No Man’s Sky is getting a Starship Troopers mode in huge new update
No Man's Sky has become known for its constant updates, and its latest, Worlds Part 1, looks promising.
You can try No Man’s Sky for free this weekend
No Man's Sky just got a new update and is free-to-play this weekend.
‘No Man’s Sky’ Patch Brings Much Needed Foveated Rendering to PSVR 2 Version
Redemption arcs rarely last this long, but No Man’s Sky (2016) hasn’t given up on going above and beyond with its latest update, which finally fixes the visuals on PSVR 2.
The game’s initial release on PSVR earlier this year 2 wasn’t great, with users noting that visual quality simply wasn’t up to snuff. Players and reviewers alike decried the much beloved game’s blurriness on PSVR 2, which became an unfortunate fixture since the February 2023 update.
Now Hello Games has released its Echoes 4.4 patch which has completely overhauled visuals on PSVR 2 thanks to the inclusion of foveated rendering, an eye-tracking-driven rendering technique that only displays the area in the center of your eye’s gaze at max quality. Your peripheral vision isn’t that great at seeing detail anyway, so why waste precious resources to render where it matters the least? That’s foveated rendering in a nutshell; learn more about how eye-tracking goes way beyond foveated rendering here.
Echoes also brings a new race to the game, the Autophage, a long-hidden civilization of robotic beings. You’ll also encounter Pirate Dreadnoughts, which cruise between the stars and terrorise merchant fleets, and some more detailed ship controls that let you divert power to boost shields, move faster, or increase your firepower. Hell, there’s even a trench run in Dreadnoughts, which—terrible ship design flaw notwithstanding—sounds like a blast.
Checkout the Echoes update trailer below to see it all, or also read the game’s release log for the full rundown of recent updates.
No Man’s Sky PSVR 2 Review: Jumping to Hyperspeed
No Man’s Sky added PSVR 2 support to coincide with the headset’s launch last month, but how does the space sim hold up on the new headset? Read on for our full No Man’s Sky PSVR 2 review.
After a rocky start with its initial launch in 2016, Hello Games’ procedurally generated space sim No Man’s Sky has become the poster child for video game comebacks. Hello Games worked tirelessly on update after update, not only bringing features that people were expecting at launch, but later vastly expanding beyond many players’ wildest dreams.
In 2019, Hello Games added full VR support for No Man’s Sky, which we reviewed on PC VR headsets and the original PSVR for PS4. In February 2023, Hello Games launched the latest update, codenamed Fractal, bringing support for PSVR 2 to the PS5 version of the game. With that in mind, we’re here to give you our updated thoughts on what’s been added to the game over the past few years and how No Man’s Sky runs on PSVR 2.
For those who aren’t familiar, No Man’s Sky is a space adventure and survival sim, taking place in a procedurally generated infinite galaxy. You start out as an amnesiac astronaut, crash landed on an unknown planet. Your first goals are simple: charge up your life support and fix your equipment. Shortly after, you have a small ship to repair and then you can get out into space and visit other planets, space stations and then start to hop between solar systems. During the opening hours of the game, you’ll also be introduced to the base-building systems, alien races to trade and communicate with and much more.
I played and enjoyed No Man’s Sky at launch, but ended up putting the game down after around 20-30 hours as it started to get a bit same-y. I was just jumping from solar system to solar system, winding my way towards the centre of the universe and the current end of the basic story. Returning to the game for the Next Generation update at launch on PS5 and Xbox Series X, I found that the game was packed to the brim with new things to do, new features and new possibilities. It still felt like the same game at its core, but with a lot more polish.
New Frontiers
The latest Fractal update brings PSVR 2 support, but also an increase in texture quality, draw distance and added reflections when playing in VR mode for both PSVR 2 and PC. Hello Games has also added some PSVR 2 specific features, such as haptic support for the Sense controllers and headset itself. You can also now use the capacitive sensors in the trigger and grip buttons to perform gestures like pointing, waving or giving a thumbs up when in multiplayer. It even makes using the menus in PSVR 2 feel very natural – you can point with one hand a new wrist-mounted menu that, so you stay immersed in the world and feel like a proper sci-fi explorer. The vibration on your headset is great for immersion too, subtly rumbling when you leave planetary atmosphere or when a large animal or vehicle is moving close by.
