‘Into the Radius 2’ Coming to PC VR Headsets This Summer via Steam Early Access, Trailer Here

CM Games, the developer behind the single-player survival shooter Into the Radius (2020), confirmed in a new gameplay trailer that its long-awaited sequel is coming to Steam Early Access this summer.

Update (April 15th, 2024): The game, which has both a single-player and four-player co-op campaign, just got its first trailer, linked below.

There’s still no word on whether the studio is considering a Quest version of the game, however we’ll be following along with the studio via the game’s Discord channel (invite link).

In the meantime, you can wishlist Into the Radius 2 on its Steam page

Original Article (December 14th, 2023): Like the first in the series, Into the Radius 2 is set to initially launch on Steam Early Access for PC VR headsets sometime in 2024. The team says EA will allow them to get valuable feedback and suggestions from players, something that “played a crucial role in shaping and enhancing the game,” CM Games says on the game’s Steam page.

While the original eventually made its way to Quest back in 2022, the studio says in a post on X (formerly Twitter), that Into the Radius 2 will “first follow an early access development cycle on Steam. We’ll mention other platforms when the time is right.”

Like the original, the game’s immersive survival shooter sequel is set in a realm of surreal landscapes and deadly anomalies known as Pechorsk Security Zone, something we described in our review of the Quest 2 version of the game as “a bit like Chernobyl meets Salvidor Dali.” Whatever the case, fans of the Soviet book Roadside Picnic (1972) and/or later film adaptation Stalker (1979) will definitely see where inspiration for the blighted zone come from.

The studio says EA users will be able to play both single-player and co-op modes, with the option to team up with up to 4 players, which from the get-go is said to offer a substantial location to explore, various types of anomalies to encounter, a range of weapons to wield, and a collection of artifacts—ability-boosting perks that change how you play the game.

There’s no clear date for when Early Access will launch on Steam; the release date is tentatively set for “2024”. The studio says however it hopes to spend a while in EA, with the full launch targeting release sometime “in late 2025.”

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One of VR’s Most Hardcore Apocalyptic Survival Games is Getting a Sequel

Into the Radius is a cult favorite for a reason, as it offers up some of the most hardcore gameplay in a very Stalker-inspired post-apocalyptic world, making for an absolutely unforgiving experience in the anomaly-ridden wasteland. Now developers CM Games say a sequel is in the works.

In a community update, CM Games says a second chapter to Into the Radius is currently being developed.

“We are in the pre-production phase, and will follow an Early Access development model like before when the time is right,” the studio says. “The original [Into the Radius] is a testament to how much our community has helped us in developing the game, and we want to continue this trend in the sequel.”

The studio says many user suggestions and ideas are currently being considered for the newest installment, although they’re not revealing anything beyond that right now. Into the Radius is currently available on SteamVR and Quest 2. The developers have said in the past that it’s also in development for other headsets, although there’s still no word on whether it’s coming to PSVR 2.

We’ll be following Into the Radius and its upcoming seqeuel via the game’s Discord (invite link), as CM Games is due to publish an FAQ soon that may answer more questions about the next chapter.

Here’s 3+ Minutes Of Into The Radius Quest 2 Gameplay

Developer CM Games has given us a lengthy new look at Quest 2 gameplay for VR shooter, Into The Radius.

Originally released for PC VR headsets, Into The Radius is a survival shooter inspired by games like the Stalker franchise. You explore a hostile wasteland relying on scavenged resources and weapons that you’ll need to maintain. The Quest 2 version is being developed by a separate team in close collaboration with CM.

New Into The Radius Quest 2 Gameplay Revealed

This week’s footage starts off with a look at cleaning your gear and loading out your inventory before heading off into the wastes. We see items like probes in action to locate anomalies and combat against the game’s shadowy enemies. Complete missions and you’ll earn cash to upgrade your gear.

As CM Games advises, you won’t be able to win every fight, making stealth another key part of the game. The full PC VR experience is being translated to Quest 2, but more updates are expected for the PC version in the future, too. We thought the game was a decent translation of Stalker to VR when we played it a few years ago, though it’s seen plenty of changes since then.

Currently Into The Radius is due to arrive on Quest 2 in September, with a closed beta planned for this summer. You can sign up to take part in that testing phase right here.

