What You Missed: A Recap of the Latest Virtual Reality Titles Coming to PlayStation VR

Missed the announcements from Paris Games Week (PGW)? A huge fan of virtual reality (VR)? PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR owners likely already know that there are now over 100 titles on the platform. But that’s just now. There’s plenty of videogames on the way to add to that collection, and luckily VRFocus has got your back. Below you can find a list of all the PlayStation VR videogames that were announced or mentioned at PGW – and we have also created a little video recap which you can find below.

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown – 2018

Bandai Namco bring you Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, taking their popular fighter pilot series to VR for the first time. With spectacular views, a dynamic weather system and various maps, this videogame demands the highest possible aerial combat skills.

Resident Evil VII biohazard DLC – Not A Hero – December 12th 2017

Chris Redfield comes up against new and terrifying enemies in his pursuit of deadly psychopath Lucas in Resident Evil VII thanks to the Not A Hero free DLC. There are plenty of gory situations to confront on the path ahead as Redfield seeks an end to the bloody reign of the murderous Baker family.

Rec Room – Coming Soon

Developers Against Gravity have created a social platform where players can engage in multiplayer games with one another. As with all the products mentioned here, check out the link for more information.

Moss – 2018

Announced at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), VRFocus thought Moss was perhaps the cutest VR game to date. Sadly, that date has shifted, with the title now delayed until 2018. Developed by Polyarc, Moss asks players to solve puzzles in a larger-than-life world. The protagonist Quill also recognises who you are and tries to point out tips when you’re stuck. Quill’s intricate hand movements actually promotes sign language as she uses her body, hands and squeaks to communicate with you.

Apex Construct Coming Soon

Announced at PGW today, this first-person shooter (FPS) takes adventure to a futuristic, robot-filled sci-fi world. You play as the last human on a world where synthetic creatures seek to dominate their new hunting grounds. Created by Fast Travel Games, this Swedish studio is formed of Ex-Rovio, EA and DICE staff.

Bow to Blood – 2018

Another newly announced title, Bow to Blood is a multiplayer videogame where players pilot airships into combat with other players. PlayStation VR owners can go solo or team up to battle rivals. Stand and fight or reposition on your foe? It’s your call.

League of War: VR Arena – November 7th 2017

Announced back in August this real-time tabletop warfare simulator should be something strategy fans will enjoy. Players will have access to 12 different units, four of which can be deployed at one time. This includes tanks, soldiers, flamethrowers, artillery and helicopters. Each unit costs energy to put on the battlefield – so don’t start spamming out loads of troops without thinking careful first.

Stifled – October 31st 2017

Showcased at E3 this year, this videogame asks players to see the world through sound; similar to how echolocation would work underwater. The noise you make highlight the surroundings around you in a creepy white line drawing style. Unfortunately, whilst using sound shows your path it also draws the attention of enemies.  You will need to balance your need to see versus your need to keep safe. A slow and steady process that really gets under your skin.

Sprint Vector – Coming Soon

A fast-paced obstacle course racing title that asks players to swing their arms back and forth in order to increase the speed at which they travel. Climb, jump, leap across various obstacles and compete against friends or A.I.

Star Child – Coming Soon

Developers Playful Corp have created a dark, cyberpunk world where strange creatures roam in a bizarre neon-lit world. A side-scrolling platform experience, the protagonist has to solve puzzles and take an elevator deeper into an alien world.Star Child ScreenshotTransference – Coming Soon

Announced at E3, Elijah Wood’s videogame company Spectrevision and Ubisoft have created a psychological thriller videogame where players delve into the destructive tale of a man’s obsession as they explore his digitally recreated memories. Think Inception, but as a videogame where you have to solve puzzles in the man’s memories. VRFocus did an interview with Kyle McCullough from SpectreVision if you want more information.