Something that’s been added to all platforms with the Fractal update is new VR-specific interactions, like physically pulling open your canopy to exit your ship or grabbing and pulling various plant life and organic matter out in the world instead of just simply clicking on it. The grabbing interaction is especially forgiving on distance too, so if you undershoot your teleport you don’t have to re-position to interact with an object.
There’s been other updates along the way to the Next Generation and Fractal updates, adding everything from walking mechs, living ships for you to fly and animal companions for you to tame. They’ve also overhauled many aspects of the game, completely redoing the story and new player experience. Safe to say it’s a hugely different game, even when compared with the original VR support from 2019.
The biggest change for me was the new story experience and the redesigned space stations. My memory of space stations in No Man’s Sky was a sterile and small environment that might have one or two NPCs sitting behind desks. Coming back after the updates, I was immediately impressed to see much more going on in these stations. At one point, I even came across an abandoned capital ship drifting in space, looking like some sort of Aliens-style horror story in space. I didn’t have the right gear to get very far, but it’s encouraging to see opportunities like this arise naturally during exploration.
Touch The Sky
While not a complete VR novice, I had mostly played party games or smaller, more contained experiences before PSVR 2, so booting up No Man’s Sky in VR for the first time was an experience like nothing else.
In basic terms, No Man’s Sky’s gameplay loop is unchanged between flatscreen and VR – saves are even compatible with both VR and flatscreen mode, so you can take an old save and start it up in VR or vice versa. However, it’s the added immersion that’s the biggest change when playing in VR. People often talk about the PS4 Spider-Man game as being a game that made you really feel like Spider-Man, but it wasn’t until playing No Man’s Sky on PSVR 2 that I really felt like I was on another planet. There’s a pretty instant wow moment when you log in for the first time – I just stood still and spun around looking at the starting planet that the game had generated for me. While exploring my immediate surroundings, a massive capital ship warped into orbit above me and slowly flew across the planet. Details like that really ground the experience and make the world feel alive, giving the procedurally generated planets more of a sense of place than other PSVR 2 experiences I’ve tried.
Compared to other PSVR 2 launch titles, one of the biggest things that No Man’s Sky has going for it is the simple lack of boundaries and the abundance of open space. You truly can point at a mountain, and then go there. It might take you several hours on foot or a few seconds in your ship, but everywhere from the top of the highest mountains to the bottom of the ocean is accessible. It makes No Man’s Sky stand out from prettier but more guided and linear experiences like Horizon: Call of the Mountain.
While I am pretty much in love with the experience of playing No Man’s Sky on PSVR 2, it is a little graphically disappointing. I was hoping that the power of the PS5, combined with PSVR 2’s OLED screen and foveated rendering capabilities, would help the game look just as incredible in VR as it does on flatscreen. Unfortunately, that’s just not the case.
Visually, it is nonetheless a huge step up from the PS4 version for PSVR and the game still looks good, but it can sometimes seem a little blurry. Specifically, texture quality and the game’s resolution is sometimes quite low in-headset, meaning it’s just not as good to look at compared to the regular flatscreen mode. Hello Games seemingly hasn’t taken advantage of the PSVR 2’s foveated rendering capabilities at all, though there has been some outreach from the community requesting it. In terms of performance, I never had any issues while playing on PSVR 2, though I would say that’s to be expected from a seven year old title.
No Man’s Sky PSVR 2 Review – Final Verdict
Everything we said about the original VR version of No Man’s Sky is still true on PSVR 2 – you get an essentially endless, infinite universe to explore and a sense of scale that’s really hard to match in VR. While it’s still an upgrade compared to the original PSVR release, there’s nonetheless room for improvement in the visuals department. However, new enhancements for PSVR 2 make the game more immersive than ever, resulting in one of the best space survival sims available in VR. .
If you’ve ever wanted to leave your universe behind and have a space adventure from the comfort of your living room, I can’t think of a better way to do it than with No Man’s Sky on PSVR 2.
UploadVR focuses on a label system for reviews, rather than a numeric score. Our reviews fall into one of four categories: Essential, Recommended, Avoid and reviews that we leave unlabeled. You can read more about our review guidelines here.
