If you’re looking for a good deal on virtual reality (VR) videogames for PC VR headsets then Humble Bundle’s latest offer is hard to beat. The Humble Fall VR Bundle provides up to eight titles depending on how much you want to spend, whilst supporting charities in the process.
Continuing its practice of offering great collections of videogames at a price determined by the customer, this fall VR deal starts from less than £1 GBP, with A-Tech Cybernetic, Archangel: HellfireandKilling Floor: Incursion on offer. Increase your payment to £7.73 and you’ll unlock Survios’ Raw Data. Step that up further to £11.78 and you’ll then unlock I Expect You To Die and Creed: Rise to Glory.
Finally, going for the maximum unlock price of £13.14 and you’ll get XREAL Games’ Zero Caliber and one of the best VR experiences of 2020,Skydance Interactive’s The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners. Whichever tier you choose you’ll get Steam keys for those titles. All these prices are the bare minimum, you can donate more at your discretion.
As Humble Bundle also likes to give back, the supported charity this month is Movember, focusing on men’s health such as mental health, suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer. You can also select other charities and tip Humble Bundle for doing a good job.
All in all that’s a decent deal by anyone’s standards and like anything that good the offer is limited, ending in a couple of weeks. Of course, by then it won’t be long until all the winter sales start on Steam and the Oculus Store although VRFocus isn’t sure the deals will be quite this tempting.
As further bundles and VR discounts are rolled out, VRFocus will let you know.
Just like all Humble Bundles, you get to choose the amount you pay and customize how much of your money goes towards Humble, how much goes towards charities, and how much goes towards the developers.
All games are provided via Steam keys, so they should work using an SteamVR headset such as a Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, or Windows MR device.
There have been lots of great VR game deals this year, but this might take the cake for sheer value. Each of the games in this bundle are quite good and worth playing, so getting them all so cheaply is a real steal. The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is, without a doubt, one of the best VR games to date so it’s worth the price of the bundle alone for sure. Everything else is just gravy.
Do you plan on grabbing the Humble Fall VR Bundle? The deal is live for two weeks so you have until around November 24th to pull the trigger. Let us know down in the comments below!
LA-based virtual reality (VR) developer Survios made a big name for itself in the early years of the industry’s resurgence with titles like arcade shooter Raw Data and competitive multiplayer Sprint Vector. In a couple of months, PlayStation VR owners will be able to pick up a physical double pack featuring both of these videogames.
Called ‘The Survios VR Power Pack’, both titles are two of the studios’ best, with Raw Data putting its teams talents on the map as one of the VR videogames to own in 2016. Featuring solo, co-op and PvP multiplayer modes, Raw Data allows you to chose from various character classes each with various melee and ranged abilities. In the campaign you have to smash through waves of robotic enemies as you try to steal data from the corrupt Eden Corporation.
Just as energetic but far more competitive is Sprint Vector, one of the first VR experiences to challenge the way players moved through digital worlds. Set against the backdrop of a game show, players have 12 courses to master, running jumping and flying their way to the finish line as fast as possible.
“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Perp Games and provide access to new audiences with the retail release of The Survios VR Power Pack,” said Hunter Kitagawa, Marketing Director at Survios. “From lively cinematics to high-intensity action and adrenaline-pumping gameplay featured in The Survios VR Power Pack, ‘Raw Data’ and ‘Sprint Vector’ are games that showcase the best of what only VR can do.”
“It’s been a great honour to partner with Survios to fuse together two of the best VR games ever created into a single pack,“ said Rob Edwards, Managing Director at Perp Games. “We are delighted to bring this essential VR bundle to our PSVR players and provide them a new way to own and access these fantastic games.”
The Survios VR Power Pack will come to European retails locations from 11th September 2020 with a North American version arriving at a later, unspecified date. It’ll feature Raw Data on disk and Sprint Vector as a voucher code of PlayStation Store. A price for the pack has been revealed just yet.