Ultrawings VR – Coming Soon

Available on the Samsung Gear VR and now coming to PlayStation VR, this flying simulator allows you to try three different aircrafts, has several missions which in turn allows the player to purchase airports across three separate islands. Shoot balloons, take photos, fly through rings, race against players or practice that perfect landing.

Dead Hungry – October 31st 2017

This tongue-in-cheek action videogame allows you to cook up a storm as a chef feeding some very hungry zombies. That’s right, you’re not killing zombies on mass but feeding them some very well-cooked hamburgers instead. Perfect for Halloween.

Eden Tomorrow – Coming Soon

Set in sci-fi world on what seems another planet, PGW is the first time anything of this videogame was showcased and very little is known about it for sure. However, it appears to be the evolution of previously announced VR title Eden. And features some very strange and bizarre looking creatures that resemble a Brachiosaurus. The teaser also features three-armed robotic drones and enormous monsters.

Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV – November 21st 2017

Showcasing the first hands-on previews at PGW, the gameplay features customisable costumes, a various array of fish (and other creatures) and various ways of catching fish from travel to sonar detection.

Megalith – 2018

A first-person videogame where you play as a titan on a quest to become a powerful god. With destructible environment and a range of weapons in a stylised world.

Smash Hit Plunder – 2018

Set in a medieval castle with ghostly inhabitants, you play a young mage recently returned from magic school on a quest to delve into their family’s fraught past. You have to rebuild your family’s wealth and use your wand to uncover treasure, coins and crowns. As the name of the title suggests, you’ll have to do a lot of smashing and hitting things to do that. Venture into multiple dungeons, secret rooms and set things on fire, smash everything you see or sneak up on ghosts to find hidden gold.

Blood and Truth – 2018

Another new title to add to the growing list of PlayStation VR games available for players, you play a brutal gangster in London. On a quest to avenge his murdered family, you have to break into enemy hideouts, casinos and gun down your enemies. You need to be prepared for both stealth gameplay as well as ready to throw yourself into the action. The teaser showcase lock picking and a bomb detonating as you shoot down enemies.

Those are the latest videogames that have been announced or will be coming soon to the PlayStation VR. Watch the video below to get a glimpse of all the videogames and follow VRFocus for any further announcements on the videogames.

Rec Room Gets Limited Beta Launch on PlayStation VR

Last month developer Against Gravity announced that its popular social platform Rec Room – where players from across the world can come together to engage in multiplayer games – would be launching the title on PlayStation VR this year. At the time the studio said it was looking for PlayStation VR owners to become beta testers prior to release and that’s now happened, just in a very limited fashion.

Making the announcement over on Reddit, Against Gravity said: “For the first time, Rec Room is available to PSVR players! For now, it’s a very limited beta, and they are not yet mixed with the “general population”.” This means that players testing the title won’t be able to join their VR brethren on Oculus Rift or HTC Vive just yet. Also the beta was solely limited to PlayStation VR users in North or South America.

The PlayStation VR update does include a bunch of new additions as well for players to test out. For new users there’s a revamped tutorial, teaching the handshake (add friend), fist bump (party up), and Stop (mute/ignore/report) gestures, the  Code of Conduct is highlighted more prominently and the keyboard now has shortcuts for common email addresses.

In terms of gameplay additions, in the popular paintball bows are now in custom games, there are new toys in the sandbox machine, Quest has been tweaked changing the way teams advanced through the level, and the weekly challenges have been slightly altered: “we’re going to release just one skin per week, but focus on making that skin a little more special,” notes the studio.

Then Against Gravity releases details on the full official launch, VRFocus will let you know.

Social Multiplayer Rec Room Confirmed for PlayStation 2017 Launch

One of the most popular social experiences on Oculus Rift and HTC Vive is Against Gravity’s virtual reality (VR) social club Rec Room, allowing players to hangout, chat and play a multitude of videogames together. Now the studio has confirmed a PlayStation VR version is in the works, due for release by the end of the year.