No Man’s Sky Available Now On PlayStation VR2
No Man’s Sky is now available for PlayStation VR2, after initially being about announced as a launch window title.
Today is the day we’ve all been waiting for – PSVR 2 launch day. However, it seems there’s still a few surprises for those getting their hands on a headset today. While we thought it would be a bit longer until No Man’s Sky released its update with PSVR 2 support, Hello Games confirmed that it’s available today as part of the game’s first major update of the year.
The Fractal update, version 4.1 of No Man’s Sky, brings a bunch of new features to all versions of the game and some VR-specific changes as well. Hello Games says that the heads-up display (HUD) and user interface were completely remade for VR in this update to “ensure every interaction available in the game feels natural and built for purpose.” This includes new “VR-only” options for several interactions, such as directly grabbing plants and collectibles with your hands, physically opening cockpits and piloting spaceships directly with a throttle.
For PSVR 2 specifically, there’s support for headset haptics and adaptive trigger integration on the Sense controllers. No Man’s Sky also takes advantage of the increased horsepower of PS5 to offer better reflections, terrain tessellation, ultra quality textures, denser foliage and an increase in draw distance.
You can read the Fractal update patch notes here. No Man’s Sky is available for PS4 and PS5 here, now with PSVR 2 support.
Here’s Every Game Announced for PSVR 2
Sony has revealed the price and launch date for PSVR 2 in addition to its launch day lineup for PSVR 2. There’s a ton of stuff coming down the pipeline though as we approach the February 22nd launch of PSVR 2, so check out our mega roundup of everything confirmed both by Sony and indie developers looking to target PSVR 2.
There is a ton of overlap with the list of launch day titles announced by Sony. We overhauled this article to include those in addition to games that have been confirmed to arrive at some point on the headset.
We have what seems to be a fairly complete list of PSVR 2 games. Below, you’ll see our top picks along with their trailers and descriptions. The remaining list is available at the bottom of the article.
Top PSVR 2 Highlights
Gran Turismo 7 – [Launch Day]
Gran Turismo 7 will support PSVR 2 at the headset’s launch via a free upgrade for existing owners. The VR implementation looks like a big upgrade over what we saw in GT Sport. Not much else to say ‘sides vroom vroom.
Moss & Moss: Book II – [Launch Day]
Polyarc announced that both Moss and the sequel Moss: Book II are set to be launch titles on PSVR 2 when it releases in February next year, which follows the adventures of a pint-sized hero named Quill who journeys through a world fraught with enemies and plenty of puzzles to boot.
Both are said to include more visual detail such as lighting and texture improvements. Making use of PSVR 2’s hardware, players can expect eye-tracking to highlight key items, a two-controller setup, improved haptics, and adaptive triggers for added immersion when picking up items.
Horizon Call of the Mountain – [Launch Day]
Horizon Call of the Mountain isn’t a log flume ride or hollow VR “experience” like the trailer might suggest. Nay, developed by Sony’s first-party Guerrilla Games and Firesprite Studios, the first VR take on the Horizon universe is going to be an honest to goodness story campaign the devs say will take around seven hours to complete, along with some “additional content” included in the game.
Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge – [Launch Day]
Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge is an action-adventure experience where you’ll take on the role of a droid repair technician operating near the Outer Rim. First introduced on Meta Quest in 2020, this will be the first time this run-and-gun, Star Wars-flavored adventure will be available outside of the Meta ecosystem.
Check out our spoiler-free review here
Resident Evil Village – [Launch Day]
Capcom is bringing Resident Evil Village to PSVR 2, and it says the game will provide “an even deeper immersive experience by taking full advantage of the vivid graphics possible with the headset’s 4K HDR display, PlayStation VR2’s eye tracking, PS5’s 3D Audio and more.” Lady Dimitrescu awaits in this free DLC update to the base game!
Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4 is already available on Quest 2, although this particular version is a classic zombie shooter of another stripe. The game coming to PSVR 2 is actually the remake, so we’re getting all new everything this time around and not just uprezzed textures. We’re hoping the VR support is as good as the Quest 2 version, and decidedly better than RE7 Biohazard, which wasn’t bad, but it is showing its age since it was released in 2017.
