Sony revealed PSVR 2 outperformed the original PSVR in sales in the first six weeks, taking a strong early lead over the company’s first-gen PlayStation headset.
An investor relations presentation delivered by Sony Interactive Entertainment chief Jim Ryan includes some new information detailing PSVR 2 units sales relative to the original PSVR launched in October 2016.
According to a chart in Ryan’s presentation, Sony’s latest headset has sold 8% more than the original in the first six weeks, ostensibly spanning from its February 22nd, 2023 launch to April 5th.
Image courtesy Sony
The graph’s y-axis is unlabeled, although it’s likely those numbers are in the thousands of units, which would mean PSVR 2 sold around 450,000 units in its first week, trailing up to just under 600,000 at the six-week mark.
PSVR 2’s adoption curve is notably flatter than the original PSVR, which started at just north of 300,000 units in its first week, ending up at around 550,000 units by week six. When Sony last released sales figures in 2020, the original PSVR had sold around 5 million lifetime units. Notably, PSVR reached its first million in just under its five months.
PSVR 2’s game library consists of a few strong anchor titles, such as Horizon Call of the Mountain, Resident Evil Village, and Gran Turismo 7 while offering an array of upgraded PSVR content and newly ported Quest titles. Upcoming titles include Ghostbusters VR, Beat Saber, Crossfire: Sierra Squad, Resident Evil 4, Synapse, The Foglands, Green Hell VR, and Behemoth.
To keep PSVR 2’s unit sales above the original, the company undoubtably needs to focus on widening its content offering in the coming months. The company is hosting a PlayStation gaming showcase later today which we hope will reveal a little more about the company’s near-term content strategy for PSVR 2.
PlayStation today revealed an updated list of launch day and “launch window” titles for PSVR 2. Notable highlights include Demeo, Gran Turismo 7, Horizon Call of the Mountain, and Resident Evil Village, although there’s no word on when VR’s favorite block-slashing game is making the move to Sony’s next-gen VR headset.
First, here’s the list of guaranteed launch day games coming on February 22nd, 2023. Some games are re-releasing completely, providing a paid pathway for upgrades, or coming as a free upgrade to players who already own the title for the original PSVR. We’ve put that info in bold for easier reading:
Swordsman VR (Sinn Studio Inc., free PS VR2 upgrade until May 2023)
Synth Riders (Kluge Interactive, free upgrade)
The Tale of Onogoro (Amata K.K)
Tentacular (Devolver)
Tetris Effect: Connected (Enhance)
Thumper (Drool LLC)
Townsmen VR (HandyGames)
Unplugged: Air Guitar (Vertigo Games)
Vacation Simulator (Owlchemy)
What the Bat! (Triband)
Zenith: The Last City (Ramen VR, free upgrade)
Zombieland: Headshot Fever Reloaded (XR Games and SPVR)
There are also a handful of “launch window” games announced, which are said to arrive “through March”:
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners: Ch. 2: Retribution (Skydance)
Ragnarock (WanadevStudio)
No Man’s Sky (Hello Games)
Nock: Bow + Arrow Soccer (Normal VR)
GORN (Devolver Digital)
Creed: Rise to Glory – Championship Edition (Survios)
The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR (Supermassive)
Before Your Eyes (Skybound Interactive)
Curiously missing from the list is the promised Beat Saber, which again ranked as the top-downloaded game on PSVR this past year. PlayStation says in its big blogpost info dump that more games will be confirm their launch window availability up until February 22nd, so we’ll be updating this piece to reflect all of the launch content coming to PSVR 2.
Update (February 21st, 2023): We’ve updated this list to include 10 more titles revealed by Sony today.
The lack of backwards compatibility between PSVR 2 and the original PSVR is a bit of a double-edged sword. On one hand, we’re getting a ton of games for Sony’s next-gen VR headset that have been specifically built or overhauled to make use of the new hardware, but it also means a lot of games in your PSVR library will forever be stuck in the past.
Thankfully, there are a handful of developers who have pledged free PSVR 2 support for their games, many of which you can already grab on the store before the headset launches on February 22nd, 2023.
Note: There are a ton of games coming to PSVR 2 you might recognize, although not all studios have mentioned free PSVR 2 support for those games. We’ll be updating this list, so check back for more. Also, in addition to previously released titles getting new PSVR 2 support, we’ve also included brand new titles launching with both PSVR and PSVR 2 support. You’ll find those at the bottom, labeled [NEW].