For further updates from Survios and Perp Games, keep reading VRFocus.
Covering the immersive Out-of-Home entertainment scene for VRFocus, in his latest Virtual Arena column, industry specialist Kevin Williams reports on a multitude of brand new commercial entertainment platforms, new eSports offerings and London VR site openings that caught his eye traversing the international XR entertainment scene.
The frantic nature of VR in the commercial entertainment scene continued to gain momentum, with several new platforms launching and facilities opening internationally. While in London, a number of these new developments were on display.
First off was the International Casino Exhibition (ICE), the gaming and gambling industries largest European convention filling the London ExCel centre. While in previous years, virtual reality (VR) had played a larger part in the gaming show, it was much harder to find this year. But one big showing was the Vbet platform, developed in conjunction with BetConnect. Called ‘Vbet Boxing Game’, two-players in their own ring spared with each other using the Oculus Quest headset. A VR attraction that will be deployed in casinos as an audience draw.
Image credit: Vbet
Another major show for VR at the casino event was on the Gaming Malta booth – a local operator of an eSports racing simulator centre presented their race-rig’s – using the ImSim racing seat, with the latest iRacing content, able to be experienced on the Oculus Rift headset. The ability to offer intense VR entertainment is also supported by the audience appeal of this kind of installation.
The explosion in eSports was a major component of the ICE gaming and gambling trade conference, with a vast dedicated arena streaming live. VR is playing its part in defining the eSports business. Recently SpringboardVR, one of the leading distributors and service suppliers of game content for VR arcades, announced they had teamed up with the Virtual Athletics League (VAL) launching the “Pistol Whip VR Tournament”, supported by Oculus and iBUYPOWER. It’ll feature across SpringboardVR’s 500 connected locations for the second round. With the final streamed live on Twitch and Facebook there will be a prize pool of $10,000 up for grabs.
Concerning the London area, the deployment of Location-Based Entertainment (LBE) VR facilities across the international market has continued to gain mentum. And Just down the road from the major gaming exhibition, the UK capital welcomed its latest slew of new VR venues hoping to drive the sector.
First off and the massive entertainment venue that is The O2 arena has already included a VR element, in partnership with the venues’ Hollywood Bowl placement, BANDAI NAMCO Amusement Europe had installed Europe’s first “VR ZONE Portal London”. Based on the Japanese parents dedicated VR installation concept, the first UK installation has been revitalized – along with the Mario Kart Arcade GP VR (£7.99 p/p) set-up, the brand new experience ‘Godzilla VR’ (£4.99 p/p) saw the use of two unique motion cockpits.
Godzilla VR – VR Zone Portal London. Image credit: KWP
The uniquely created Godzilla VR was launched in Japan last year, and this was the first chance we had to play the Western version of the game – an on-rails helicopter simulator experience, with the player only interacting in high adrenaline moments blasting the movie monster with missiles and cannons, as Godzilla levels city-blocks and skyscrapers. The game proved a fun, but short, experience – more a ride with some shooting elements, reflected in its lower price to play.
Hollywood Bowl is not the only VR entertainment installation at the O2 arena, with the adjacent opening of a VR cluster by IMMOTION – the company operating its popular Thrill Coaster, the ‘VR Cinema Pod’ extreme-ride experienced themed around the capital city (as well as a library of other ride scenarios). Next was the new inclusion of their own racing sim area for four of their ‘VR Multi-Racers’.
Immotion – Thrill Coaster. Image Credit: KWP
The IMMOTION experience included a VR Gaming Arena, based on the popular Raw Data videogame. This was a unique tethered version of the title, developed in partnership with originator of the game Survios. One of the many consumer VR game developers that are pivoting into creating a commercial entertainment presence. IMMOTION was charging a standard pass (£6 p/p), as well as variety (£20 p/p), and premium pass (£30 p/p), for game time duration on the assembled systems.