Making the announcement via Reddit, Against Gravity is looking for PlayStation VR owners to become beta testers prior to launch, with applications now open for anyone who’d like to test run the title so long as they live in North or South America. Other stipulations include one application per PlayStation VR headset and that you won’t need PlayStation Plus to participate – if you get chosen.

Rec Room screenshot 1

Just like the PC version, Rec Room for PlayStation VR will support cross-platform gameplay at launch, so players will be able to compete against Oculus Rift and HTC Vive users – the function won’t be available for the beta. The studio also states that the console version won’t ‘have any ads, in app purchases, subscriptions, paid rooms, etc,’ being completely free.

Originally released on HTC Vive back in June 2016, Rec Room is still a Steam Early Access title seeing plenty of updates over the last year. Players can customise their appearance, team up to play multiplayer games like Paintball, 3D Charades, and Disc Golf, or head off on four player co-op adventures.

As further details are released on the PlayStation VR version, VRFocus will keep you updated.

‘Rec Room’ is Coming Soon to PSVR, Applications for Beta Testing Now Open

Rec Room (2016), the popular social VR app for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, is coming soon to PlayStation VR. Production studio Against Gravity announced Rec Room‘s PSVR release via the PSVR reddit page, saying that the game is slated to arrive by the end of this year.

Rec Room offers a slew of active social games using the respective systems’ motion controllers. With the specific aim to get you up and out of your seat, the app features co-op ‘Quests’ that take you on battles through classic sci-fi and medieval settings, and has a number of group activities like paintball, disc golf, and 3D charades. Whatever it is, Rec Room always seems to give you a reason to come back, and it’s such an excellent experience (when not chocked full of ankle-biters, but hey, who would’ve thought kids like games too) that we put it on our ‘Top 5 Games for HTC Vive’ list.

Against Gravity maintains that PSVR support will include cross-play with Rift and Vive at launch, and just like the PC VR version, will be entirely free. That includes no ads, in-app purchases, subscriptions, paid rooms, or micro-transactions of any kind.

The studio is currently taking applications for its beta, which they say will be on a closed, PSVR-only server during the testing period. Only players connecting from North and South America can apply, something Against Gravity says has to do with the available PSVR regions Sony is currently allowing them to use prior to launch. The studio says regions could be added in the future however, and will push a separate form if Sony allows it.

There’s no firm date yet for the beta’s starting point, but Against Gravity Community Designer Shawn Whiting says it should kick off in “weeks, not months.”

The post ‘Rec Room’ is Coming Soon to PSVR, Applications for Beta Testing Now Open appeared first on Road to VR.

Rec Room für PSVR – Beta-Phase hat begonnen [Update]

[Update] Am 28. September hat Against Gravity PlayStation-VR-Besitzer zum Betatest von Rec Room aufgerufen. Diese hat nun begonnen, wie der Entwickler auf Reddit mitteilt. Damit können das erste Mal PSVR-Anwender im sozialen VR-Netzwerk unterwegs sein. Allerdings ist die Einladung sehr limitiert. Dafür erwarten die Rec-Room-Tester neue Spielzeuge in der Sandbox und ein überarbeitetes Tutorial. Ebenfalls neu sind beispielsweise Pfeil und Bogen beim Paintball.

Originalmeldung:

Im Bereich der Social VR tut sich im Moment einiges. So verkündete HTC erst vor Kurzem die Kooperation mit VRChat, nun gibt es Neuigkeiten zur sozialen VR-Erfahrung Rec Room. Diese war bisher nur PC-Besitzern mit Oculus Rift oder HTC Vive vorenthalten. Bereits vor einiger Zeit gab es das Gerücht, dass die VR-Erfahrung auch für PlayStation VR (PSVR) erscheinen soll. Dies wurde nun von offizieller Seite bestätigt, wie in einem Reddit-Post zu lesen ist. Aktuell können sich Interessierte als offizielle Tester für die anstehende Beta-Phase bewerben die innerhalb der nächsten Wochen starten soll.