We’ve also included a [Awaiting Further Confirmation] section at the bottom, which we are in the process of vetting.
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners
Based on the series’ graphic novels, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners tosses you into the flooded ruins of New Orleans, where you face gut-wrenching choices: Kill the zombies? Sure. Join a gang? Okay. Execute someone who may be innocent to maintain an alliance..? That one’s on you. While not a launch title, Skydance is bringing the free PSVR 2 upgrade on March 21st, arriving alongside the sequel as it finally leaves Quest exclusivity.
Puzzling Places is a jigsaw puzzle for the virtual age, bringing to life a vast selection of real-world places that were captured with a technique called photogrammetry. Sit back and relax with a lower number of pieces and enjoy the intricate bits of each puzzling scene, or go for the most difficult mode where you’ll find yourself matching carpet patterns and wooden desk venires in one of the most surprisingly fun purist puzzle games out there. Yup, previously purchased DLC is coming over too.
Looking for a survival game that lets you craft everything you need to fend off the wild primeval beasties of the nigth? Song in the Smoke has your number, and the ‘rekindled’ edition for PSVR 2 is said to be fully remastered with supercharged graphics, new haptics for Sense Controllers, and a new free jump and clamber mode.
Kluge Interactive announced a remastered version of its hit rhythm game Synth Riders. This includes remastered visuals, more nuanced controller haptics, headset feedback for in-game obstacles, next-gen performance and SSD optimization to dramatically reduce load times. And yes, it includes all music DLC previously purchased on the original PSVR so you can pick up where you last left off.
NFL PRO ERA is the first fully licensed NFL VR sim that puts you in the shoes of QB of your favorite NFL team. Lead your team to a Super Bowl, improve your QB skills by participating in drills, or play catch virtually with your friends in your favorite NFL stadium.
During Sony’s CES 2023 conference, the company announced that Gran Turismo 7 will support PSVR 2 at the headset’s launch via a free upgrade for existing owners. Not much was shared about exactly how the game’s VR compatibility will work, including whether it would support the headset’s new motion controllers or rely on the standard PS5 gamepad. Still, it’s a pretty exciting prospect since GT7 is a big upgrade over GT Sport.
A free PSVR 2 upgrade is expected at the headset’s launch in February, which includes the entirety of its main story in VR. We went hands-on with Village back in September, and it proved to not only one of the best-looking games on PS5 to date, but probably one of the best in VR, offering up a level of visual detail that approaches Half-Life: Alyx territory.
Team zombie shooter After the Fall is cross-compatible with PC and Quest, but it’s soon to be available on PSVR 2 too, as Vertigo Games is tossing out support for Sony’s latest and greatest at some point in early 2023. It’s basically Left 4 Dead in VR, and it’s most definitely worth getting a team together since this horde shooter is cross-compatible with PSVR, Quest, and PC VR headsets.
This space simulator used to be considered gaming’s biggest flop, but thanks to Hello Games’ continuous updates it’s become the industry’s biggest redemption story. With the promise of free PSVR 2 support, you’ll be able to strap into No Man’s Sky on launch day with your shiny new headset.
Pistol Whip is a rhythm-shooter from Cloudhead Games, which has thrown out tons of updates and free DLC to keep you blasting away like John Wick to some pretty infectious beats. On PSVR 2, the game is said to offer fine-tuned haptics, adaptive triggers, higher resolution, 3D audio, and SSD optimization to bolster how the game loads and runs.
Zenith: The Last City is one of VR’s most successful MMOs to date, offering up hundreds of hours of quests, jobs, classes, you name it. Developers Ramen VR say it’s getting a free PSVR 2 upgrade. If you already own the PS4 version, the PSVR 2-supported PS5 version is already free to download, so nab it early so you can play with all of your friends on Quest, PC VR headsets, and the original PSVR.
This is a new title coming to both PSVR and PSVR 2, developed by Funktronic Labs, the studio behind Fujii and Cosmic Trip. The Light Brigade tosses you on a procedurally-generated journey to free the souls of the fallen trapped within, making for a tactical roguelike shooting experience you can play on launch-day.