England saw the opening of its latest VR ZONE Portal and the third installation of Mario Kart Arcade GP VR in Europe. BANDAI NAMCO’s operation division runs the well-known Namco Funscape, located on London’s South Bank. This multi-level amusement venue has added a compact VR ZONE Portal Westminster that houses the four-player racer based on the popular Nintendo franchise (£7.95 p/p).
Mario Kart VR. Image Credit: KWP
But Funscape has also added third-party VR amusement pieces to their mix, away from the VR ZONE Portal. The venue had three of the most popular VR amusement platforms, (as we touched on in our Entertainment, Attractions and Gaming (EAG) expo coverage last month). The London site including a VRsenal Beat Saber Arcade machine, and the two-rider Virtual Rabbid’s The Wild Ride (LAI Games), all front-and-centre. Funscape had also installed two version of the Xtrematic ‘Extreme-Machine’ – a standing VR ride experience, using an innovative standing motion platform.
It was also interesting to see other new London based VR arcades jumping into the mix – while visiting London’s Shepherds Bush area, we had a chance to briefly pop into the new Electric Dreams – VR arcade. Located in a retail unit, the operation, along with a KATVR Omni direction treadmill system, runs two VR multiplayer enclosures using the three-player, wireless, free-roam, HTC Vive system as well as a franchise of the ‘Arkave VR’ platform from YDX. The operation charging a sliding scale for duration of play, (starting at £7 p/p, for 10-minutes). This latest operation reflecting that there are many other venues currently in the works to populate this scene.
Line-up of Beat Saber Arcade cabinets put through their paces at Korean VR Festival
Other VR developments taking place recently, included the holding of the Japan Amusement Expo 2020 (JAEPO) the trade event for the territories amusement and gaming sector. On display for the first time on the amusement giant SEGA Interactive’s booth was the SKONEC Entertainment ‘Beat Saber Arcade’ machine. This is the Asian variant of the popular VR music videogame being presented to Japanese trade. It was interesting to see the reaction to the VR machine, attracting attention. Looking to challenge the plethora of traditional music rhythm titles that dominate the Japanese market, (as well as on the international amusement gaming scene).
This concludes our whirlwind reporting from the LBE VR scene. Next month will see major developments as the action moves to the USA and several momentous location openings and major trade conferences that will offer a taste of the evolving future of this scene.
LA-based virtual reality (VR) developer Survios has quite the lineup of videogames under its belt, being one of the earliest teams to see decent success with Raw Data back in 2016. Since then the studio has released titles covering a range of genres from sport to music and vehicular combat. This week sees Survios release a range of bundles on PlayStation VR for North American customers.
There are four bundles in total covering Survios’ back catalogue: Raw Data, Creed: Rise to Glory, Electronauts, Battlewake and Sprint Vector.
Raw Data – Survios’ first VR videogame, Raw Data adrenaline-charged, combat thriller testing your wits and endurance as you fight waves of mechanised opponents.
Creed: Rise to Glory – Take on the role of Adonis Creed as he looks to become the next world champion. Featuring iconic characters from the franchise including Rocky Balboa, Apollo Creed and Ivan Drago, Creed: Rise to Glory received a commendable 4-stars in VRFocus‘ review.
Electronauts – Become a music maestro as you build, drop, and jam on 80+ tracks from 80 world-class EDM, trap, and hip-hop artists. When reviewing ElectronautsVRFocus said the experience makes: “for a videogame that will have you playing for hours and wanting ‘just one more go.’”
Battlewake – Taking to the high seas as one of four Captains with battle-ready warships, battle fearsome pirates and unleash magical attacks in a single-player campaign as well as co-op and multiplayer PvP modes.
Sprint Vector– Mixing extreme sports with a chaotic game show, run, jump, climb, drift, and fly at extreme velocity through 14 intergalactic obstacle courses. Introducing a unique (at the time) swinging arm mechanic, Sprint Vector will have your heart pumping in no time.
