose where your money goes by splitting it up between the game publishers, the Stop AAPI Hate charity (or a different one of your choosing), and Humble itself as a company. You can divide your contribution up however you see fit, including all of it to just one source if you want.

When you buy a Humble Bundle you’re given a Steam key for each of the included games. If you get a key for a game you already have, you could give it away or give it over to a friend.

Find out more about this Bundle on the official page.

June 28, 2020

7 Great Non-VR Games With Must-Play VR Support

Virtual Reality might be one of gaming’s most immersive ways to play but it remains a niche platform.

[UploadVR regularly commissions freelance writers to review products, write stories, and contribute op-ed pieces to the site. This article is an opinion-based listicle from the perspective of the writer.]

That’s mostly attributable to a high price barrier. Though efforts from Sony such as PlayStation VR and Facebook’s Oculus Quest have helped, the price still helps explain why AAA publishers are reluctant to invest in fully-fledged original experiences. As a result, much of the time, VR is incorporated as an optional experience within existing non-VR titles instead.

On the other side, developers have also adapted VR games to more conventional platforms, providing them a larger audience. Whether it’s launching with both options, porting to VR-less platforms, or patching in a desktop mode, the inclusion of both methods can make great experiences more widely accessible.

With some developers seeking to unify both audiences, here are some of the best examples we’ve seen yet for great non-VR games with must-play VR support.

7 Great Non-VR Games With Must-Play VR Support

Eve: Valykrie (PC / PC VR and PS4 / PSVR)

Read / Watch Our Review

CCP Games have seen huge success with EVE Online. Released in 2003, EVE became renowned for its vast scale, seeing players compete for virtual supremacy and bringing some fascinating stories with it. Looking to branch out their universe, CCP then released VR title Eve: Valkyrie back in 2016, a multiplayer dogfighter with heavy emphasis on PvP missions. Over a year later, Valkyrie’s Warzone update was released, bringing a desktop mode that removed previous VR requirements. It’s campaign was sadly short-lived but bringing some enjoyable gameplay, it’s an exhilarating experience worth revisiting for quick space thrills.

Detached (PC / PC VR)

Read Our Coverage

Several studios have tried recreating the intensity of floating through outer space via virtual reality and back in 2017, Anshar Studios’ Detached was among them. Featuring PvP multiplayer as well as a separate campaign, it’s an incredibly lonely experience that saw you separated from your ship, left to explore an abandoned space station to survive. Its zero gravity antics proved nauseating in places and, trying to broaden its user base, Anshar developed a non-VR version in 2018, easing the experience but losing that immersion. With benefits to both formats, Detached proved an enjoyable title that’s worth looking into.

Five Nights At Freddy’s: Help Wanted (Switch Non-VR, PC / PC VR, PS4 / PSVR, and Quest)

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When Five Nights At Freddy’s launched in 2014, few expected it to become the hit sensation we see today. Originally developed by Scott Cawthon, this horror series saw you playing an overnight security guard at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, trying to survive against a group of deadly animatronic characters. Spawning six main sequels, FNAF expanded into VR last year with Help Wanted, featuring 50 minigames based off its previous entries. It saw positive reception and quickly became a best-selling VR title but, not wanting to leave any fans out, developers released a non-VR release six months later, landing on PS4, PC and Switch.

The Invisible Hours (PC / PC VR and PS4 / PSVR)

Read Our Review

Tequila Works made a name for themselves most recently with Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son but back in 2017, they were hard at work releasing The Invisible Hours. Invited to a mysterious mansion by Nikola Telsa, each guest holds a murky past, many of whom are looking to make amends. Playing as disgraced detective Gustaf Gustav, we find Tesla has been murdered by another guest and it’s up to you to discover the truth. Receiving strong reviews, Tequila Works soon developed a non-VR version, releasing a free patch six months later and it proved just as satisfying.

