Category: PlayStation VR2

Posted on

Middle Ages Survival RPG Medieval Dynasty Coming to Quest 2 & PlayStation VR2

It’s been great to see an influx of survival role-playing games (RPG) like Green Hell VR and Song in the Smoke for virtual reality (VR) headsets recently. This week, it has been reported that Medieval Dynasty, a PC adventure that launched in 2021 is getting rebuilt with VR in mind.

Medieval Dynasty

Speaking to isbtech.pl (spotted by French website VRPlayer) Polish developers Render Cube and Spectral Games revealed that work is already underway on a VR version, with intentions to bring Medieval Dynasty to Meta Quest 2, PC VR and PlayStation VR2.

Released on Steam back in September, receiving a “Very Positive” rating from players, Medieval Dynasty drops you in the Middle Ages, where you’re tasked with building a settlement, hunting for food and crafting tools and weapons to survive. It features an open world to explore with realistic mechanics such as seasonal weather and day/night cycles.

VR specialist Spectral Games won’t port the original PC version, instead, it’s creating a whole new adventure based on the Medieval Dynasty IP. In doing so interactions will be tailored to VR, so you’ll have to physically cut down trees with an axe rather than pressing a button. Much in line with other VR editions of PC videogames.

Medieval Dynasty

“Medieval Dynasty VR is not a port, it is a completely new adventure, a new hero, new lands. The flat-screen version of the game is a model for us and the basis on which we build our interpretations of VR solutions. I would like to emphasize that we are working on preserving the spirit and essence of Medieval Dynasty in our production,” the developers noted in the interview (Google translated). “We do not cut off from the original foundations and assumptions of the game, on the contrary, we emphasize them even more to provide a VR and interactive model of medieval gameplay.”

Regarding how development is going the devs added: “We have already completed the concept and pre-production phases. We have also completed one of the four key stages of production, which includes the first part of the main game map, the basic playable mechanics needed to close the gameplay loop. We managed to optimize most of the graphics and create systems efficient enough to face the challenge of the “Open World” game on Meta Quest.”

Currently, Medieval Dynasty is slated to arrive for Meta Quest 2 in Q1 2023 with the PC VR version to follow. Once that’s been released the teams will then focus on the PlayStation VR2 edition. As further updates are released, gmw3 will keep you updated.

Posted on

Green Hell VR Dev Believes PSVR 2 Will Bring ‘Millions Of New VR Enthusiasts’

Green Hell VR developer Incuvo sounds bullish on PSVR 2.

Speaking to Gamerant, CEO Andrzej Wychowaniec touched on the subject of Sony’s new headset and the features he was looking forward to. Particularly, Wychowaniec said he was looking forward to what the new Sense controllers could offer along with new features like eye tracking.

“These solutions will be crucial to the progress of VR gaming, as they will allow developers to invent entirely new kinds of experiences,” the developer said, adding that PS5’s Tempest 3D audio tech could also deliver much more immersive experiences.

As for how he thinks the headset might perform in the market, Wychowaniec was optimistic that PSVR 2 could match the original PSVR’s 5 million units and then some.

“I certainly hope that the new headset will repeat the success and will accelerate the market growth and bring new possibilities in terms of features, user experience, and a fresh dose of competitiveness which always stimulates technological innovation,” he said. “It’ll also be good for developers. New platforms mean new sources of income, as well as the opportunity to raise the quality standards. So basically better games. I believe that Sony will succeed again, and NGVR [next-gen VR, a codename cited by PSVR Without Parole last year] will bring millions of new VR enthusiasts to the community.”

Currently Incuvo is working on two different versions of Green Hell VR. The first is a Quest release that launched earlier this month as a streamlined version of the game designed specifically for the mobile headset. The full Green Hell experience is also coming to PC VR, with launch planned in the near future. Currently, though, Incuvo hasn’t confirmed if the game might also come to PSVR 2. We thought the Quest version was great, giving us high hopes for future editions.

Currently we know about the specs and design of Sony’s new VR headset, but still don’t have an idea of when it might launch. Rumors and speculation have been pointing to a Q1 2023 release due to the stresses of the component shortage. You can keep track of everything we know about the headset right now over here.

Posted on

Epic Confirms PSVR 2 Unreal Engine 5 Projects In Development

During its State of Unreal presentation this week, Epic Games confirmed that there are PSVR 2 titles in development using Unreal Engine 5.

Back in May 2020, Epic Games unveiled the next generation of its engine, Unreal Engine 5, which promised big graphical and technical leaps. That demo focused particularly on two big new technologies — Nanite (a geometry technology that lets artists create highly intricate details on objects and surfaces) and Lumen (a dynamic global illumination system for realistic lighting).