The official score from Survios’ upcoming ship combat VR game, Battlewake (official website), is getting a full official release from composer Jeremy Nathan Tisser.
Battlewake (hands-on preview) hits PC VR headsets and NA PSVR stores tomorrow on September 10th for $29.99, plus a launch discount, with EU PSVR and Quest launches coming soon after. According to a press release, the album will be released a few weeks from now.
The soundtrack includes 14 original tracks specifically composed for the game ranging from classical orchestra music to “heavy metal” tracks. Notably, Tisser has worked with Survios in the past and collaborated with the VR company on their debut VR action game, Raw Data, as well.
Outside of VR, Tisser has scored over 70 projects across gaming, film, and television.
I can’t personally speak to the quality of the soundtrack at the moment since I haven’t had a chance to spend a lot of time with the game just yet, but if it’s of the same quality as Raw Data then there shouldn’t be any reservations with it or the quality of the soundtrack release.
We don’t often see music in VR games celebrated as highly as non-VR games, which is a real shame as it’s an integral part of the experience. Even if it isn’t a music-focused game like Beat Saber, the audio is hugely important.
What do you think about the news? Do you plan on picking up the soundtrack or playing Battlewake once it’s out? Let us know what you think down in the comments below!
Despite the rise of virtual reality (VR), there still are not very many videogame publishers out there who are dedicated solely to producing VR titles. Fewer still have had the opportunity to be invited to host a Steam Publisher Weekend. In fact, thee is only one name on that list, since Survios are the first VR-exclusive publishers to be granted this opportunity.
Survios are behind some of the biggest and most popular VR titles on the PC VR platforms, having brought Raw Data, Sprint Vector and Electronauts to users, and are also the publisher behind the highly anticipated CREED: Rise to Glory.
Raw Data was developed and published by Survios as a first-person action-adventure title where players infiltrate the dangerous Eden Corp, searching for evidence of their illegal activities in a cyberpunk sci-fi setting. The title is currently on Steam with a 60% discount, dropping the price to £11.99 (GBP) from the usual £29.99. An even better deal is the deluxe edition, which includes the original soundtrack alongside the base game at a price of £13.37, a 64% discount on the usual price.
Meanwhile, fast-paced extreme-sports simulator Sprint Vector lets users get exercise from within VR as they run, jump and climb through a platform-based obstacle course. Sprint Vector is now on Steam for £11.49, a 50% reduction on the usual price of £22.99. Or the deluxe edition containing the OST along with the base game is also available, priced at £13.74, a 60% discount.
For fans of rhythm games, virtual DJ titles Electronauts lets users create songs, mix together your own DJ sets and perform in the virtual world. Electronauts is 40% off the usual price on Steam right now, bringing the price down to £9.29 compared to the usual £15.49.
For those looking forward to groundbreaking boxing title CREED: Rise to Glory, can also take advantage of the sale to snag a pre-order for the upcoming title, since it is currently on a 10% discount, bringing the price down to £21.41 compared to the standard price of £23.79.
For future coverage on special offers and discounts in VR, keep checking back with VRFocus.
Over the last two and a half years we’ve gotten a lot of VR shooters. From zombie-slaying adventures and sci-fi romps through the stars, to hardcore military simulations and hunting dinosaurs on a lonely island, there’s been something for just about everybody.
Now with quite a few promising VR shooters on the horizon we’ve decided to round up our list of the very best 15 VR shooters that you can play right now on Rift, Vive, PSVR, and Windows VR headsets while you get ready for the next wave of intense FPS action.
All entries are listed alphabetically, any past entries that may have been removed are listed at the bottom before the “Coming Soon” section.
Arizona Sunshine(Rift, Vive, PSVR, and Windows VR)
Vertigo Games’ zombie-killing adventure, Arizona Sunshine, is still the best game featuring the walking undead. It’s got a solid campaign, cooperative multiplayer, and an addictive horde mode. Everything is ultra-polished and it’s just a joy to play. Can’t recommend this one enough.