What did you make of the new Into The Radius Quest 2 gameplay? Let us know in the comments below and make sure to look out for another clip of the game at the Upload VR Showcase on June 9!

Open World Survival Game ‘Into the Radius’ Coming to Quest 2 in September, Trailer Here

The Stalker-inspired survival game Into the Radius (2020) has seen its share of success on SteamVR headsets when it initially released in Early Access in late 2019. Now the studio says it’s bringing the open world game to Quest 2 later this year.

Into the Radius is a single-player survival shooter that, much like the Soviet film Stalker (1979)—loosely based on the 1972 novel Roadside Picnic—you walk an irradiated wasteland and experience some mind-bending landscapes and entities.

In the Pechorsk Radius zone you need to use stealth, climbing and realistic firearms to explore, scavenge for loot and recover strange artifacts in an unforgiving dystopian environment. Developers CM Games says Into the Radius offers “20+ hours of gameplay.”

Now CM Games says it’s bringing the post-apocalyptic survival shooter to Meta Quest 2 in September 2022. In the meantime, the studio says it will be running closed beta tests, which you can sign up for here.

On SteamVR headsets, the game has done remarkably well, garnering a ‘Very Positive’ overall user rating from of over 3,000 players since it left Early Access back in 2020.

Notably, all of the footage in the new announce trailer was captured on Quest 2, which is a good sign since the game’s complex, physics-based gameplay and realistic gun-handling are big attractions.

The post Open World Survival Game ‘Into the Radius’ Coming to Quest 2 in September, Trailer Here appeared first on Road to VR.

Stalker-Inspired Shooter Into The Radius Is Coming To Quest 2

Slow-paced survival shooter, Into The Radius, is on its way to Quest 2.

Developer CM Games confirmed the news today. The Quest port is being handled by a different studio in “close collaboration” with CM, and is due to arrive on the platform in September. We also got our first look at footage from the standalone version of the game, which you can see below.

Into The Radius takes clear inspiration from the STALKER series of atmospheric shooters, forcing players to use stealth and maintain their gear as they explore a harsh and unforgiving landscape. The game first came to PC VR headsets via early access a few years back, and since launched in full, although CM Games still adds new updates to it.

In today’s update, the studio confirmed that this version will have the same content and features as the PC version, and that both editions of the game will get content updates going forward. Though some of the work bringing the game to Quest will find its way to PC, the studio says the original version of the game will not suffer graphically.

We thought the 2020 edition of the game was a decent shooter, though it lacked polish. We’ll definitely be interested to revisit the game later on in the year to find out how it’s shaping up, then.

Don’t want to wait another 5 months? A private beta will be launching soon, and you can sign up to take part here. Are you going to be checking out Into The Radius on Quest? Let us know in the comments below!

Gritty Survival Horror Into the Radius Coming to Meta Quest 2 in 2022

With the likes of Resident Evil 4, Song in the Smoke and most recently Green Hell VR, Meta Quest 2 owners are being treated to some truly excellent survival adventure videogames. Later this year that list could be growing with CM Games announcing that its title Into the Radius will arrive for the standalone headset.

Into the Radius

Originally released as an early access PC VR title before seeing an official launch in the summer of 2020, Into the Radius drops you into a dark, mysterious world that’s been designed for virtual reality (VR) veterans. Set within an area called the Pechorsk Radius zone, this post-apocalyptic landscape is a hellish nightmare filled with dangerous anomalies and abandoned settlements.

Offering an open world to explore with miles of forests, swamps, and crumbling industrial areas to scavenge for valuable resources, you’ll need to defend against (or avoid) the shadowy anomalies, toxic gas and other dangers. Into the Radius is built around realistic physics, so classic firearms like the SKS Carbine, M9 Beretta, and PPsh all require manual reloading whilst bullets drop and ricochet accordingly.

The Meta Quest 2 version of Into the Radius will be a completely separate version from the PC VR edition notes CM Games to gmw3. However, the team does say: “we plan to make it content and feature identical with the PC version.” Into the Radius is a good looking title on PC so naturally, the Quest 2 version will be taking a graphical hit to work; as you can see in the trailer below.

Into the Radius

The developer will be using the optimisation lessons learnt to make the PC VR version even better, remarking: “Many of the internal optimizations done for the Meta version will be used later in PC version in some form. PC version graphics or features are not going to be affected, do not worry.”