Demeo – [Launch Day]
Created by VR veteran Resolution Games, Demeo is a VR take on a tabletop RPG dungeon crawler. It has fared remarkably well on Quest 2 and PC VR headsets since release in 2021, which is in part thanks to its basement-themed, D&D-style action that lets you unite with friends for a tactical gaming night from afar.
Kyak VR: Mirage – [Launch Day]
Paddle through the ice caves in Antarctica, kayak with dolphins in Costa Rica, conquer a thunderstorm in Norway and discover the canyons of Australia. In Kayak VR: Mirage, made exclusively for VR, you can explore these real-world locations with photorealistic graphics.
No Man’s Sky – [Before End of March]
The redemption story continues, as Hello Games vows to bring its space exploration simulator to PSVR 2, including all of the successive patches and DLC drops that took it from procedurally generated empty shell to a universe truly brimming with possibilities.
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners Chapter 2 – [Before end of March]
This is a full-fat sequel to VR’s most popular games as of late, The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners. Like the first in the series, you’ll scrounge around a post-apocalyptic New Orleans that’s not only brimming with the undead, but also rival gangs that you can choose to join or battle. Physics-based combat, low ammo supplies, and a very touchy stamina system means you’ll need to think long and hard before running into that crowd of walkers.
Firewall Ultra
It’s not clear how much “new” content we’re getting right out of the bat with First Contact’s next Firewall game, which like the original promises tactical squad-based shooting action across a host of maps, although Firewall Ultra is decidedly the future of the franchise. We can expect to see legacy maps, characters and weapons, but also updates for more of everything down the line.
Walkabout Mini Golf
Indie VR studio Mighty Coconut announced its smash success VR mini-golfing game Walkabout Mini Golf is making its way to PSVR 2. Arguably one of VR’s most favorite social gaming experiences, Walkabout Mini Golf is said to arrive on PSVR 2 “soon”, which is set to include cross-play with all supported versions of the game; this includes versions available through Steam, Meta Quest Store, Viveport, and Pico’s European-facing digital store.
The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR – [Before End of March]
Supermassive Games revealed The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR, or what it calls a “fast-paced roller coaster action-horror-shooter where every move you make, and everything you see, could mean the difference between life and death.” Set inside the sinister world of The Dark Pictures Anthology, Switchback VR makes good use of headset eye-tracking: some enemies only move when you blink (Visine not included).
Crossfire: Sierra Squad
Smilegate tossed out a trailer to a brand-new VR game called Crossfire: Sierra Squad, a first-person shooter in the Crossfire universe. The game is played either solo or in co-op mode with up to 4 players on a team as you battle against AI baddies. The studio says there are 39 types of weapons including pistols, rifles, throwable – and throw back-able – grenades and sniper rifles with revolutionary scope mechanics give you plenty of options to dispatch 17 types of enemies.
The Light Brigade – [Launch Day]
Funktronic Labs showed off a new single-player roguelike game called The Light Brigade which it says is “filled with immersive gunplay and moody mystery.” Uncover the mystery of the gloomy ‘Sunken World’ as you climb the ranks of the titular Light Brigade, unlock firearms and unique spells. The Light Brigade will be available for pre-order starting November 15th.
C-Smash VRS
Sega’s futuristic block-breaker, which you might remember from its launch on Dreamcast in 2001 or in arcades throughout Europe and Japan, is being reimagined for PSVR 2 with C-Smash VRS. It’s set to bring an immersive twist to Cosmic Smash’s low gravity squash-meets-blockbreaker gameplay, including single player, co-op, and 1v1 multiplayer modes—that’s what the ‘VRS’ stands for, both virtual reality and versus. Demo out March 23rd. Launch later this year.
Behemoth
Sink into an all new world of danger, survival, and mystery from Skydance Interactive, the creators behind The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners. In Behemoth, take on the role of a diseased wanderer lost in the frigid Forsaken Lands. Overcome dangerous environments, deadly warriors, and towering Behemoths using immersive, weighty VR combat and life-like physics. Travel through strange, otherworldly environments and overcome all, no matter how large, that stands in your way. Late 2023.