Your eyes are not deceiving you: that video above is actually what Compound, a 2018 VR shooter, looks like. It’s honestly like you’ve set foot inside of a classic 90s-era PC FPS like Wolfenstein or Quake. From our preview: “[Compound] recaptures the revelatory 3D thrills of sneaking around Castle Wolfenstein, hugging a pixelated wall and quickly poking around a corner for a few pot shots at unsuspecting enemies, opening a door and leaping in fright at the sight of an armed goon opening fire, or the relief that comes with discovering a cache of health. But there’s renewed enthusiasm in unearthing the core of the first-person shooter that takes Compound far further than a faithful love letter.”
Farpoint was released as the flagship title for Sony’s PSVR Aim Controller and it does a great job of showcasing the device. We wouldn’t recommend playing it without the controller, in fact. What you’ll get is a decent campaign, 1v1 PvP maps, solo challenge maps, and co-op wave-based maps to play with a friend. It’s a lot of content and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a VR shooter that just feels better to play than Farpoint.
I’ll just quote my review here: “Firewall Zero Hour defies the odds by delivering a multiplayer-focused VR shooter that actually lives up to its potential. If you don’t have a PS Aim controller yet, then you should buy one for this game even though it technically supports DualShock 4 as well. If you don’t have a PSVR headset yet, then you should buy one for this game. With a few improvements and additions, First Contact could turn what is already a must-have PSVR game into a genre-defining one.”
Imagine if you took the ship management aspects out of something like FTL then married it with a procedurally generated roguelike with a Star Trek Away Team-style skin. That’s basically From Other Suns. It’s a blast on co-op and is basically infinitely replayable.
This is about the closest you’re gonna get to something like Borderlands in VR right now. The drop-in, drop-out co-op works great, missions are fun and replayable, and there’s a ton of stuff to unlock in terms of guns, weapon mods, and cosmetic items. The movement features a mixture of free locomotion, teleporting, and excellent floaty jumps. Oh — and there’s PvP!
Hunting dinosaurs is terrifying, but it’s also fun. That’s the underlying premise that Island 359 was founded on. Think of it as a survival shooter that drops you into a jungle and asks you to hunt deadly dinos for survival. With a lot of weapons and game modes to pick from, it’s the kind of VR game that keeps on giving.
While still technically in Early Access, this was really the original hardcore VR shooter to put competitive FPS games on the map for the immersive medium. It’s got excellent mechanics, a strikingly realistic gameplay feel, and it does a great job of making you really feel like you’re in the middle of a war. Highly recommended.
Pavlov is what you get when someone looks at a game like Onward and says, “What if that, but a little less hardcore?” That’s the long and short of it. Pavlov is basically Counter-Strike VR and it totally works.
About a year and a half after its release, this is still hands-down the scariest experience I’ve had in VR to date. Everything from the slow-building narrative, perfect shooter-based gameplay, gorgeously grotesque world, and horrifying violence make this a must-play for all PSVR owners.
If Raw Data and Robo Recall are a bit too tame for you, then Sairento may be able to scratch that itch. It’s got more high-flying action, time-slowing powers, and an excellent mixture of ninja elements to make you both look and feel like a badass superhero.
Serious Sam 3 VR: BFE (Rift, Vive, and Windows VR)
Croteam’s Serious Sam series is one of the longest-running pure adrenaline-based action shooter franchises on the market. It’s all about pure action with tons of enemies on-screen and lots of back-pedaling. Serious Sam 3 VR cuts no corners and even features online multiplayer.
Stand Out: VR Battle Royale(Rift, Vive, and Windows VR)
I don’t like rip-offs. That’s a blanket statement that covers my feelings on the topic…for the most part. In the case of Stand Out: VR Battle Royale I’m willing to make an exception. For all intents and purposes, this game is a rip-off of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) by taking that exact premise, art style, and even many minor rules and mechanics, and just adapting it for VR. In fact, even the logo looks about the same. It’s shameless, but damn if it isn’t a ton of fun despite the lack of polish.