Rec Room für PlayStation VR (PSVR)

Rec Room Virtual Reality

Die soziale VR-Erfahrung Rec Room bringt nicht nur Menschen auf der ganzen Welt zusammen und lässt sie miteinander interagieren, sie bietet auch jede Menge Unterhaltungswert. Ihr könnt eurer Kreativität freien Lauf lassen, indem ihr euren Avater individuell gestaltet und damit in die virtuelle Multiplayer-Plattform eintaucht. Dort findet ihr neben anderen Menschen auch jede Menge Spiele und andere Aktivitäten. Von Paintball über Golf bis zu Co-op-Quests ist hier alles dabei, was das Herz begehrt.

Rec Room Quest

Zukünftig soll Rec Room jedoch nicht mehr nur PC-Spielern vorenthalten bleiben, denn laut eines Reddit-Posts erscheint die VR-Plattform bald für PlayStation VR (PSVR). Zudem soll es Cross-Plattform-Support für PC-Spieler und PlayStation-Spieler geben, sodass beide VR-Plattformen miteinander interagieren können. Aktuell suchen die Entwickler Personen, die Interesse daran haben, den VR-Titel in der anstehenden Beta-Phase zu testen. Dafür muss man lediglich ein Formular ausfüllen und die Anforderungen erfüllen. Leider muss man dafür einen Wohnsitz in Nord- oder Südamerika haben. Jedoch ist dem offiziellen Post zu entnehmen, dass dies auch in anderen Regionen bald möglich sein könnte. Derzeit gibt es noch keinen offiziellen Starttermin für die Testphase, es handelt sich jedoch laut den Verantwortlichen nur noch „um Wochen, keine Monate mehr“.

Die PSVR-Version von Rec Room soll kostenlos im vierten Quartal in diesem Jahr erscheinen. Derzeit können sich interessierte Tester für die Beta-Testphase hier bewerben. Der VR-Titel ist außerdem kostenlos bei Steam für Oculus Rift und HTC Vive erhältlich.

(Quellen: Reddit)

Der Beitrag Rec Room für PSVR – Beta-Phase hat begonnen [Update] zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

The 5 Best Games for HTC Vive

It was a hard decision, but you’ve decided to go with the HTC Vive as your first ‘serious’ VR headset, a room-scale device that released early 2016 as a result of a decisive collaboration with Valve. Here we take a look at our top 5 games for Vive, and a little more information you might need to get you started.

The Vive is a powerful ally in the fight against marketplace fragmentation, as it draws content from Steam, Viveport—and with the help of Revive, a software hack that lets you play Oculus exclusives. Right out of the box, you’ll have a room-scale setup, something that the Rift requires at least one additional sensor to claim, all the while delivering comparable standing and seated experiences as well.

Before we go any further though, you’ll find that you have access to a number of games on our Best 5 Games for Oculus Rift list thanks to the Revive hack, so make sure to check out some of the guaranteed fresh Oculus exclusives, and all the games that support Rift and Vive equally well. In any case, all of the games below are natively supported for Vive and purchasable through Steam.

5 – Moss

Once a PSVR exclusive, Moss (2017) has now made its way to PC VR headsets, letting you control your cute little mouse buddy, Quill, on your adventures through a large and dangerous world. Stylistically, Moss hits a home run with its impressive diorama-style visuals and interactive elements that lets you, the player (aka ‘The Reader’) move puzzle pieces around and also take over the minds of enemies as Quill slashes through the world to recover her lost uncle. Puzzles may not be the most difficult, but Moss has effectively set up a universe begging for more sequels to further flesh out the enticing world Polyarc Games has created.

While Moss is primarily a seated game, you’ll enjoy it just the same regardless of the Vive’s room-scale abilities.

‘Moss’ on Vive

See why we gave it a [7.9/10] in our review on PSVR.