Hello Neighbor: Search and Rescue [Launch Day]
tinyBuild Games and Steel Wool Studios (Five Nights at Freddy’s) announced a VR take on viral indie hit Hello Neighbor, which is coming to both PSVR and PSVR 2 with cross-buy. “Mr. Peterson’s creepy house takes on a new level of immersion in VR, and there is nothing quite as scary as actually seeing that familiar shadow tower over you just before everything goes black,” tinyBuild says.
Pistol Whip VR – [Launch Day]
Cloudhead Games is bringing a free PSVR 2 upgrade to the PSVR version of its award-winning physical action-rhythm game where thrilling gunplay and dynamic tracks collide, creating a dreamscape world for players to blast, duck, and dodge their way through to become the ultimate action hero.
Cities VR – Enhanced Edition – [Launch Day]
With its intial launch on Quest earlier this year, Fast Travel Games managed to bring Cities: Skylines to VR, albeit in a slightly smaller package to run on VR hardware. Smaller, as in the size of your city: you’re actually a Godzilla-sized goliath towering over your little town as you manage all of its buildings and keep up with city planning.
Cosmonious High – [Launch Day]
Owlchemy Labs is known for highly interactive, super approachable VR games, such as award-winning titles Job Simulator and its sequel Vacation Simulator. This one went live a few months ago on Quest and PC VR headsets, and we can’t wait to see PSVR 2’s eye-tracking bring our avatars to life.
Zenith: The Last City – [Launch Day]
From Ramen VR comes the PSVR 2 version of its Kickstarter success story, the MMORPG know as Zenith: The Last City. Promised to be a day-one launch title, there are hundreds of hours of content to chew through in this well-realized VR native.
After The Fall – [Launch Day]
Launched on PC VR, Quest and the original PSVR, Vertigo Games is bringing an enhanced version of the co-op zombie shooter to PSVR 2. If you haven’t heard of it before, it’s essentially Left4Dead, but in VR, letting you sweep through levels with friends and strangers as you mow down massive hordes of zombioid baddies. Upgrade your stuff, come back for more.
Jurassic World Aftermath Collection – [Launch Day]
Coatsink originally brought this two-part psychological dino-thriller to Quest, making for a heart-pounding game of cat-and-mouse with a gaggle of Raptor baddies. Use your eyes and ears to alert you to impending doom, and hide from certain death if you can, Make sure to check out our spoiler-free review of both part 1 and 2 on Quest to see what’s in store.
Altair Breaker – [Launch Day]
Initially released on Steam and PSVR, Altair Breker is a map-based sword fighting game from the makers of Swords of Gargantua, Thirdverse. You can team up with three other friends or go it alone as you for an adventure that the studio says its for “players who want to experience stylish sword-fighting action and feel like the hero in an anime world.”
The Last Clockwinder – [Launch Day]
The Last Clockwinder is a puzzle automation game about making synchronized machines out of your own clones. Your mission is to repair the Clocktower: an ancient haven for the galaxy’s plants and seeds that’s fallen into disrepair. It won our PC VR Game of the Year 2022, so it definitively will find a good home on the very capable PSVR 2.
Fantasvision 202X – [Launch Day]
Originally released on the PlayStation 2 in 2000, Fantavision is a puzzle game based on the theme of fireworks. The game returns in an all-new title for PS VR2 powered by the Unreal Engine. The game is an artistic combination of action, shooting, strategy, and puzzles. The PSVR 2 headset and PSVR 2 Sense controller provides an immersive experience for you to fill the star-studded sky with sparkling fireworks.
The Tale of Onogoro – [Launch Day]
Amata K.K, creator of the escape adventure Last Labyrinth, returns with a co-op tale. Originally launched on Quest, PSVR 2 players will soon find themselves thrust into an all-too real parallel world where danger and mystery await. You’ll join forces with Hal, a shrine maiden who lives on the island of Onogoro. She’s not alone on the island: five giant, lethal Kami inhabit this isle as well.