Hello Neighbor: Search and Rescue is another new title getting both PSVR and PSVR 2 support, letting you delve into the same universe of the popular Hello Neighbor stealth horror series. Sneak into your creepy neighbor’s house to save your friend, and don’t get caught.
Cave Digger 2: Dig Harder is a 1-4 player VR adventure game set in an alternative western frontier, where discoveries, dangers and digging await the Prospector. The player is a Prospector who begins their adventure in a seemingly abandoned camp with a goal to extract valuables from the caves, to trade them for new tools, upgrades, and locations in order to advance their frontier exploration.
As the original gangster of VR launch titles, Job Simulator is making the jump to PSVR 2 for free. Yes, you’ll be able to job with the best of them upon PSVR 2’s February 22nd launch in this parody game that is all about stepping into the world of work from a future robot’s point of view.
The sequel to Job Simulator, Vacation Simulator imagines what vacations must have been like in during the age of humanity. This parody game is bigger and arguably funnier than the first, taking you to more locales and giving you more mad cap fun along the way.
Abducted by accident and enrolled into the Startenders Bartending Academy, you will have to shake, slice and serve to survive until you can find a way to escape! Use your skills to create delicious concoctions to serve to your alien patrons, use wacky machines and even wackier ingredients to earn your way home.
In The Tale of Onogoro, Haru has summoned you to the magical Onogoro Island, a floating island in a parallel world. Together, you must solve sprawling puzzles and defeat giant beasts called ‘Kami’ that are blocking your path.
There are a number of games that many expect, or have heard will get either cross-buy or some form of free PSVR 2 upgrade at some point. We’re in the process of verifying these titles; they still have poor documentation (some guy in Discord said it!), or studios haven’t fully committed to free support (“We want to, but we still have to figure it out..)
We’ll move these up to the section above as studios release word, or we find verifiable confirmation. Remember, this list is growing rapidly, so feel free to comment and let us know so we can make this the most complete and accurate article on the subject.
Beat Saber – Beat Games (Meta)
ALVO – Mordonpool
Suicide Guy VR – Chubby Pixel
Swordsman VR – SinnStudio
Windlands 2 – Psytec Games
Rc Airplane Challenge – Strange Games Studios
– – — – –
Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments below, as we’ll be updating this article all the way up to PSVR 2’s launch in February.
It’s been a pretty decent year for VR so far, but there’s still a huge number of games releasing for Quest, PC VR and PSVR in the second half of 2022.
We’ve compiled a list of every confirmed title below — while some have confirmed release dates or months, there’s quite a few games without a specific date yet. Some just have a season or vague release window, but many others are just scheduled for 2022 without any other specifics.
At the very end, there’s a few games we know are in development, but without any indication of release window. Even if unlikely, a lot of these titles could hypothetically be a surprise release before the end of the year — fingers crossed.
2022 VR Games
Kayak VR: Mirage (June 28) – PC VR
A visually arresting take on kayaking in VR, this physics-driven experience lets you take part in single-player exploration and races across several stunning environments.
Wands Alliances (June 30) – Quest 2
Cortopia Studios follows up on its multiplayer spell-battling game with a new title that features 3v3 matches. Pick your spells and jump into arenas to magical combat with a tactical twist.
Vail VR (Beta, July 1) – PC VR
Competitive VR shooter Vail will be going into beta in July after an extensive alpha testing period.
Moss: Book II (July 21) – Quest 2
While already available on PSVR, this follow-up platformer starring adventurous mouse Quill will come to Quest 2 towards the end of July.
The Twilight Zone VR (July 14) – Quest 2
The Twilight Zone VR will launch with three different tales (or ‘episodes’), each essentially a mini story, that span different genres and are handled by different writers, much like a serialized TV show. A PSVR version will release at a later date — no word on potential PC VR or PSVR 2 releases just yet thought.
Nerf: Ultimate Championship (August 25) – Quest 2
Nerf: Ultimate Championship brings foam bullet action into VR as a team-based multiplayer first-person shooter. You’ll be able to choose between different blasters and play across control point and arena modes, with some parkour mechanics thrown in for good measure.
The Chewllers (Summer, Early Access) – Quest
This four-player co-op game will see you stand atop a tower, covering all angles as the horde or Chewllers approaches. Upgrade your weapons and repair your tower between waves to hold out as long as possible. The game will launch in early access for Quest this summer, with PC VR and PSVR releases planned later down the line.