Epic Games confirmed to UploadVR at the time that Unreal Engine 5 would continue support for all current VR headsets.

Announced in yesterday’s presentation, Unreal Engine 5 is now available to all developers. At around the 26-minute mark in the video embedded below, Dana Cowley, Communications Director, Technology at Epic Games, spoke in front of a large graphic featuring many game studio logos. She then said that Epic was “thrilled to confirm that all of the amazing studios that you see here are a part of the Unreal Engine 5 community, which continues to grow every day.”

Interestingly, the PlayStation VR2 logo was displayed in the top right, even though it’s a piece of hardware and not a game studio itself. That being said, the intent is clear — there are studios who are developing PSVR 2 games using Unreal Engine 5.

If you take a closer look, you’ll also spot a few other studios and publishers who have flirted with VR before. Most notably, Fracked and Phantom developer and Little Cities publisher nDreams is listed. Just last week, nDreams announced a $35 million investment and confirmed they were working on PSVR 2 titles.

Bloober Team is also listed, a studio who has previously brought some of its flatscreen titles, like Layers of Fear, over to VR headsets.

Devolver Digital is listed, who previously published VR games like Gorn and more recently, Tentacular. Last but not least, 2K is also listed — a subsidiary of parent company Take-Two (who have said more VR titles are on the way) and developer of the Borderlands franchise and its brief dive into VR.

Keep your eyes open for more PSVR 2 news as the year progress — or even just one eye, if you’re using eye tracking.

Posted on

Watch Unity’s GDC PSVR 2 Talk Right Here

Unity’s GDC talk on PSVR 2 is now available to watch in full.

GDC week came and went without any kind of public showcase for PSVR 2, though we do know Sony was showing the device to developers behind closed doors. But the engine maker did host a talk going over the headset’s features and how they can enhance VR experiences. The full 55 minute talk is now available below.

Now, obviously, this is a GDC talk and not some flashy showcase for the device, so don’t expect any game announcements or release details. But, as we already reported, we do get some of the finer details about how features like foveated rendering can improve performance. The talk also confirms PSVR 1’s social screen feature will return for the new device.

If you’re a developer in particular, you’re likely to find some interesting insights into making games for the device here, particularly for controller input and eye-tracking.

So far we’ve seen the PSVR 2 headset design and its first officially announced game in Horizon: Call of the Mountain. What we don’t know is exactly when the headset will launch, and how much it will cost, but some other VR developers have confirmed they’re making projects for the new headset. You can follow along with every confirmed and rumored game for the device right here, and keep up to date with all we know about PSVR 2 itself right here.

Posted on

Watch Unity’s GDC PSVR 2 Talk Right Here

Unity’s GDC talk on PSVR 2 is now available to watch in full.

GDC week came and went without any kind of public showcase for PSVR 2, though we do know Sony was showing the device to developers behind closed doors. But the engine maker did host a talk going over the headset’s features and how they can enhance VR experiences. The full 55 minute talk is now available below.

Now, obviously, this is a GDC talk and not some flashy showcase for the device, so don’t expect any game announcements or release details. But, as we already reported, we do get some of the finer details about how features like foveated rendering can improve performance. The talk also confirms PSVR 1’s social screen feature will return for the new device.

If you’re a developer in particular, you’re likely to find some interesting insights into making games for the device here, particularly for controller input and eye-tracking.

So far we’ve seen the PSVR 2 headset design and its first officially announced game in Horizon: Call of the Mountain. What we don’t know is exactly when the headset will launch, and how much it will cost, but some other VR developers have confirmed they’re making projects for the new headset. You can follow along with every confirmed and rumored game for the device right here, and keep up to date with all we know about PSVR 2 itself right here.

Posted on

Import Records Reveal Sony Has Shipped Thousands of Dev Kits, Possibly PSVR 2

United States import records from late 2021 onward show that Sony Interactive Entertainment has shipped thousands of boxes containing developer kits from Asia to the US. The exact contents of the boxes hasn’t been specified, however Sony’s next-gen PlayStation VR 2 headset is a very likely candidate.

As first reported by TweakTown, Sony has shipped 2,374 cartons containing “DEVELOPMENT KIT[s] FOR INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT SOFTWARE,” starting back in October 2021.

Here’s the relevant data from TweakTown, sourced from import/export firm Import Genius and confirmed with Seair Exim Solutions:

  • January 2022 – 434 CTN (cartons), 4730 kg, Japan -> Oakland, CA
  • December 2021 – 980 CTN, 8712 kg, Japan -> Oakland, CA
  • November 2021 – 480 CTN, 5218 kg, Japan -> Oakland, CA
  • October 2021 – 240 CTN, 2612 kg, Korea -> Oakland, CA
  • October 2021 – 240 CTN, 2612 kg, Japan -> Oakland, CA

Granted, records don’t specify which dev kit is inside the box, however we can make a few educated guesses.