Into the Radius for Meta Quest 2 is currently slated to arrive in September 2022 but some of you will be able to grab an early sneak peek. CM Games will be running a closed beta test soon, if you want to take part then sign up here. As further details arise regarding this new Into the Radius edition, keep reading gmw3.

VR FPS Into The Radius Gets A Huge 2.0 Update With Graphics Overhaul, Weapon Upgrades

STALKER-like VR shooter, Into The Radius, just got a huge 2.0 upgrade with plenty of new features.

The update, now available for the PC VR game, is the biggest developer CM Games has released for the project since its launch in July last year. Headlining the patch is a graphics overhaul that focuses on better lighting and detail as well as aiming to improve the overall performance of the game. Check out some screenshots of the overhaul below.

You can also expect new weapon upgrades and modifications, as well as new ammo types to go with them. Plus there’s an increase to enemy variety, changes to the structure of the map and an expansion to the game’s story and lore. There are even additional missions to help give players a chance to settle into the game’s progression system.

Into The Radius v2 Update

There are also bug fixes and tweaks, including issues with Oculus controllers and handheld maps.

We reviewed the original release of Into The Radius in 2020, giving the game a ‘Good’ rating. “Despite its flaws and unpolished nature, Into the Radius is still a good VR game worth playing if you’re a fan of the setting or looking for something dense to dig into,” we said. “You can easily get upwards of 15 hours of content out of this game and the developers seem eager to continue working on it.”

Hopefully these changes will bring about a lot of fixes to our original issues, then. No word yet on possible additional versions of the game for other headsets, but we’ll keep you updated.

 

 

Get Lost in VR With Steam’s Open World Celebration

No Man's Sky

Just in time for payday weekend, Steam rolls out a limited time sale dedicated to exploration and open-world adventures, with some rather nice discounts on virtual reality (VR) compatible titles. So if you fancy spending the weekend shunning the outside world for one that’s digital, here might be a good place to start.

The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners

Steam’s Open World sale is fairly limited in time in comparison to its more seasonal events, with discounts available until 31st May at 10am PT (6pm BST). Discounts seem to range from a modest 20% off to the far more eye-catching 80%+ on a few select titles.

While some skirt the line between open-world and more linear, narrative-based adventures here are some which caught VRFocus’ eye. Hello Games’ sci-fi epic No Man’s Sky is one of the prominent of the bunch with a 50% discount dropping it down to £19.99. Staying with the sci-fi theme you’ve always got Elite Dangerous which only costs £4.99 thanks to a 75% discount – great for those who love HOTAS controls. Or there’s always Star Wars: Squadrons for a more arcade-action experience, currently retailing for £13.99 off a 60% discount.

Not into sci-fi? How about something a little more horrifying? Endnight Games’ The Forest is in the sale, pitting you against cannibalistic mutants for the rock bottom price of £6.97, a nice 55% saving. On the post-apocalyptic front, there’s Into the Radius VR where you can try and survive the Pechorsk Radius zone for £16.65, only a 30% saving on that one. But who doesn’t love a good zombie survival videogame? Arizona Sunshine always seems to be discounted, currently at £11.89, whilst the rather excellent The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners‘ 20% offer drops it to £24.79.

Ultimate Fishing Simulator

It’s also worth taking a look at:

Of course, there are plenty more VR titles in the sale so it’s worth taking a look. VRFocus will continue its coverage of the latest VR deals, reporting back with further updates.

Nvidia’s First DLSS Compatible VR Games Include No Man’s Sky

No Man's Sky Origins

NVIDIA’s DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) technology allows PC gamers who are running GeForce RTX GPU’s to improve the graphics performance of their rigs using AI. Since launch, over 50 videogames have steadily added support but for a technology that would obviously benefit from it, virtual reality (VR) hasn’t been included; until now that is. Today, NVIDIA has confirmed three VR titles are now DLSS compatible.

Into the Radius
Into the Radius

The most prominent of those videogames is most certainly Hello Games’ No Man’s Sky. Whether you’re playing in VR or non-VR modes NVIDIA DLSS “doubles your VR performance at the Ultra graphics preset” the company claims. Plus, if you happen to be on an Oculus Quest 2, with DLSS on it’ll maintain 90 FPS with a GeForce RTX 3080. Standard desktop gaming should see a performance boost of up to 70% at 4K.