Requisition VR (Early Access in September) – PC VR
When it launches this fall, NFL Pro Era will be the first officially-licensed NFL VR game, available for Quest 2 and PSVR. It will include all 32 professional NFL teams and will let you embody the quarterback during gameplay.
Espire 2 (November) – Quest 2
This sequel will offer more sandbox stealth with some new features and mechanics, alongside a brand new second campaign designed for co-op multiplayer. It will release in November for Quest 2, but no confirmation for other platforms yet.
Among Us VR (Holiday) – Quest 2, PC VR
Among Us VR brings the viral multiplayer game into VR, where one player embodies the impostor and must murder the other members without arousing suspicion or being discovered. It’s coming to Quest 2 and PC VR during the 2022 holiday period, but there’s no specific date just yet. A PSVR 2 release has also been confirmed for when the headset launches — whenever that may be.
2022 VR Releases – Date TBC
Bonelab – Quest 2, PC VR
This highly anticipated follow-up to 2019’s Boneworks is the next title from Stress Level Zero, launching this year for Quest 2 and PC VR. Bonelab is an action-adventure physics game with a brand new story and “two years of innovation and interaction engine progress” from Boneworks.
Red Matter 2 – Quest 2
Red Matter 2 will pick up right after the first game ended, taking you back to the mysterious planet plagued by horrific anomalies. You’re now on a rescue mission, searching for an old friend, with more environmental storytelling and puzzle solving. While it’s coming to Quest 2 this year, there’s no word on PSVR or PC VR releases just yet.
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners – Chapter 2: Retribution – Quest 2, PC VR, PSVR
This Walking Dead follow-up game is set to release on all major headset platforms late this year, giving players a chance to step back into the world with a new map and weapons — including a gore-inducing chainsaw. A PSVR 2 release is also confirmed, but not until next year.
Gambit – Quest 2, PC VR
This co-op VR shooter will see you complete heist-style missions, shooting and looting with your friends through a 20+ hour campaign. It’s coming to Quest 2 and PC VR this year, but no confirmation of other platforms yet.
Killer Frequency – Quest 2
This will be the first VR title developed by Team 17, the acclaimed studio known for the Worms franchise. However, don’t expect a Worms-like game here– instead, this horror-comedy is set in the mid-US in the 1980’s, and casts players as a local radio host that must help the citizens of a small town avoid a mysterious masked killer.
Peaky Blinders: The King’s Ransom – Quest 2, PC VR
Based around the titular characters of Netflix fame, Peaky Blinders: The King’s Ransom is being developed by Doctor Who: Edge of Time studio Maze Theory and set for release later this year on Quest 2 and PC VR. It looks like a PSVR 2 release could be in the works too, but we’ll have to wait a bit longer for full confirmation it seems.
What the Bat
What the Bat is a VR follow-up to the flatscreen title What the Golf from Denmark-based studio Triband. You’ll have a bat in either hand, but you won’t be playing baseball — instead, you’ll do just about anything else. The game is coming to Quest 2 and PC VR later this year.
Ziggy’s Cosmic Adventure – Quest 2, PC VR
Ziggy’s Cosmic Adventure is an immersive pilot sim, where you’ll need to balance between ship combat and management while rocketing through space, coming late this year to Quest 2 and PC VR.
Propagation: Paradise Hotel – Quest 2
A sequel to Propagation VR, this single player horror sequel will see you fight in new encounters with all new mechanics. The game will release on “all major VR platforms” but Quest 2 is specifically confirmed for later this year.
Broken Edge – Quest 2, PC VR
This stylish multiplayer game will see two players go head-to-head in swordfighting combat. Developed by Trebuchet and published by Fast Travel Games, it’s coming to Quest 2 and PC VR later this year.
Hubris – PC VR
This stunning VR shooter is coming to PC VR later this year, with Quest and PSVR versions in the works as well.
Dyschronia: Chronos Alternate – Quest 2
The latest game from Tokyo-based MyDearest will see you play as Hal Scion, who will use his ability to access people’s memories to investigate the murder of a futuristic city’s founder. It’s coming to Quest 2 this year, with no confirmation of other headsets yet. It will be an episodic release split in three parts, but the studio aims to have all episodes release by the end of the year.
Paranormal Hunter
You’ll team up with up to four players in this ghost-hunting multiplayer title, set to release in early access for PC VR sometime this year.