Dyschronia: Chronos Alternate – [Launch Day]
Marine city, Astrum Close. Crime rate: 0.001%. In this idyllic metropolis, dreams are utilized to ensure crime is prevented before it even happens. The founder of this so-called paradise is killed in an unprecedented, theoretically impossible incident. Special Supervisor Hal Scion is assigned to this extraordinary case and tasked with unraveling the mystery threatening to plunge the city into disaster.
Other Games Announced for PSVR 2
- 2MD: VR Football Unleashed All-Star – Truant Pixel
- Across the Valley – FusionPlay
- Affected: The Asylum – Fallen Planet Studios
- Aliens VR – Survios
- Alvo – Mardonpol
- Afterlife VR – Split Light Studio
- Another Fisherman’s Tale – Innerspace VR and Veritgo Games
- Among Us VR – Schell Games and Innersloth
- Awesome Asteroids – Strange Games Studios
- Beat Saber – Beat Games
- Before Your Eyes – Skybound Interactive
- Black Top Hoops – Vinci Games
- Black Trail – Red Horizon
- Cave Digger 2: Dig Harder – VRKiwi
- Creed: Rise to Glory – Championship Edition – Survios
- Desperate: Vladivostok – MIROWIN, PM Studios
- Distortion VR – Future Mental Games
- Do Not Open – Nox Noctis
- Drums Rock – Garage 51
- Dropship Commander – Strange Games Studios
- Engram – Maze Theory
- Firmament – Cyan Worlds
- The Exorcist Legion VR: Sin – Pocket Money Games
- Galaxy Karts – VR Monkey
- Garden of the Sea – Neat Corporation
- Ghostbusters VR – nDreams, Sony Pictures Virtual Reality (SPVR)
- Ghosts of Tabor – Combat Waffle
- Golf+ – Golfscope Inc
- GORN – Devolver Digital
- Green Hell VR – Incuvo
- Grimlord – MetalCat Interactive Technology
- Hellsplit Arena – DeepType Games
- Hubris – Cyborn
- Hypestacks – Squirrel Bytes
- Job Simulator – Owlchemy
- Kayak VR: Mirage – Better Than Life
- Kizuna AI – Touch the Beat! – Gemdrops, Inc.
- The Last Worker – Wired Productions
- LONN – SixSense Studios
- LOW FI – Iris VR
- Madison – Bloodious Games
- Medieval Dynasty – RenderCube
- Mixture – Played With Fire
- Neolithic Dawn – James Bellian
- NFL Pro Era – StatusPro, Inc.
- Nock: Bow + Arrow Soccer – Normal VR
- Pavlov – Vankrupt Games
- Project Lousianna: The Bounds VR – Build the Light Studio
- Propagation Paradise Hotel – Wannadev Studio
- Puzzling Places – Realities.io
- Ragnarock – WanadevStudio
- Requisition – Arcadia VR
- Rez Infinite – Enhance
- Rezzil Player – Rezzil
- Runner – Truant Pixel
- Samurai Slaughter House – Tab Games
- Shadowgate VR: The Mines of Mythrok – Zojoi LLC. and Azure Drop Studios
- Song in the Smoke: Rekindled – 17-BIT
- Soul of Kaeru – BrainUp
- Startenders: Intergalactic Bartending – Yogscast
- Stranger Things: The VR Experience – Tender Claws
- Swordsman VR – Sinn Studio Inc.
- Synth Riders – Kluge Interactive
- Super Kit: To the Top – Electric Hat Games
- Tentacular – Devolver
- Tetris Effect: Connected – Enhance
- Thumper – Drool LLC
- Tin Hearts – Rogue Sun
- Townsmen VR – Handy Games
- The Twilight Zone VR – Pocket Money Games
- Ultrawings 2 – BitPlanet Games
- Unplugged: Air Guitar – Vertigo Games
- Vacation Simulator – Owlchemy
- Volcanic Core – Synthesis Universe
- VR Skater – DEFICIT Games
- The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners Chapter 1 – Skydance Interactive
- Wandering in Space – Moonseer Games
- Windlands 2 – Psytec Games
- What the Bat! – Triband
- X8 – Thirdverse
- Zombieland: Headshot Fever Reloaded – XR Games and Sony Pictures VR (SPVR)
Unannounced PSVR 2 Games
- Archiact sci-fi game
- Firesprite horror game
- Vitruvius VR sci-fi game
Update (February 21st, 2023): Sony keeps pumping out the blogpost features leading up to the big launch of PSVR 2 for February 22nd. Many of these have been marked with launch-day releases, which we’ve rounded up here, now tallying 40+ titles coming to PSVR 2.