The Persistence (PC / PC VR and PS4 / PSVR)

Read / Watch Our Review

The Persistence recently became a multiplatform release but two years ago, developers Firesprite made waves on PSVR with their former exclusive. Finding your spaceship stranded in deep space and overrun by demonic creatures, you played the crew’s sole survivor, Zimri Elder, trying to make it through this horrific onslaught. Incorporating FPS and roguelike mechanics, death is a minor obstacle, finding Zimri cloned back to life each time and no two playthroughs are identical, changing the spaceship layout on each run. Now withVR optional on PC/PS4, it’s a great choice for horror fans.

Tetris Effect (PS4 / PSVR, PC / PC VR, and Quest)

Read Our Review

Tetris should require no introduction to most. With differently shaped blocks known as Tetrominos falling downward, you aim to clear lines by filling them up, earning points for speed. Since arriving in 1984, Tetris has seen many different releases, but news of a VR version surprised many in 2018. Helmed by Rez producer Tetsuya Mizuguchi, TetrisEffect retained the classic gameplay formula but split stages into three cinematic sections, activated by clearing a set number of lines. Bringing us stunning visuals and an excellent soundtrack, it launched with support for both VR and non-VR and comes highly recommended.

VRChat (PC / PC VR and Quest)

Read Our Coverage

It’s been three years since VRChat first launched but even now this free-to-play title retains a significant following. Featuring gameplay reminiscent of Second Life, VRChat is a user-driven experience, allowing players to create their own worlds, avatars and custom content. It may be surprising considering the name but VRChat isn’t limited to virtual reality, including a desktop mode so anyone can join, albeit with control limitations. Not every world caters to desktop users but ultimately, this experience comes down to you. Whether you’re looking to socialize, play some games or something else, there’s plenty of fun to be found.

There are undoubtedly countless others that we could have included. What are some of your picks for the best VR games that also have non-VR support?

The post 7 Great Non-VR Games With Must-Play VR Support appeared first on UploadVR.

August 27, 2018

Hands-on: Upcoming VR Shooter ‘Telefrag’ Boasts Impossible, Escher-style Arenas

Anshar Studios, the developers behind Detached (2017), showed off a new arena shooter at Gamescom this year. Dubbed Telefrag VR, the game (still in pre-alpha) pits you against another player in a futuristic, gladiatorial-style battle taking place in impossible spaces.

Set in an alternative history where the Roman Empire never fell and eventually set out into space, Telefrag tosses you into uniquely designed arenas which were seemingly inspired by M.C. Escher’s famous lithograph of impossible staircases, ‘Relativity‘. Here, you fight in a one vs one duel to the death with an arsenal of guns and your ability to teleport inside the other player, effectively killing them instantly (hence ‘telefrag’).

Maps are littered with ramps that take you upside-down and sideways, keeping you on your toes as you have to watch out for enemy fire from all directions.

Strapping into an Oculus Rift, I went head-to-head with the game’s level designer Michał Sapiński for a few matches in what should have been a fundamental break in comfortable VR design. I say ‘should have been’ because in the end Anshar has pushed the envelope into uncomfortable play territory, but pulled back somewhat to leave you with your lunch safely in your stomach. Case in point: you have to walk up a ramp and twist your equilibrium into accepting a new horizontal plane, which isn’t always the most comfortable in VR—but it’s done in such a way to make it basically a snag-free experience.

When you go up a ramp and the world inevitably rotates around you, it’s basically carried out via a series of mini-blink teleportations, and not one single smooth-turning gut-wrencher. This, in effect, let me move up and down ramps at the sort of speed and carelessness you would need in a heated 1v1 battle of cat and mouse. I tend to hate those types of world-shifting ramps, which seemed to plague the early days of consumer VR, but this didn’t seem to even give me the dreaded ‘VR sweats’, a telling precursor to full on nausea. I should mention the game isn’t exclusively a teleport-only experience, but was also demoed with smooth forward locomotion.

Shooting was a fairly standard experience, but the notion that I could teleport and dodge shots, block them with an energy shield and get close enough to telefrag, all really emphasized the sort of balance the studio is going for. Get too close to your opponent, and you’re dead, which usually means you’re trying to use the level’s geometry to your advantage as you search for tactically useful angles to surprise your opponent. Since your teleport movements make both noise and leaves a whispy trail behind you, it’s important to keep an eye and ear out for your enemy at all costs. Check out the tutorial below to get a good idea of some of the basics:

So what’s the objective in all of this? The arena game mode, I was told, allows you to fill three slots with your choice of weaponry. In a match, your individual loadout is put up as a wager, with the winner taking the loser’s equipment. In-game currency is doled out at the end of the match based on your score. With enough cash on-hand, the loser can buy back their lost loadout; a currency multiplier is awarded to the winner, and can be increased even further depending in their win streak.