Calling Superhot a shooter isn’t really accurate, but we had to include it on this list since it does feature lots of guns. In Superhot time only moves when you do, so it’s actually more of a puzzle game as you figure out how to take out all enemies without getting hit in this cerebral thriller.
This was a launch title for the PSVR and remains as one of the platform’s very best in terms of fun you can have behind a pair of dual-wielded guns. It’s actually just one 3-4 hour long roller coaster ride full of jump scares and bad guys waiting to be filled with lead. Beyond featuring some of the best sound design we’ve seen in a horror title yet, it’s also just a treat to play through.
(9/11/18 Update): This is a living, ever-evolving list. As of September 11, 2018, we’ve bumped Raw Data, Robo Recall, and Killing Floor: Incursion off of the list to make room for Stand Out: VR Battle Royale, Firewall Zero Hour, and Compound.
Coming Soon
Zero Killed (September 26th, Rift and Vive)
PC VR users already have Onward and Pavlov and PSVR users now have Firewall Zero Hour, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for more realistic military shooters out there. This one is shaping up to be a mixture of Rainbow Six and Counter-Strike with tactical combat that still leans heavily on fast and intense gameplay. We’ll have impressions of this one very soon on the site.
Evasion (October 9th, Rift, Vive, and PSVR)
There are lots of single player-focused shooters on this list and the handful of multiplayer ones are mostly all about slow-paced tactical warfare — but not Evasion. Described as part co-op VR shooter and part “bullet hell” game, this one is all about staying mobile, leveraging your class abilities, and dodging enemy fire. The PSVR edition will support the Aim controller as well so this is one worth keeping your eye on.
Echo Combat (2018, Rift Exclusive)
Since it’s already gone through Open Beta, we imagine it’s not far off from release. Echo Combat takes the innovative movement system from Lone Echo and Echo Arena and marries it with Overwatch-style payload-moving FPS action.
Space Junkies (2018, Rift, Vive, and Windows VR)
Having just come off of a Closed Beta last weekend, Space Junkies is likely not far off from release either. This one feels a bit like the VR spiritual successor to Unreal Tournament with lots of zero-G jetpack flying action.
Defector (2018, Rift Exclusive)
If you’ve ever wanted to feel like the star of your own Mission Impossible film, then Defector could be the perfect game. Like, seriously. That’s what this is.
Zero Caliber (Early 2019)
We don’t know much about this one yet, but it already is on our list of most-anticipated VR shooters for sure. The art direction is beautiful and the co-op action looks like a great implementation of the sci-fi setting.
We undoubtedly missed some of your favorite VR shooters. Let us know what they are down in the comments below!
Another weekend and another chance to see what virtual reality (VR) deals are hidden away. This week it is the Easter Sale on the PlayStation store so we picked up a number of PlayStation VR titles to for you consider picking up. With plenty of experience to pick from including tank battles, flying like a bird and even defending your home with a sword there is sure to be something for everyone. As always be sure to check back every weekend for even more deals right here on VRFocus.
Battlezone
“Battlezone is arcade VR action at its finest, with options galore allowing players to uniquely hone their combat strategies. With both extensive single-player and multiplayer modes there’s enough here for countless hours of gameplay, so you can comfortably sit cocooned inside these rolling machines of destruction and never get bored, because quite frankly, it’s too much fun. PlayStation VR owners have been enjoying Battlezone for months, if you own an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive you don’t need to have second thoughts about this, Battlezone is one of the best VR titles out there.” – Read VRFocus’ Senior Staff Writer Peter Graham’s review of Battlezone here.
Battlezoneis currently on sale for £9.49 (GBP) down from £34.99.
I Expect You To Die
Have you wanted to know what it would be like to be an elite secret agent? Well in this VR puzzle title you can do just that. You must attempt to survive a number of deadly situations in immersive and dangerous locales all while keeping your cool, as any secret agent should, and coming out on top. Do you have what it takes to complete each task and be the best?