We’ll be updating this list continuously, so check back soon!
Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments below so we can include it in our list!
No Man’s Sky’s ‘near-impossible’ Switch port is coming this fall
No Man's Sky has finally received its Nintendo Switch release date, and although it's arriving later than expected, it will still launch in 2022.
All the PlayStation VR2 Announcements From Sony’s State of Play
Sony Interactive Entertainment’s (SIE) State of Play presentations have become the company’s de facto way of making its PlayStation announcements, rather than event linked press events. The most recent showcase was jam-packed with exciting details, most notably a selection of virtual reality (VR) titles for PlayStation VR2.
If you did somehow miss all of the buzz surrounding what VR titles have been added to PlayStation VR2’s roster then take a look below.
Resident Evil 4 VR
The Resident Evil series has gone from strength to strength in VR in recent years, with Resident Evil 4 revived last year for Meta Quest 2. The State of Play event revealed that a PlayStation 5 edition is due for release on 23rd March 2023, showcasing the title in all its next-gen glory. Then, right at the end, was a PSVR2 tease, simply saying that “PlayStation VR2 content also in development”.
No indication of whether that’s full support or for bonus “VR” content as some PlayStation titles have done in the past. However, the PS5 version won’t be a 100% port of the original as Capcom will be: “reimagining the storyline of the game” whilst “modernizing the graphics and updating the controls.” So it won’t purely be a pretty makeover.
Resident Evil Village
There was more Resi good news, this time with Capcom confirming the very latest instalment, Resident Evil Village will be getting official VR treatment. Resident Evil Village will fully support PlayStation VR2, taking advantage of the headset’s eye tracking, motion controls and other features.
That means dual-wielding weapons, so you can switch up strategies by mixing between weapons. This was teased in the reveal trailer but no date was mentioned.
Horizon Call of the Mountain
Firesprite and Guerrilla Games teased Horizon Call of the Mountain earlier this year with a very brief trailer. Now, the teams have given gamers a much deeper look at the upcoming VR experience, the creatures they’ll encounter and the locations that await.
With SIE previously stating it wanted to move away simple “VR experiences” and from the gameplay trailer shown Horizon Call of the Mountain looks set to do just that. The PlayStation Blog confirms there will be a main story as well as an “immersive River Ride experience” that can be enjoyed by others watching on a connected TV.
No Man’s Sky VR
And for those eager to spend countless hours with their PlayStation VR2 on, Hello Games is working on bringing its popular space exploration title No Man’s Sky to the device. As it’s already available for PlayStation VR, the PSVR2 edition will: “take that sense of immersion and believability up by several major notches,” notes Hello Games’ founder Sean Murray.
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners – Chapter 2: Retribution
Having dropped the first teaser gameplay trailer for The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners – Chapter 2: Retribution back in March, Skydance Interactive and Skybound Entertainment released new footage of the zombie survival adventure whilst confirming both PlayStation VR and PlayStation VR2 support.
Continuing the story of The Tourist surviving the walker-infested streets of New Orleans, the PSVR2 version will offer enhanced visuals and haptic feedback support. This sequel is coming to supported headsets in 2022, with the PlayStation VR2 arriving in 2023 – seemingly confirming the headset’s launch next year.
SIE still hasn’t specified a release window or price for the upcoming headset but it’s looking more and more likely that 2023 will be the year. What has been detailed is the fact that 20+ videogames are currently earmarked for the VR devices’ arrival. As further details are made available gmw3 will let you know.
‘No Man’s Sky’ Currently in Development for PSVR 2, Possibly Arriving as a Free Update
The redemption arch for one of the biggest flops in gaming history still isn’t over. Hello Games announced at PlayStation’s State of Play that it’s bringing No Man’s Sky to PSVR 2.
No Man’s Sky has been playable on PSVR for around three years now with the launch of the game’s ‘Beyond’ update in 2019, however now the massive space exploration sandbox is looking to immerse users on PSVR 2 as well.