Telefrag VR is slated to arrive on Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, OSVR and PSVR, although it’s currently in pre-alpha stage, so there’s no word on release date yet.

The post Hands-on: Upcoming VR Shooter ‘Telefrag’ Boasts Impossible, Escher-style Arenas appeared first on Road to VR.

July 23, 2018

VRobot, Detached and The Persistence all Arriving This Week for PlayStation VR

It may not seem like a bumper week for PlayStation VR owners with just three videogames scheduled to launch, but they do happen to be three titles worth a peek, VRobot, Detached and The Persistence.

The Persistence screenshot

Most PlayStation VR owners should already know about The Persistence, the sci-fi survival horror from Firesprite that’s exclusive to the headset. Players will have to work through a procedurally generated spaceship filled with their mutated crew mates.

Like any good survival horror, there are plenty of monster varieties as well as weaponry to dispatch them. As an added bonus, virtual reality (VR) players can invite their mates to help out via a companion mobile app to lure enemies, open doors, and disable traps. Or those friends can turn the other way and make the videogame even harder for the VR player. The Persistence will be releasing digitally on 24th July as will the companion app, with a disc version arriving on 25th July.

Keeping with the outer space, sci-fi theme but steering away from the horror element is Detached. Originally released for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, with cross-platform compatibility, Detached has both single-player and multiplayer modes, with the main focus being the latter. Designed to offer plenty of movement flexibility in a zero-g environment – especially in the PvP combat mode – Detached looks great but isn’t for those who easily suffer from VR nausea.

VRobot screenshot

Originally Detached was due to launch for PlayStation VR on 6th July, for whatever reason that’s now happening on 24th July.

Finally there’s VRobot, a madcap, over-the-top experience which is all about laying waste to cities as quickly as possible. Another PC VR title making its way over to PlayStation VR, VRobot put you in control of a giant robot, with the only object being to destroy cites as fast as possible using an array of weaponry like the Lightning Hammer, Transformer Sword, Tornado Gun and Tractor Beam, or even just with your own fists.

If any other titles do decide to make an appearance this week for PlayStation VR, VRFocus will let you know.

June 6, 2018

Detached Expands Cross-Platform PvP Mode to VR and Non-VR Players

Last month VRFocus reported on Anshar Studios announcing that its PvP combat title Detached, would be coming to PlayStation VR in July. The videogame already supports PC-based virtual reality (VR) headsets, HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, with cross-platform compatibility between them both. Today, the studio has revealed its gone one step further, not only ensuring PlayStation VR players can compete against their PC VR cousins but also non-VR players as well.

Detached screenshot

With VR still being fairly niche when it comes to the wider videogame market multiplayer titles can often struggle with getting enough players onboard. One of the ways developers are combating this is by making their title as cross-platform friendly and compatible as possible – the wider the headset support the more likely other players will be online.

Which is why Anshar Studios is making sure Detached will support gameplay no matter if you’re on Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, PlayStation VR, Windows Mixed Reality or even just a plain ol’ desktop.

Detached has two-multiplayer modes this will work on: Package Extraction – where players battle for cargo in the vacant void of space. They’ll need to use all possible means to attack their opponent and gain an advantage whilst avoiding attacks to get back to base. And Race; a pure adrenaline ride racing between pieces of broken shuttle and large asteroids.

Plus there’s a single-player campaign for those times where you want to be alone, having to survive against rapidly declining fuel and oxygen reserves.

All this multiplayer fun is due to take place in July. Originally Detached was due to launch for PlayStation VR on 5th July, but that’s now been moved back a day until the 6th. The Windows Mixed Reality and non-VR Steam version will also arrive the same day as PlayStation VR. Windows Mixed Reality and PlayStation VR owners will be able to get Detached for $24.99 USD / €24.99 EUR, while the Steam non‑VR version will be available for $14.99. Additionally, a free desktop demo version of Detached will soon be available. For any further updates on Detached, keep reading VRFocus.