Also on the compatible list is Into the Radius, a survival shooter which launched last year. Set in a post-apocalyptic zone inside Russia with a misty, grim-looking environment, DLSS will add an improvement to the anti-aliasing, so shimmering and stair-stepping on objects and foliage should be reduced for a more immersive experience. Lastly, car mechanic sim Wrench has gotten the AI-powered treatment. Players could see a performance boost of up to 80% on top of the ability to enable ray-traced effects in both VR and desktop modes. Making those engines look super detailed and visually gorgeous.

Hopefully, this is just the start for NVIDIA DLSS support for VR videogames, with more to come in the following months. There are certainly a number of high-end, performance-hungry VR titles VRFocus can think of which would benefit from these sort of improvements.

Wrench screenshot
Wrench

As for the other non-VR games on the list AMID EVIL, Aron’s Adventure, Everspace 2, Metro Exodus PC Enhanced Edition, Redout: Space Assault, and Scavengers can now use the feature.

You do, of course, still need the right GPU’s to enable NVIDIA DLSS in the first place. They include the RTX 3060, RTX 3060 Ti; RTX 3070, RTX 3080, and the all-powerful RTX 3090. Getting one, on the other hand, is another matter, with stock continually sold out at most retailers.

Should further VR videogames add DLSS support, VRFocus will let you know.

‘No Man’s Sky’, ‘Into the Radius’ & ‘Wrench’ Among First VR Games to Support DLSS

NVIDIA’s Deep Learning Supersampling (DLSS) is a technology native to RTX cards which, through the power of onboard AI, can intelligently increase the resolution of rendered frames in games. DLSS has been available for VR for a few months now, and we’re just starting to see more games support the performance-boosting tech. NVIDIA says the first VR games on the list are Into the Radius (2020), No Man’s Sky (2016) and Wrench (2018).

Update (May 21st, 2021): NVIDIA has announced that two more VR games have been added to this list since it first announced Into the Radius was the first VR game to include DLSS. In addition to Into the Radius, both No Man’s Sky and Wrench now include DLSS. Wrench is also said to feature ray-tracing. Here’s what NIVIDA says about all three:

  • No Man’s Sky: When playing No Man’s Sky in VR mode, DLSS doubles your VR performance at the Ultra graphics preset and maintains 90 FPS on an Oculus Quest 2 with a GeForce RTX 3080.
  • Wrench: Ray-tracing and DLSS comes to VR in today’s update. DLSS boosts performance by up to 80% for this mechanic sim, making it possible to enable ray-traced effects for both its desktop and virtual reality modes
  • Into The Radius: With NVIDIA DLSS in the Virtual Reality survival shooter, players will discover a noticeable improvement to anti-aliasing, which greatly reduces shimmering and stair-stepping on objects and foliage, further enhancing image quality and immersion.

Original Article (March 31st, 2021): DLSS is a feature available on RTX 20/30-series GPUs, but must be included by individual developers. Now about six months after the release of the DLSS 2.1 update, which included support for VR headsets, developers CM Games took a step as one of the first to include support for the technology.

Granted, Into The Radius isn’t the absolute first VR game (or rather, VR-supported game) to adopt DLSS. Only two months after DLSS 2.1 released with VR support, battle simulator War Thunder (2013) announced it had enabled DLSS as well, however users found mixed results when playing the game in VR.

What does DLSS do exactly? Road to VR’s Ben Lang describes it best in his initial reporting on DLSS for VR:

The goal is to achieve the same resolution and level of detail as a natively rendered frame of the same resolution, and to do the whole thing more efficiently. Doing so means more graphical processing power is available for other things like better lighting, textures, or simply increasing the framerate overall.

For instance, a game with support for DLSS may render its native frame at 1,920 × 1,080 and then use DLSS to up-res the frame to 3,840 × 2,160. In many cases this is faster and preserves a nearly identical level of detail compared to natively rendering the frame at 3,840 × 2,160 in the first place.

If you’re looking for something more visual, War Thunder released a side-by-side comparison of how the game looks with DLSS toggled on and off. This is of course a flatscreen comparison, but the basic concept is the same.


Do you know of any other VR games which have included DLSS? Let us know in the comments below!

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