4 – Budget Cuts

Budget Cuts (2018), the first-person stealth VR game from Stockholm-based indie studio Neat Corporation, first released came into the world via a free demo in 2016. The demo, which quickly became a breakout success in the early days of consumer VR, demonstrated a unique portal-teleportation mechanic, that, when married with the ability to throw knives at robot guards, spelled an instant hit—at least from a basic gameplay perspective. Two years later, the full release of Budget Cuts is here and it’s definitely been worth the wait.

At the time of this writing, it still suffers from some bugs. Although when everything goes right, Budget Cuts makes the top 5 cut for delivering Vive players a uniquely room-scale stealth assassin game that will have you cowering for your life underneath virtual filing cabinets.

‘Budget Cuts’ on Vive

Find out why we gave Budget Cuts a [9.2/10] in our review.

3 – The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR

Bethesda’s Skyrim VR (2017) was once a PSVR exclusive, but ever since it made its way to Steam (Vive, Rift, Windows VR), the game has really come into its own on PC VR platforms. Thanks to the average VR-ready gaming PC’s ability to render the open world at a much higher resolution, you’ll really feel like you’ve stepped into the world of Skyrim, replete with trolls, dragons, and a seemingly endless list of things to do and places to explore.

‘Skyrim VR’ on Vive

See why we gave Skyrim VR a solid [8/10] in our review.

2 – Beat Saber

Created by Prague-based indie team Beat Studio (ex-Hyperbolic Magnetism), Beat Saber (2018) is a funky and incredibly stylish rhythm game that will have you slicing blocks to the beat of high-BPM dance music. While the idea is simple, the execution is magnificent. Beat Saber gives you 10 songs, each with four difficulty levels to master, the highest being expert which will have you feeling like a 21st century techno-jedi.

‘Beat Saber’ VR on Vive

Beat Saber is still in Early Access, and awaiting updates such as multiplayer and official track editors, so we haven’t given it a grade yet. Check out our Early Access review here though to get a better idea of what Beat Saber has to offer.

1 – SUPERHOT VR

Based on the PC/console version of SUPERHOT (2016), the strategy-based first-person shooter was re-imagined from the ground-up for VR headsets in SUPERHOT VR (2016). As an entirely new game in the same vein as its flatscreen counterpart, the iconic red baddies (and their bullets) move only when you do, so you can line up your shot, punch a guy in the face, dodge a bullet, and toss a bottle across the room, shattering their red-glass heads in what feels intensely immersive and satisfying—because you’re doing it all with your own two hands. That and you’ll feel like a badass no matter whose basement you live in.

