This Thanksgiving holiday is about be thankful and appreciating the amazing year of VR we have had so far. Unfortunately, that doesn’t really translate into a ton of amazing new content this week for Oculus Rift or Gear VR, rather a ton of great content on sale instead — mostly on Steam. However, there are enough new things here to tide you over a while longer.
If you missed last week, you can see those new releases here. And don’t forget that UploadVR has a Steam community group complete with a curated list of recommendations so that you don’t have to waste any money finding out what’s good in the world of VR. Plus — check out our list of the best Oculus Rift games and best Gear VR games for more suggestions!
Orion Trail VR, from Schell Games
Price: $7.99 (Oculus Rift)
In this intergalactic journey through the stars, you’re the captain of a new ship. It riffs on the humorous plight of games like Oregon Trail, with a fresh coat of paint that pits players against aliens and other trials and tribulations rather than the Old West.
Recommendation: Tons of replayability and great writing. Get it — we loved the Gear VR edition earlier this year.
NBA 2KVR Experience, from 2K
Price: $14.99 (Rift)
This simple collection of mini-games lets you shoot some hoops on the Oculus Rift. Aim the shot with your gaze and shoot with your Xbox One controller — or Touch when it releases. There are a few different game modes to pick from, as well as some local “pass-the-headset-around” multiplayer.
Recommendation: Hard pass. By the time Touch is out, you can just play VR Sports Challenge for free. It’s much better.
CoLab, from Pixel Federation
Price: $4.99 (Gear VR)
Witty and whimsical fits the Gear VR as well as a gloves on a chilly autumn afternoon. If you’re a fan of cerebral puzzle games such as Portal, or even Esper 1 and Esper 2, then this could scratch a special itch that’s festered for far too long.
Recommendation: One of the most clever releases in a while at a cheap price. Grab it.
Peronio Pop-Up Book, from Ovni Studios
Price: $2.99 (Gear VR)
Pop-up books are a ton of fun — they make reading more interactive and visually pleasing, which can be super important for younger kids. But now Peronio lets you take it a step further and really bring stories to life with the power of AR and VR.
Recommendation: This is really creative and younger children will surely love it. More details here.
Our Solar System, from Crenovator Smart Technology
Price: $2.99 (Gear VR)
Virtual reality is quickly making a name for itself as a go-to source of education content and now Our Solar System is proving that point even further. If you want more of the same sort of content that Star Chart offers, then this could be worth a look.
Recommendation: Cheap and effective, but not really useful if you’re not interested in the educational uses.
Gary the Gull, from Limitless
Price: Free (Rift)
Short animated features aren’t new to VR, or filmmaking in general, but with the added layer of immersion that VR affords, we can finally take things to new levels. You can actually interact with and communicate with Gary in this insightful short about a chatty seagull named Gary.
Recommendation: Charming and crafted by an experienced Pixar alum. Also it’s free! More information.
FIRMA, from Think Heavy
Price: $12.99 (Rift)
If you took the anxiety of piloting and landing a flying hunk of metal and death and distilled down into a single experience that could be played inside a VR headset, then that would be a fairly close approximation to what you’ve got here with FIRMA.
Recommendation: It’s intense and difficult, but well worth it if you’ve got the stomach.
Header Goal VR : Being Axel Rix, from Codemodeon
Price: $9.99 (Rift)
Move your head around and be prepared to bounce soccer balls at targets. If you found yourself incredibly jealous of PS VR owners last month when they get to enjoy the simple luxury of playing Headmaster, then you should be delighted to see the likes of Header Goal release this week.
Recommendation: Pretty simple and it gets old, especially at that price. Pass.
HordeZ, from Minjons and Zen VR
Price: $13.99 (Rift)
Previously only on the HTC Vive, HordeZ is making its way over to the Rift and Oculus Home, but surprisingly only with gamepad support. The best thing HordeZ has to offer is its exciting cooperative multiplayer zombie slaying festivities.
Recommendation: Maybe wait for Touch to see if it gets update, or grab it on Steam as a workaround. Worth the price with motion controllers.
SourVR Video Player, from River Twice Co., Ltd.
Price: Free (Rift)
SourVR aims to provide a streamlined video experience for 360-degree and other media that allows control via controller and an in-app library that accesses your computer’s media.
Recommendation: Free so give it a shot. May not be as good as other options.
Nothin’ But Net, from What Up Games, LLC
Price: $14.99 (Rift)
In this sports simulation, you get an experience built from the ground up for VR with a good collection of customization options and modes. Realistic physics, adjustable basketball goals, online multiplayer, and more make this a major force in the VR sports realm.
Recommendation: A must-have for basketball fans that completely outshines NBA 2KVR this week and it’s only in early access. Even better once Touch releases.
Lost in the Rift – Reborn, from Enno Gottschalk
Price: $4.99 (Rift)
Waking up in a tent in a forest, you must uncover what brought you there and what’s going on in this horror experience. There are strange lights guiding you along the way, but things may not be as they seem.
Recommendation: An overhaul of one of the very first VR horror games, but still quite scary to this date. Worth the price.
Tagged with: gear vr, new games, oculus, Oculus Home, releases, rift, steam