I Expect You To Die is currently more then half price, on sale for for £7.99 (GBP) down from £19.99.
Raw Data
“Neo-Shinjuku – 2271. The massive and seemingly benevolent Eden Corporation owns the world. The elite hacker resistance movement SyndiK8 has unearthed the sinister reality behind Eden Corp’s newest line of robotic products. As one of SyndiK8’s elite operatives, your mission is straightforward: infiltrate Eden Tower, steal as much Raw Data as possible, and get out alive—bringing Eden Corp down in your wake. Built from the ground up for virtual reality, Raw Data’s action combat gameplay, intuitive controls, challenging enemies, and sci-fi atmosphere will completely immerse you within the surreal environments of Eden Corp. Become the adrenaline-charged hero of your own futuristic technothriller as you put your wits and endurance to the test.”
Raw Data is currently £11.99 (GBP) down from £30.99.
Ancient Amuletor
“Ancient Amuletor is a fun way to kill a few hours, with some simple, intuitive combat and enough interesting innovations to keep it fresh. Along with the lovely graphics making it nice to look at. Sadly though, the title lacks depth and longevity with only four levels and no particular incentive to reply. The developers have mentioned that some DLC is in the works, though, which could redeem this title above a simple, casual time-killer.” – Read VRFocus’ Staff Writer Rebecca Hills-Duty review of Ancient Amuletor here.
Ancient Amuletoris currently on sale for £6.49 (GBP) down from £14.99 with a demo available as well.
Mortal Blitz
Enter the shoes of ‘Yuhei’ ex- F.O.R.C.E. (governmental elite soldiers), and fight in missions to stop the evil plans of the Dominion’s Teratoma Destruction Plan. With arcade gameplay and gun shooting, Mortal Blitz is a fast paced VR action shooter experience that will see you battling against the odds to stop the villain.
Mortal Blitz is now only £7.99 (GBP) which is half price off, down from £15.99.
VR Karts
Get behind the wheel and feel the speed and thrill of kart racing in VR with this title. Customize your kart however you like and race against other players in this colorful and family-friendly racing title designed specifically for VR. With support for up to six players to compete against each other in heated races, will you be able to take first place and leave the rest in the dust.
VR Karts is available for only £9.49 (GBP) which is a little more then half price down from £19.99.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR
“The achievement made by The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR is one by way of both hardware and design to capitalise upon this. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR’s level of immersion is simply fantastic, and while Bethesda Softworks could well have gone the route of DOOM VFR and created a shorter spin-off experience, developing a brand new The Elder Scrolls instalment specifically for VR would have taken many years and far too much in the way of resources for what is still a nascent audience. As it stands some may find the price point of the videogame a bitter pill to swallow, but for those who dreamed of a truly immersive role-playing experience, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR is simply the best opportunity available today.” – Read VRFocus’ Editor Kevin Joyce’s review of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR here.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR is £34.39 (GBP) down from the usual price of £49.99.
CastleStorm VR Edition
“Get ready to raze castles and conquer your rivals in CastleStorm VR, an exciting new take on the tower-defense action-RPG phenomenon! Experience CastleStorm, a super genre mashup of 2D physics destruction mashed with a tower defense brawler, in full VR that catapults you onto the battlefield. Throw yourself into the heat of battle as you pit knights, soldiers, archers and even griffins against formidable foes in castle vs. castle combat!”
“Take command of the most advanced starfighter the United Trade Consortium has ever developed in stunning virtual reality as you battle for control of the Tartarus sector. Protect the UTC’s secret jump-drive technology from the Tartarus Liberation Front insurgents as you fight to maintain the corporation’s dominance and earn yourself fame and fortune in the process.”
End Space is currently only £7.39 (GBP) on sale from £15.99.