Tea for God
After a long time available as a work in progress on Itch.io, Tea for God will properly launch for PC VR on Steam later this year. No news on whether the Quest version will see a similar full release anytime soon though, but keep an out.
Trial by Teng – PC VR
Solve puzzles and work off your ‘Karmic debt’ as you try to work your way out of hell in this satirical VR title, coming to PC VR headsets sometime this year.
Ultimechs – PC VR
Ultimechs is a pretty simple concept: it’s soccer, but instead of kicking the ball, you’re firing rockets at it from a giant mech. While the game is coming to “major VR platforms”, it’s only confirmed for release on PC VR later this year.
Ruinsmagus VR – PC VR, Quest 2
Play as a novice wizard to become a spell-wielding Magus through 26 narrative-drive quests with full Japanese voice acting. Originally set for a spring release, Ruinsmagus is coming to Quest and PC VR sometime this year.
These games are ones we know about, but have absolutely no release date — not even a rough year window.
It’s hard to say whether most (if any) of these will launch this year, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility, hence why we’ve included them.
Assassin’s Creed VR – Quest
Rumored to be titled Assassin’s Creed Nexus, we’ve not heard much about Ubisoft’s upcoming Quest title that will bring the famed franchise to VR for the first time. It could surprise launch later in the year, but we wouldn’t count on it.
At the earliest, that means a launch sometime this year, but at the latest, it means a launch by April 2023 . However, it’s still possible the game gets delayed past that — we’ll just have to wait and see.
Horizon: Call of the Mountain – PSVR 2
While not a confirmed PSVR 2 launch title, Call of the Mountain’s release date obviously hinges on when PSVR 2 itself will release. And yes, it’s looking increasingly unlikely that PSVR 2 will launch in 2022 — 2023 seems much more likely now.
But hypothetically, Call of the Mountain could be a PSVR 2 launch title if the headset released this year. Don’t hold your breath though.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – Quest 2
Since it was announced last October, we’ve heard nothing about GTA: San Andreas on Quest. There’s a slim chance it launches later this year. Fingers crossed?
HeliSquad: Covert Operations – PC VR, Quest 2, Pico Neo Link 3
Only recently revealed, there’s no release window for this helicopter game coming from Warplanes studio Home Next Games.
Onward 2
While Mark Zuckerberg seemingly confirmed Onward 2 is in development, we’ve heard nothing since and there’s been no official announcement yet either. There’s a chance it could be announced and launched later this year, perhaps at Connect, but it’s hard to gauge how far development is.
Splinter Cell VR – Quest
All we know about this game is that it’s part of the Splinter Cell series and it’s coming to Quest — nothing else. It’s hard to see this releasing in 2022, given Assassin’s Creed seems likely to come first, but with so little information, it’s hard to know either way.
Resident Evil 8 VR & Other PSVR 2 Titles
As we covered above, it’s unclear when the PSVR 2 headset is launching. While a 2022 window is increasingly unlikely, Sony has yet to comment properly on the exact release.
Tomorrow sees Sony finally lift the lid on at least a little of what it’s been cooking up for PSVR 2.
PlayStation’s State of Play showcase returns at 3pm PT on June 2. Alongside updates on third-party flatscreen games, Sony is promising a “sneak peek at several games in development for PlayStation VR2.” The show’s expected to clock in at just under 30 minutes.
Recently, State of Play broadcasts haven’t been where Sony makes its giant announcements — those were saved for a bigger PlayStation Showcase in 2021 — so we’re not expecting an exhaustive amount of information to come our way. But we do have our fingers crossed for an enticing tease of what’s to come for the PS5 VR headset, including reveals of several big titles. Here’s our predictions.
Horizon Call Of The Mountain Gameplay
There’s a handful of confirmed PSVR 2 games out there right now, but Sony’s own Horizon Call Of The Mountain is the only one the company’s officially acknowledged itself. We got just a few glimpses of the game at CES 2022 back in January, but we’d fully expect to see more at tomorrow’s showcase. Developed by The Persistence studio, Firesprite, Call Of The Mountain is likely to fully utilize most if not all of PSVR 2’s new features in one way or another, so it’s undoubtedly one of the games Sony will be most keen to talk about.