‘SUPERHOT VR’ on Vive


Honorable Mentions

  • Fallout 4 VRFallout 4 (2015), the post-apocalyptic adventure from Bethesda Game Studios is here in its entirety in VR. Like Skyrim VR, it gives you a vast open world to explore, but suffers from some optimization issues that require the user to tweak before really enjoying it.
  • The Gallery: Heart of the Emberstone: It’s a longer, stronger and more immersive experience than the first in the series, The Gallery: Call of the Starseed (2016), and shows that Cloudhead Games has put in the hours producing a visually and emotionally adept story that feels like it hasn’t outworn its welcome. Puzzles are innovative, and while they aren’t particularly difficult, they always reward you with something worth pursuing.
  • The Mage’s Tale:  Crafting elemental magic, exploring foreboding dungeons, battling giants and stealing their treasure. There’s all of this and more in The Mage’s Tale. Although story-wise the game comes too close to campy and played out for its own good, it’s still a solid investment for the enterprising young wizard among you.
  • Vanishing Realms – Letting you battle an army of skeleton demons through an archetypal fantasy world, Indimo Labs’ sword-swinging adventure game is likened to ‘Zelda in VR’ by pushing the boundaries of what VR is capable of and delivering that much sought after sword and shield combat experience.
  • Raw DataRaw Data is a heavy-hitting, fast-paced game that’s more than just a simple wave shooter. While it presses all the right buttons with atmosphere and feel, the game is on the bleeding edge of virtual interaction, which sometimes doesn’t work as well as it should. Despite its technical flaws, it’s one of the best VR shooters for HTC Vive and Oculus Touch out currently.
  • Arizona Sunshine – Vertigo Games’s Arizona Sunshine (2016) puts you in the midst of the archetypal zombie apocalypse, and even though we gave it a [7.5/10], it proves to be a solid entry into the FPS genre. Suffering some finicky controls and an even more finicky multiplayer, this zombie shooter almost made our list.
  • Subnautica Out of Steam Early Access this year, Subnautica lets you pilot your own submarine, craft your underwater base, explore lush coral reefs, volcanoes, cave systems, and survive the harsh realities of the deep by out-smarting the game’s sometimes dangerous fauna.
  • GORN – Games that require you to use hand-held weapons don’t seem to work as well as shooters in VR. Maybe it’s the lack of haptic-feedback, but that certainly doesn’t stop them from being immensely fun just the same. Set in some barbaric future where floating heads look down as you smash topsy-turvy, weapon-wielding gladiators, Gorn proves to be charmingly ridiculous.
  • Onward – A fan favorite with a hardcore playerbase, the OD green of mil-sim shooters Onward gives you that VR battle you’ve always wanted, including tactical team-based gameplay and plenty of guns. The game itself is still fairly early in development, as it doesn’t have ranked matches yet, making it a bit intimidating from a beginner’s perspective. It’s creation is a true feat of will as it’s amazingly maintained by a singular developer.
  • Pavlov VR – Incorporating classic maps from games such as N64’s Goldeneye and Counter-StrikePavlov serves up a slice of familiar gameplay in a new VR setting. Featuring bots, and several modes including search-and-destroy and casual fast-paced solo play, Pavlov is the CQB death match standard FPS fans have been waiting for.
  • Project Cars & Project Cars 2 – You probably don’t have access to a garage full of super cars, but even if you do you’ll probably appreciate the ability to practice speeding around the track without ever having to leave home. The second in line, Project Cars 2 has a completely overhauled physics and tire models, making it a more true to life racing experience. You certainly can’t go wrong with either though!
  • Windlands – Originally developed in the early days of the Oculus development kits, Windlands has since added motion controller support to its fantastical ‘castle in the sky’ setting that lets you naturally grappling hook your way across what ultimately plays out as a giant parkour puzzle. It’s an intense experience, but well worth the feeling you’ll get from conquering the highest reaches of this beautiful and unique game.

If you didn’t see your favorite game here, let us know in the comments! This is a continually evolving list, so check back for the latest in Road to VR’s top Vive games.

Update (July 7th, 2018): We’ve done a long-due overhaul of the list, and bumped a few previous games to the honorable mentions list.

The post The 5 Best Games for HTC Vive appeared first on Road to VR.

Rec Room Get New Multiplayer Quest

Virtual reality (VR) has a slowly growing collection of experiences which are designed to be best experienced with others. From more traditional passive style social media such as Facebook Spaces through to more active titles such as Rec Room by developer Against Gravity, which has just introduced a new Group Quest titled The Curse of the Crimson Cauldron.

The Rec Room was originally released into Steam Early Access for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift in 2016, where it received considerable praise from critics and consumers. The title was designed to be a type of online VR social club where people could mingle and play mini-games together, such as 3D Charades, Disc Golf and Paintball. Since then, the developers have expanded the title to include RPG-style quests, which feature storylines to follow and cosmetic items to unlock.

The latest quest lets players take on the Goblin hordes, who are serving a new, mysterious master after the downfall of the Goblin King. Players must discover the secret of the powerful Curse of the Crimson Cauldron and defeat the new ruler of the goblins. Completing the quest allows players to unlock two new outfits, Witch Hunter and Wizard.

Some other new tweaks and fixes have also been added in the new update, including a prompt to import Steam or Oculus friends who play Rec Room. Creators of private games now have moderator powers so can mute or kick guests and give host powers to other guests where needed.