Eagle Flight
Expereince the joy of flying through the air as Eagle Flight sends you to the skies of Paris to feel the freedom of flying. Set fifty years after humans vanished from the face of the Earth, wildlife and nature have reclaimed the land and now, flying through the skies with complete freedom, is you. Complete with multiplayer that will get the adrenaline rush going, Eagle Flight is an immersive experience unlike any other.
Eagle Flight is available for only £14.99 (GBP) right now on sale from £34.99.
That is all for this week but remember that VRFocus collates all the best sales and cheap deals every weekend, so check back next weekend at the same time to discover more.
The weekend is here and it’s the last one for the month of February but that won’t stop us from bringing you a number of stories from the week focusing on sports. From football to stock car racing to a new demonstration of a virtual reality (VR) stadium experience, there is plenty to drive into in This Week In VR Sport.
Virtual Stadium Experience Showcased at MediaCityUK
Since the introduction of VR technology into the world of sports, fans have been itching to see how it can help put them closer to the action. Salford University Centre for Sports Business partnered with DigitalSport.co to demonstration and number of VR and augmented reality (AR) products focusing on the sports sector. One such demonstration, designed by Salford student Elena-Mary Calarasu, made use of 360 camera to record not only a match but also the crowds, before projecting them onto huge screens to create an immersive virtual stadium experience.
Calarasu, a student of Business and IT at the University of Salford Business School explained: “We wanted to get rid of the headsets but still get the same experience. It’s a very social thing. The idea is to bring fans closer to the action. It will allow fans who don’t live near their team to be involved in the action. For example Man City fans who live in China could get a much better experience if this technology is used.”
On top of the massive projection onto the two massive screens the experience can also been enjoyed with a VR headset such as the Oculus Rift. The demonstration shows that with or without a headset, that immersive sports content is very much possible and can be used in a number of different applications.
NASCAR Looking to Virtual Reality to Fuel Future Stars
From football to stock car racing, VR and immersive technology is helping to grow the next generation of racers.
Speaking in an interview with the Orlando Sentinel, 20 year old stock car racer William Byron spoke about how the use of the popular iRacing simulator as a teenager helped to home his skills for the real thing. Having won over 100 races and placing in the top five over 290 times. Talking about his early days of racing Byron explained: “For me, I had not been in a racing family and did not have any connection with this, so iRacing was my chance to really see if I had any ability to drive a car, I think from that standpoint it’s a great starter for understanding if you do have some ability and seeing if that can translate.”
The accessibility of iRacing and the included support for VR headsets allows a user to become complete immersed in a race, learning invariable skills for the real thing. Jimmie Johnson, 42-year-old seven-time season champion added: “In today’s world you can get experience in a variety lot of different ways and have the hours needed to jump in a car, unlike my generation, William is a perfect example.”
He continued by adding: “I had to wait 20 times a year to go drive a vehicle for one day. You add up those hours. William can sit in his house and drive for six hours day after day after day. It’s not the real thing but in today’s era it’s pretty damn close.”
The Next eSport Might Be VR Deathmatch
Speaking of future stars, the next generations of eSports champions may find their future success in VR.
During a recent test event at the Dr. Pepper Arena in Frisco, Texas, the first two-person VR arena demonstration was create. The aim was to have two players facing off in a head-to-head live-action deathmatch in the title Raw Data. Complete with viewing screens and side-by-side pods, a stage was created to make any eSports fan happy. The event, though only small, was a successful test of the idea, setup and hardware along with a live stream resulting in an exciting event that has a lot of promise.
The possible application to take this large scale could be a key step in how the eSports industry further embraces VR technology and creates new competitions. You can see the test event in action here.
For more on immersive sport news keep reading VRFocus.
Concerning the London area, the deployment of Location-Based Entertainment (LBE) VR facilities across the international market has continued to gain mentum. And Just down the road from the major gaming exhibition, the UK capital welcomed its latest slew of new VR venues hoping to drive the sector.