New Native VR Games: Firewall 2, Coatsink’s VR Project
Whilst hopes are high for some huge announcements from beloved series tomorrow, it’s also important that Sony shows its commitment to VR-exclusive developers and games made specifically for the platform. To that end, we’d expect to hear some news from more dedicated studios making titles you can’t play without PSVR 2. First Contact Entertainment already confirmed it’s working on a PSVR 2 project and, as developers of the hugely popular Firewall Zero Hour, a sequel seems like a good bet. Coatsink is also working on a PSVR 2 launch title, said to be a co-op survival game. Again, that seems like a safe prediciton.
Flatscreen Support: Gran Turismo 7 VR And Resident Evil 8 VR
We’re also expecting PSVR 2 to feature a wider array of hybrid VR games that can be played both with and without the headset, similar to Hitman 3 and No Man’s Sky on the original PSVR. Such a strategy might entice PS5 owners to pick up a headset to revisit their existing category of games. From this category, the two most obvious choices to our minds are Resident Evil 8 and Gran Turismo 7. VR support has been rumored for both for years now and past entires in both series supported the original PSVR headset. An announcement for either would be an easy win for Sony.
With PS5’s increased power, it’s also likely that we’re set to see a lot of games either jump from PSVR 1 to PSVR 2 with remastered graphics or even hit the PlayStation platform for the first time, having only been available on PC beforehand. Of this category, easily the most anticipated title is Half-Life: Alyx, which simply makes too much sense not to come to PSVR 2 at some point. But we’re also holding out hope for news on VR’s two other powerhouse action series – The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners with its incoming second chapter, or Stress Level Zero’s anticipated Boneworks follow-up, Bonelab. Again, any confirmation of one of these three games would be great news for PSVR fans.
No PSVR 2 Price Reveal, But Maybe A Release Window
Sony has been conspicuously quiet about release details for PSVR 2. To date, it hasn’t even mentioned what year it expects the headset to release in, let alone a season, month or specific day. But that silence speaks a thousand words; it’s clear that the continued supply chain issues brought about by COVID — which have been hampering shipments and sales of the PS5 itself — have made it incredibly difficult to commit to a timeframe. Still, speculation has been pointing to a Q1 2023 release and we wouldn’t be too surprised to learn that PSVR 2 will indeed miss a 2022 launch during tomorrow’s State of Play. With that said, if the kit is still over six months away, we don’t think we’ll hear any word on pricing.
However, with PSVR 2 now unlikely to launch this year, we might have to wait for the next annual installment for that to eventuate. In an interview with TechRadar, F1 22’s Senior Creative Director Lee Mather stated there was “no plans at this time” for PSVR support, with the VR mode staying exclusive to the PC release for now.
“We’ve been investigating VR for some time and we want to bring it to our F1 game without compromise,” Mather told TechRadar. “We have partnered with a team who has worked on other Codemasters’ titles and it has taken several years to get us to this point where we know we can deliver a premium experience for our players.”
We got our first look at PC VR gameplay of F1 22, and it’s a shame that it won’t be coming to PSVR 2 in any capacity just yet. That being said, even if the developers intended to add PSVR 2 support for F1 22, by the time the headset actually releases, we’ll likely be closer to the release of F1 23. Here’s hoping that something is being planned for that release, at the very least.
Incuvo launched the highly recommendedGreen Hell VR for Meta Quest 2 in April, with the PC edition expected to arrive during May. What wasn’t expected this week was confirmation that a PlayStation VR version is coming but players will have to wait until 2023 to survive the hellish Amazonian jungle.
PlayStation VR support was initially teased almost a year ago but details dried up as Incuvo focused on the Quest 2 and PCVR editions, both being pushed back from their original 2021 launch dates. The news sees Incuvo sign an appendix to its partnership agreement with Creepy Jar – the developer behind Green Hell – for the “porting, publishing, and distributing Green Hell VR on PSVR.”
“We are very pleased that Creepy Jar has decided to entrust us with bringing their brand to another platform important to the VR market,” said Andrzej Wychowaniec, CEO of Incuvo in a statement. “Our attention is focused on the upcoming release of the PCVR edition of Green Hell VR on Steam, but we are looking forward to the opportunity to leverage our experience, and proceed with the adaptation of Green Hell to the specifics of Sony’s platform.”