Rec Room is free to play on Steam, and the developers have been keen on continuing to add new features and fix problems, regularly introducing new features and bug fixes through updates. An official full release for the title has not yet been confirmed.

A trailer for the new update is available to view below.

VRFocus will bring you further news on Rec Room as it becomes available.

‘Rec Room’ Update Adds New Quest, ‘Curse of the Crimson Cauldron’

The impressive content of popular social VR game Rec Room has once again expanded, with this week’s update introducing a brand new Quest titled ‘Curse of the Crimson Cauldron’. Developer Against Gravity believes their third co-op VR mini-adventure is the longest and most challenging to date.

As described in an entry on the game’s Steam news page, Rec Room’s third co-op Quest ‘Curse of the Crimson Cauldron’ is now available, alongside a few extra features and fixes. This includes improved powers for event hosts, a new eraser marker, and a watch prompt to import new friends.

Image courtesy Against Gravity

Against Gravity explained to Road to VR that they believe it is the most difficult quest they’ve created to date, as well as the longest, as illustrated by the quest’s elaborate map (right).

This is a result of the ‘new dynamic encounters’ with more ‘unpredictable’ enemies, along with new challenges which include ‘puzzle solving’ and ‘environmental hazards’. The mode also introduces a new magic wand and crossbow, and ‘double damage potions’ to deal with the stronger enemies.

Image courtesy Against Gravity

With ‘The Quest for the Golden Trophy’ in February and ‘The Rise of Jumbotron!’ in April, along with many other updates to features and content, Rec Room’s development continues at a relentless pace. Against Gravity are seemingly unafraid to make rapid changes to environments and gameplay features, as they have the ability to react to feedback from the highly active community just as quickly. Their approach is clearly successful, with Rec Room becoming one of the most popular social VR platforms. The injection of funding announced early this year has ensured the game continues to be free, although the team will surely have to explore monetisation options in the future.

The post ‘Rec Room’ Update Adds New Quest, ‘Curse of the Crimson Cauldron’ appeared first on Road to VR.

The 5 Best Cross-Play Multiplayer Games for PC VR & PlayStation VR

Single-player games can immersive and rewarding, but when the campaign is done and all the AI foes have been slain, you need to know when you finally hit that ‘multiplayer’ button that can play with actual human beings. Here we take a look at multiplayers games that will let you play together—be it on PC VR headsets through Steam or Oculus, or on PlayStation VR.

VR’s overall playerbase—even across the major headsets—is still a pretty small community in contrast to console/PC gaming. So while the multiplayer lobbies won’t be busting at the seams like you’re used to in flatscreen games, you’re still bound to find a group of casuals, die-hards, and try-hards populating the servers.

Here’s what we think are the best cross-compatible games for Rift, Vive, Index, or Windows MR players on PC, and for console players on PSVR. You’ll find a longer explanation below our top 5 list detailing more about PSVR cross-play (spoiler: there’s only a few).

5 – Sparc

CCP’s 1v1 sports game Sparc was their last virtual reality title before shuttering their VR studios late last year. While CCP has basically called it quits on VR for now, there’s still plenty of reasons to pick up Sparc if you’re looking to connect up with a buddy.

Sparc is by all measures a great game, but it’s even greater that you can play mano-a-mano against any one of your VR headset owning goons you call friends. Sparc suffers from the same issue as many cross-platform VR games though, i.e. no support for friends lists outside of the platform you’re on, but you can always host a game and hope for matchmaking serendipity—the silver lining to a smaller user base means you’ll probably be able to match up with your friend easily.

Oculus Store – Steam – PlayStation Store 

4 – Catan VR

Catan VR (2018) brings the best-selling board game Settlers of Catan to pretty much every VR headset out there, with dedicated community of players on PC VR headsets, PSVR, Oculus Go and Gear VR. You’re certain to meet Catan-lovers from all over the world, so who knows how your game will improve or what friends you’ll make along the way.