Hello Games says in a PS blogpost that with the power of PlayStation 5 and the PSVR 2 headset and Sense controllers, that it combines to “take that sense of immersion and believability up by several major notches.”
At very least, the addition of Sense controllers will certainly up the immersion as users will not only have significantly better controller tracking, but also better haptics all around, which should make punching out of atmo that much more realistic.
And that’s not even taking into account that PSVR 2’s display resolution is significantly higher than its aging predecessor. PSVR 2 also features head-mounted haptics and eye-tracking, which will be interesting to see too. Check out our comparison guide between PSVR and PSVR 2 to see just what the hardware has to offer.
The studio says it will be talking more about the specific features of No Man’s Sky for PlayStation VR2 in the coming months. We’ve seen other games announced at State of Play that suggest a 2023 launch, although Hello Games hasn’t said as much.
If it’s anything like its launch on PSVR though, support for PSVR 2 could likely land as a free update to the base game.
The post ‘No Man’s Sky’ Currently in Development for PSVR 2, Possibly Arriving as a Free Update appeared first on Road to VR.
Every PSVR 2 Game Revealed At State Of Play
This week’s State of Play PlayStation Showcase was a big one for PSVR 2.
Sony promised a sneak peek of games for its upcoming headset and it didn’t disappoint. In case you’re catching up, here’s every PSVR 2 game announced and shown during the event.
Resident Evil 4 Remake (PSVR 2 Supported Content)
Sony kicked off the show with a bang. We got our first look at the anticipated remake of Capcom’s survival horror epic, Resident Evil 4. The game will be a reimagining of the 2005 original with updated controls and new story elements. But the end of the trailer also confirmed that the game with have “PSVR 2 Supported Content”.
Note that this doesn’t confirm the full game will be playable inside VR; it sounds like we might get an additional mode or something similar. Of course, you can already play the original Resident Evil 4 in VR on Quest 2, which is exclusive to that platform. Might that exclusivity deal have something to do with the PSVR 2 content on offer here?
Resident Evil 8
Still, even if we don’t get the full Resident Evil 4 Remake experience in PSVR 2, we will be getting all of last year’s horror hit, Resident Evil 8, in the headset. A trailer showed the game being played with PSVR 2, including full motion controls with new elements like manual reloading and dual wielding weapons.
This one had long been rumored for PSVR 2 support and it made sense given that Resident Evil 7 was one of the first AAA games to implement the original PSVR headset. We can’t wait to revist the entire game inside VR once PSVR 2 is out. Of course, if you can’t wait that long, there’s already an incredible VR mod on PC.
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners Chapter 2 – Retribution
Another easy win for PSVR 2, the follow-up to Saints & Sinners was confirmed to be coming to the headset in 2023. We got a new trailer showing us more of the game than we’ve ever seen before, and confirmation that it’ll hit the original PSVR in 2022 and PSVR 2 next year.
That latter point is pertinent, as it seems to be the biggest hint yet that Sony’s next headset won’t arrive until 2023. Either way, we’re excited we’ll get to play the next game in one of our favorite VR series on the new device.
No Man’s Sky
Once again, we’d predicted we’d get a look at Hello Games’ sci-fi epic running on PSVR 2 at the show and we weren’t disappointed. No Man’s Sky already includes great VR support on PS4 and PC, so it stands to reason that the PSVR 2 support will be great. Expect this support to come via a free update, much as the original VR integration did a few years ago.
Horizon Call of the Mountain
The PSVR 2 section of the show closed out with another look at the PSVR 2-exclusive. This time around we seemed to get definitive proof that this will be a full game and not just a short, on-rails experience. We saw the player wielding a bow and arrow to take on robotic dinosaurs, much as you do in the core series. More than that, though, this seemed to be a really compelling graphical showcase for PSVR 2, and we’re likely to see the headset’s other new features implemented, too.
And that’s all the announcements for PSVR 2 at this week’s State of Play. We still didn’t get any release information for the headset itself, though it’s looking increasingly likely we’ll get it in 2023.
What reveals got you excited? Did Sony convince you to pick the headset up? Let us know in the comments below!