Green Hell VR has been completely reworked and rebuilt from its flatscreen cousin, specifically tailoring it to virtual reality (VR) gameplay. So while the narrative about trying to survive the harsh realities of the rainforest and finding your partner remains the same, you’re far more involved in the specifics this time around. There are over 60 VR gameplay mechanics employed in the videogame, from making a spark to light a fire, to wrapping leaves around injured limbs.
Green Hell VR – PC version
Giving Green Hell VR: Quest Edition a four-star review, gmw3 said: “Incuvo has become a pro at porting flatscreen titles like Blair Witch and now Green Hell into VR because the team know the level of interaction players expect…As long as you don’t judge it by Green Hell and take Green Hell VR: Quest Edition on its own VR merits then you’ll find a rewarding survival experience.”
The PlayStation VR version of Green Hell VR is slated to arrive by end of 2023. That could well put its launch under the PlayStation VR2 banner but the studio has yet to confirm this. The new VR headset is expected to arrive next year, with rumours suggesting Q1, although Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) hasn’t mentioned anything currently.
For continued updates on Green Hell VR, keep reading gmw3.
It seems to come around faster and faster each year, and so once again it’s May 4th, which of course means Star Wars day. Fans love it and everyone else may loath it but the day is now part of geek culture whatever your stance. And when it comes to immersive Star Wars content there’s plenty to choose from, with deals going on as well as special one-day-only content.
So let’s start with the brand new stuff that’s arrived, and that’s getting fit in Supernatural on Meta Quest. The fitness app is hosting a special promotion with an exclusive Star Wars Day workout. Supernatural’s Coach Doc will take players on a heart-pumping workout featuring some of the franchise’s most famous tracks. These are; Main Title, Imperial Attack; Cantina Band, The Imperial March and The Throne Room & End Title.
Do be aware, however, that Supernatural is not only a subscription-based app ($19/month or $179/annually) but its also region locked to North America. So not all Star Wars fans worldwide can access the content.
If you do own a Meta Quest 1 or 2 then not to worry, there are still plenty of other ways to enjoy Star Wars Day. Until 11:59 pm PT on 5th May (7:59 am BST 6th May) there are a bunch of deals available via the Oculus Store, reducing prices by up to 50%.
Meta Quest will also be at Walt Disney World Resort until 21sy July where guests can preview ILMxLAB’s Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge and get free stuff!
As for the rest, here’s all the home Star Wars VR content gmw3 could find:
Audio is super important when it comes to virtual reality (VR), coming only second to the visuals themselves. Excellent spatial audio allows a player to hear where a bullet came from or really enjoy the latest music pack on their favourite rhythm action videogame. Yet the sounds produced by VR headsets can really be a mixed bag, from the excellent Valve Index speakers to the adequate, yet not exactly thrilling, Meta Quest 2 setup. While headphones are one option – especially if you’re a bit of an audiophile – Rebuff Realities’ new VR Ears make for a viable alternative option.
The VR Ears have been a while in the making. Crowdfunded back in May 2020 the product was originally due out the same year before delays pushed the launch back into late 2021. They’re not headphones but rather off-ear speakers – much like the Valve Index – which have their own benefits as well as limitations.
Setting up your VR Ears
Right out the box, the VR Ears look like a well-built accessory, with an all-plastic design that doesn’t feel too cheap. Rebuff Reality has ensured maximum compatibility for almost any VR headset, with supplied connections supporting Meta Quest 1 & 2, Oculus Rift S, Valve Index, HTC Vive Pro and PlayStation VR. For the purposes of this review, gmw3 tried the VR Ears on two of the most popular, Quest 2 and PlayStation VR.
The VR Ears work by clamping onto the headband frame of the headset, with four rubber widgets (two on each side, one upper and one lower) tailored to comfortably grip each arm. Because of their excellent versatility, the VR Ears can adapt to not only the headset but also the location of a person’s ear, thus making the initial setup very finicky and once completed I had no desire to go through the process again. Setting it up for other players becomes a faff I definitely wanted to avoid.
It’s because of the small hex key bolt holding the speakers onto the bracket, which is hidden behind the clamps frame. Meaning, that to make even the slightest rotational adjustment up or down requires taking the whole thing apart. Like I said, finicky. It is worth it though, especially if nobody else is using the headset as there’s no need to alter anything once finished. Getting each speaker directly over each ear is critically important, greatly affecting sound quality and loudness.