Platform holders like Sony typically distribute dev kits to a handful of select studios months before launch so they can properly target the new hardware. PSVR 2 is rumored to release in early 2023, so the clock is ticking for studios to make the best use of all the new tech packed into Sony’s next-gen headset, including eye-tracking, face haptics and its new Sense controllers.

PlayStation 5 released in November 2020 and continues to lag in production due to the global chip shortage, so it’s unlikely Sony is shipping additional PS5 consoles to developers at this late stage.

Sony also hasn’t announced any other console, like a PlayStation 5 Pro. Given the ongoing supply chain problem with microprocessors, a surprise PS5 Pro launch seems like a non-starter considering PS5 is still in high demand and relatively little supply.

Want to learn everything there is to know about PSVR 2? Check out specs and a breakdown of the tech in PSVR 2.

The post Import Records Reveal Sony Has Shipped Thousands of Dev Kits, Possibly PSVR 2 appeared first on Road to VR.

Posted on

Import Logs Suggest Sony Has Sent Out More Than 2,000 PlayStation VR2 Dev Kits

US import logs spotted by TweakTown suggest Sony sent out thousands of PSVR 2 development kits in recent months.

The original PlayStation VR has been on the market for over five years now, designed for the PS4 using PS3-era motion controls. Sony confirmed a new headset specifically for PS5 was in development just over a year ago, revealed the name and specifications in January, and finally showed the headset design three weeks ago. You can sign up to be notified when preorders begin.

When revealing the headset design Sony said “development kits are already in the hands of game creators”. The company didn’t say how many kits had been sent out, but US import logs show five huge shipments of “DEVELOPMENT KIT FOR INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT SOFTWARE” entering the country from October 2021 to January 2022:

  • 13 October 2021: 240 boxes weighing 2612 kg
  • 23 October 2021: 240 boxes weighing 2612 kg
  • 2 November 2021: 480 boxes weighing 5128 kg
  • 7 December 2021: 980 boxes weighing 8712 kg
  • 29 January 2022: 434 boxes weighing 4730 kg

These 2374 boxes are listed as coming from Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), the Sony subsidiary responsible for the PlayStation brand.

You may wonder if these shipments could merely be PlayStation 5 consoles, but it released two years ago and these logs only started appearing in October – 8 months after Sony confirmed PlayStation VR2. There’s been some speculation about these being for a possible PS5 Pro, but it seems far too early in the console’s lifecycle for that to be the case and the ongoing chip shortage is likely to have an impact there.

Larger companies may have gotten multiple or even dozens of kits, so we can’t know exactly how many development teams have a PSVR 2. But over 2000 boxes shipped suggests Sony could have dozens, if not hundreds, of VR games in development for the headset.

Posted on

PlayStation VR2 Reportedly Arriving Q1 2023

Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has started ramping up the official news of late regarding PlayStation VR2. We now know what it looks like and all the goodies housed inside. However, as yet there’s been no mention of a release date or price. When it comes to releasing, a new rumour suggests that it’ll happen early next year.

PlayStation VR2

The new launch rumour comes by way of PSVR Without Parole, the same YouTube channel that leaked a few of PlayStation VR2’s specifications last summer; so the track record is already good. Supposedly, PlayStation VR2 won’t be arriving until Q1 2023, meaning you’re going to have to wait a whole year. That makes it seven years since the original PlayStation VR came out!

Whilst it is just a rumour the info isn’t too surprising when you look at several factors – which the channel points out. Firstly, even though over 10 million PlayStation 5’s have been sold, they’re still horrendously difficult to get hold of due to the semiconductor shortage. That’s going to make them a hot ticket item for the rest of the year and SIE will want a sizable userbase before launching the peripheral.

Also, because of those supply chain issues, a 2023 launch gives the company a bigger manufacturing window to ensure stock shortages are less likely. PlayStation VR2 isn’t going to be as in demand as PS5 but there are still plenty of VR fans eager to get their hands on the new headset and its abundance of features.

PlayStation VR2

As we now know, PlayStation VR2 is going to be one feature-packed headset with a 4k HDR display, a 110-degree field of view (FoV), headset haptics, eye tracking (for foveated rendering), inside-out tracking, a new vent design, IPD adjustment, and new controllers. Plus, as the first images showcase, it looks really good too.

A 2023 launch will also avoid clashing with several other VR headsets expected during the latter half of 2022. Meta’s Project Cambria is slated to arrive around that time, so is Somnium Space’s modular standalone. And then there’s the first Linux VR headset.

Still, with it being February 2023 does seem quite far away. For continued updates on PlayStation VR2, keep reading gmw3.