January 7, 2018

Something for the Weekend: Oculus Store Price Drops Galore

The new year is here finally, and we’re kicking off 2018 by highlighting a bunch of deals and price drops you can find on the Oculus Store, just in case you got a fancy new Oculus Rift or Gear VR head-mounted display this Christmas.

We’ve got a bunch of titles here for you to peruse, from strategy titles, racing videogames, minigame collections and much more. Great for your new HMD, or to just add another videogame to your library to show off and play with friends.

Project CARS

The only way to make a modern, realistic driving simulator even more immersive is playing it in virtual reality (VR), and that’s exactly what Project CARS is for. The graphics, dynamic time of day and weather, and a host of different tuning mechanics for car nerds is sure to satisfy driving fans.

Project CARS – Game of the Year Edition is now £10.99 (GBP) on the Oculus Store, down from £39.99.

Nature Treks VR

Ever fancied being a God? Well, we don’t exactly have a VR deity simulator here, but Nature Treks VR comes pretty close in the moments where you can command the weather and set the sun. Nature Treks VR has even more content and environments since the latest update, making it a better deal than ever.

Nature Treks VR is only £4.49 (GBP), down from £7.99.

Loco Dojo

LocoDojo Screenshot 1_Guru

In Loco Dojo, you’ll go up against a variety of bizarre challenges against your friends, such as hooking pigs, shooting targets, knocking out teeth and more. It makes great use of the Oculus Touch controllers, and is a great way to introduce people to VR.

Loco Dojo is down to £7.99 (GBP) from £14.99.

Tethered

Tethered - Screenshot18

In this title from Secret Sorcery, The Peeps have given up hope, and as the Spirit Guardian, it’s up to you to restore life and balance to the world. The Peeps will fight for you, build for you, and lay down their lives on your orders. There are thirteen islands waiting for your help in this VR strategy, and there’s never been a better time to try it.

Tethered is down to £8.79 from £18.99.

Just In Time Incorporated

Just In Time Incorporated screenshot 3

Have you ever wanted to die? No? Well then you need Death Prevention Insurance, and that’s exactly what Just In Time Incorporated provides. You’ll be slowing down time, saving people jumping from buildings, protect them from explosions, or even take a chainsaw to them once you get sick of their attitude. Lovely.

Just In Time Incorporated is now £7.25 (GBP), down from £10.99.

Detached

Detached Race Mode

It’s a race against time. Your oxygen supply is low, your crew is missing, and for some reason every airlock requires solving a puzzle to open. Maddening. But such is the design of the spacecrafts of the future, and in Detached it’s up to you navigate in zero gravity and save your crew.

Detached is now £10.99 (GBP), previously £18.99.

Hidden Temple VR Adventure

hiddentemple3

If you’ve ever wanted to feel like Indiana Jones, but wanted to gracefully skirt around copyright issues, then Hidden Temple VR Adventure might be the perfect experience for you. Essentially a point-and-click for Gear VR, you’ll explore an ancient temple, solve puzzles, collect treasure and – hopefully – survive.

Hidden Temple VR Adventure is now £1.99 (GBP), previously £3.99.

Shufflepuck Cantina Deluxe

Travelling through space and billions of miles per hour, your vessel is sucked into a wormhole, and you awaken on an alien desert planet. A bit like Jakku, really. There’s nothing around but desert, and one large building. A casino. Where everyone plays air hockey. Yes. And you’ll play air hockey. This is basically an air hockey videogame, is what I’m trying to get at.

Shufflepuck Cantina Deluxe is now only £2.29 (GBP), down from £7.99.

Augmented Empire

Augmented_Empire_Screenshot_3

In Augmented Empire you’ll take control of six wacky characters and guide them through an “augmented reality” world. Climb the Citizen Grade System, and become much more than just a low-tier thug.

Augmented Empire is now £3.99 (GBP), down from £7.99.