And so as I found, the VR Ears weren’t exactly designed for swapping between Quest 2 and PlayStation VR. If you’re fortunate to own a couple of VR headsets definitely stick with one and from this experience it would be PlayStation VR.
Almost snug as a bug
Why PlayStation VR? Well, it comes down to comfort mainly. Like any VR accessory weight is always an important factor and coming in at just over 200g, that’s certainly hefty addition to the Meta Quest 2’s 503g. Using the standard Quest 2 strap with the VR Ears wasn’t too bad, to begin with, but that extra weight soon became more and more noticeable and uncomfortable, especially in more active games like Beat Saber. Pairing the VR Ears with the Elite Battery pack faired far better thanks to the improved weight distribution but again – even when moving the clamps further back on the arms for a more central weight – that front pressure began to return.
Unlike the PlayStation VR with its Halo strap. This was wonderfully comfortable for longer VR sessions and I almost forgot the VR Ears were attached. The issue for PlayStation VR was the distance the speakers were from my ears, affecting both audio quality and sound leakage.
Having used normal headphones, in-ear headphones and off-ear speakers found on Quest 2 and Valve Index, I’m all for the latter. And that’s where the VR Ears really do benefit, as my ears don’t get hot and sweaty playing one of the many active titles available for VR nowadays. Having that air gap is cooling and comfortable in a way normal headphones can never be.
Now listen here!
But what do the VR Ears sound like you ask? To put it bluntly, good but not wow. Compare them to Quest 2 or PlayStation VR’s own audio solutions and you’re instantly getting an improvement. However, Valve Index owners aren’t going to want to swap over, the VR Ears just aren’t as good.
After testing across numerous games like the subtle noises from Quill in Moss: Book II, thumping Skrillex tunes in Beat Saber or the audio chatter in VRChat, the VR Ears produce rich mids and highs yet fail where the bass is concerned. The VR Ears need a good 20-30 hours of use (bedding in as some like to call it) before they really start to show their true colours, with a mid-range that’s full-bodied and mellow whilst the top end has detail and clarity the Quest 2’s audio could never match.
But for those that love rhythm-action games or just the low-end rumble of some meaty bass, the VR Ears provide a flat, uninspiring delivery. Playing a Skrillex song in Beat Saber should be epic, with some huge bass drops yet there were none, sadly, even when played loudly. That led to another issue which I’ll get to.
Even so, for a PlayStation VR owner who is still using the supplied in-ears, the VR Ears are a much better solution. I found that they were a bit too far away from my ears – which would’ve affected the bass – and they come with spacers which certainly weren’t needed. On Quest 2 the gap was reduced yet the audio quality between both remained almost identical.
Turn it off and on again
These might be quirks more than issues but in any case, they were annoying, hampering the user experience because it meant having to find the VR Ears’ perfect setting.
The VR Ears need a good two-hour charge via a USB-C cable – no cable or wall charger is provided I may add – to get what is claimed to be a 6 hour run time. I’d say around 5 hours is being more generous, good for most VR sessions.
However, that was never in one stint as the VR Ears would, like clockwork, turn off after 20 minutes of use. No rhyme or reason, they’d simply switch themselves off. I could instantly turn them back on again – I did that 3 times during a single hour on Moss – but that’s not the point. And it seems to boil down to volume. The VR Ears don’t like being near the upper limit of the volume range which is hampered by the headset’s own volume setting. On the Quest 2, for example, its volume needs to be at max so the VR Ears have ample range, otherwise, they’ll be off before you know it. And they always switched off during a narrated section so I’d miss story details.
A Sound Verdict
The VR Ears really were a mixed experience that it is hard to definitively give a solid recommendation to. I did like them as an audio upgrade to what the VR headsets tested currently offer although their bar is already quite low. It really comes down to whether you want an off-ear speaker rather than a normal pair of headphones.
I currently switch between my Bowers & Wilkins PX and some older Yamaha Pro 400’s and the difference is night and day with the VR Ears. The lack of any robust bass hampers some VR titles whilst the far more balanced top end saves the day, perfect for social multiplayer experiences where voice clarity is key.
All we know about this game is that it’s part of the Splinter Cell series and it’s coming to Quest — nothing else. It’s hard to see this releasing in 2022, given Assassin’s Creed seems likely to come first, but with so little information, it’s hard to know either way.