Although online play is the main focus of Catan VR, there’s also a single-player mode with ‘Catan AI Personalities’, which were designed with guidance from Catan creator Klaus Teuber.

Oculus Store – Steam – PlayStation Store

3 – Space Junkies

Space Junkies (2019) is a team shooter from Ubisoft’s Montpellier studio that puts you into zero-g for some pretty familiar Unreal Tournament-style action. Although Ubisoft pulled the plug on development only a few months after the sci-fi arcade-style shooter was released, there’s still a sizable chunk of meat on the bones here, making it one of VR’s most finely-polished and fun team shooters out there.

Full cross-play adds some disparity in input; PSVR players could technically have a leg up on the competition due to DualShock 4 allowing for quicker target acquisition, although you may just find dual-wielding with motion controllers way easier and ultimately more satisfying.

Oculus Store – Steam – PlayStation Store

2 – Star Trek: Bridge Crew

You don’t have to be a Trekkie (or Trekker) to see why sitting at the bridge of a star ship, cooperatively taking down hostile aliens is a really engrossing way to lose an entire afternoon/evening. With its 4-player multiplayer, you can go through the game’s half-dozen campaign missions, or alternatively experience an infinite number of procedurally-generated missions in the company of other PC VR and PSVR-owners.

Created by Ubisoft’s Red Storm Entertainment, Star Trek: Bridge Crew is worth it if only to say you’ve been where no man’s gone before.

Oculus Store – Steam – PlayStation Store 

1 – Rec Room

Social apps are a fun way to talk and interact with people in VR, but if you don’t have something fun to do while you’re actually there, the novelty ultimately wears off. Anti Gravity’s Rec Room is a great way to experience fun activities like paintball or dodge ball, but the real meat of the game likes in their co-op ‘Quests’ and PvP battle royale game Rec Royale. Of course all of this is served up in a lovable cartoony environment while you have a chat with people from all over the world, or just your best buddies if you so choose. Did we mention it was free. Yeah, we can’t believe it either.

Rec Room isn’t only a great game, but it allows all players regardless of platforms to meet up, create friends and sally forth to take on all activities without the issues we mentioned above.

Oculus Store – Steam – PlayStation Store

Healthy Playerbases, Cross-compatibility Issues

Let’s face it: there aren’t many other cross-play multiplayer titles that currently work on all three major headsets. It’s a fact we’ve been living with since the headsets launched in 2016, and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better due to two very real roadblocks outside of the friends list issue a large portion of cross-platform games suffer from. While platform exclusives wall out a large percentage of would-be users, the ugly truth is studios simply aren’t going head-first into VR multiplayer games like they once were. Time after time, VR games that primarily feature multiplayer support have fallen to the wayside because of low hourly active user numbers, and perfectly fun games like Werewolves Within and Eagle Flight stand as testament to this.

If you buy a game and the servers aren’t populated with players, you probably won’t wait around too long for a match; it creates a vicious cycle that tends to spell the death of a game if a hardcore playerbase isn’t built-in due to things like active Discord servers or subreddits to keep people engaged outside of the matchmaking screen.

Thankfully for SteamVR headsets owners, Steam is a great resource for guaranteed cross-play on multiplayer titles; many games available through Steam offer VR support for Rift, Vive, Valve Index, and Windows VR pretty much on a de facto basis. Conversely, with a SteamVR headset and ReVive at your disposal, many Oculus Rift multiplayer titles are technically cross-play capable if you’re looking to hack your way in. It’s a pretty strange way of vaulting over the friends list roadblock, but entirely feasible if you’re motivated.

Update (January, 20th 2020): We’ve done a long-due overhaul of the list reflecting the latest developments in the games, and their cross-play abilities. We’ll be periodically updating this list as new games come out.

The post The 5 Best Cross-Play Multiplayer Games for PC VR & PlayStation VR appeared first on Road to VR.