In Car Racing VR

Oh yes, perhaps even better than Project CARS, here In Car Racing VR puts you in a car. And you race it. In VR. How can thing get better, you ask? Well, there’s easy controls, multiple sceneries, and multiple camera modes, of course. You can even set what kind of traffic you like. Amazing.

In Car Racing VR is only £0.79 (GBP), down from £2.29.

January 7, 2018

Something for the Weekend: Oculus Store Price Drops Galore

Project CARS

Project CARS – Game of the Year Edition is now £10.99 (GBP) on the Oculus Store, down from £39.99.

Nature Treks VR

Nature Treks VR is only £4.49 (GBP), down from £7.99.

Loco Dojo

LocoDojo Screenshot 1_Guru

Loco Dojo is down to £7.99 (GBP) from £14.99.

Tethered

Tethered - Screenshot18

Tethered is down to £8.79 from £18.99.

Just In Time Incorporated

Just In Time Incorporated screenshot 3

Just In Time Incorporated is now £7.25 (GBP), down from £10.99.

Detached

Detached Race Mode

Detached is now £10.99 (GBP), previously £18.99.

Hidden Temple VR Adventure

hiddentemple3

Hidden Temple VR Adventure is now £1.99 (GBP), previously £3.99.

Shufflepuck Cantina Deluxe

Shufflepuck Cantina Deluxe is now only £2.29 (GBP), down from £7.99.

Augmented Empire

Augmented_Empire_Screenshot_3

Augmented Empire is now £3.99 (GBP), down from £7.99.

In Car Racing VR

In Car Racing VR is only £0.79 (GBP), down from £2.29.

September 1, 2017

Detached Race Mode Goes Live

Last month developer Anshar Studios announced it was working on a new update to space combat title Detached that would bring in some improvements to the multiplayer parts of the videogame. That update is now live and available down download.

The new update includes a new ‘Race Mode’ that lets players challenge each other to a race through space in an EVA suit. Participation in this mode requires the player to have mastered the control of the advanced EVA suit as players will need to navigate carefully around the wreckage of the destroyed spaceship and even a small error can prove fatal.

A leaderboard has also been added in the new update, which is available in all game modes, and the developers have made creating and joining a game a more seamless experience with the private lobby, where players can select a control scheme and game mode before diving in.

For those who prefer single player, Simulation mode has been added. This adds increased realism to the title, with an enhanced weightlessness. Users can use this mode to hone their flight suit skills by carefully plotting routes through the debris field and discovering what it feels like to be an astronaut on a space walk.

Detached is available for HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and OSVR. Control methods supported by the title include gamepads such as the Xbox One controller, keyboard and mouse, or tracked motion controllers. It is currently priced at £18.99 (GBP) on Steam.

For further details, check out the VRFocus review of Detached, where we said: “Detached is a beautiful videogame, the first time you leave the space station spend a moment to take in the awe and majesty of the surroundings before getting on with things.”

VRFocus will bring you further news on Detached and other upcoming VR titles as it becomes available.

August 10, 2017

Race in Space in Detached’s Upcoming Multiplayer Update

Anshar Studios, the developer behind space combat title Detached, has announced a new update that’ll be released next month, focused on improving the multiplayer side of the videogame.

The studio will be adding a race mode for players to compete against each other, showcasing their EVA suit flying skills. The new mode will require players to navigate through checkpoints as quickly and smoothly as possible to win.

Detached Race Mode

In addition to the new race mode, a new map will also be included and a completely new game lobby where players will be able to easily join a match with a friend. Players who enjoy multiplayer competition will finally have the chance to show off their skills thanks to social rankings.

Lastly for those experienced players a new difficulty level will be available, Simulation. So the brake factor and movement speed have been reduced, allowing for free, undisturbed roaming.

These updates are due to go live at the beginning of September, with Ashar Studios yet to name a date.

If you’ve not played Detached before with videogame also has a single-player campaign with puzzles to solve, that gives players the opportunity to fine tune their flying skills before heading into the multiplayer mode. VRFocus reviewed the experience, giving it 4-stars and saying: “Detached has great elements to it, it looks good, the controls are excellent, and it offers some unique combat gameplay.”

As further updates for Detached are released, VRFocus will bring you the latest.