It has almost been a year since Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) released the PlayStation VR head-mounted display (HMD), quickly becoming the most popular high-end VR platform. Next month the headset will celebrate its first anniversary and just like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive did before it, owners will be able to make use of some big discounts.
Currently SIE is staying quiet on which titles will be available and how great these actual discounts might actually be, simply stating on PlayStation.Blog that: “To commemorate, the PlayStation Store is offering a ton of games at great discounts.” Details on all the offers will be going live on Tuesday 10th October – PlayStation VR launched on 13th October 2016 – so hold onto those paychecks until then if there’s a videogame you’ve been after.
If you happen to be a PlayStation Plus member don’t forget that you can still get RIGS: Mechanized Combat League for free, created by the now defunct development studio Guerrilla Cambridge. The title was very popular at launch offering an exhilarating competitive multiplayer experience.
One of the PlayStation VR’s biggest launch titles, RIGS: Mechanized Combat League, is now available for free to all PlayStation Plus subscribers. As previously reported by VRFocus, today’s update for the PlayStation Store offers the first PlayStation VR title to be included as a free download for PlayStation Plus members.
RIGS: Mechanized Combat League is a hugely popular virtual reality (VR) title that may have been unfortunately stunted by the closing of development studio Guerrilla Cambridge shortly after launch. Regardless, early adopters of the PlayStation VR found that RIGS: Mechanized Combat League provided an exhilarating competitive multiplayer experience, and now PlayStation Plus subscribers can join in on that for free.
Also available to PlayStation Plus members this month are Ubisoft’s critically acclaimed Child of Light for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, Hatoful Boyfriend and We Are Doomed for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita, Handball 16 and Truck Racer for PlayStation 3, and infamous Second Son for PlayStation 4. All of these titles are free for a limited time.
Remember, even if you don’t own a PlayStation VR you can download RIGS: Mechanized Combat League now ready for when you make that purchase. VRFocus will keep you updated with any future PlayStation VR titles offered for free with the PlayStation Plus subscription programme
The start of 2017 was marked with sad news for PlayStation fans, as Sony announced that it was shutting down Guerrilla Cambridge, a UK-based studio that had just recently released RIGS: Mechanized Combat League for PlayStation VR (PSVR). The news was sudden for everyone including, it seems, the developers.
Three months on and two former members of the team, Alex Kanaris and Tom Jones, have started a new indie studio named Polygon Treehouse and are working on their first game, a non-VR title named Röki. Revealing the game to Eurogamer, however, Jones took a bit of time to reflect on the closure of Guerrilla Cambridge, noting that RIGS “never got the chance to grow and go to where we wanted it to be”.
While positive about the game and understanding of Sony’s decision to close the studio, Jones described working on RIGS as “challenging”.
“I think we made a great game which is why it was sad the studio shut,” Jones said. “We were still working on more stuff for it, getting more levels and more DLC out for the community.”
RIGS was a multiplayer first-person shooter (FPS) set in a futuristic mech combat event. Players climbed into different classes of Rigs and met in arenas across the world to do battle. It used DualShock 4 controls and was one of the few full FPS games available for PSVR when it launched in October. Following Guerrilla Cambridge’s closure Sony confirmed that future DLC would not be released, though a free content drop did hit in late 2016.
“The thing that’s the saddest, perhaps, is that RIGS never got the chance to grow and go to where we wanted it to be, but it did a good job of pushing VR and setting a benchmark, perhaps, for other developers to follow,” Jones added. He said that, while the decision to close the studio was “surprising”, he didn’t think that Sony took it lightly.
“Fortunately, most of the people there have gone on to other things now, but these things happen,” Jones concluded.
We were saddened to hear of Cambridge’s closure given the important work it had done in VR, and the fact that RIGS was a great game in its own right. Sony still has more UK studios working on PSVR though, including a new game from Sony London and the first project out of the newly-formed North West Studio.
Horizon: Zero Dawn, the huge new PlayStation 4 exclusive game that released this week, sadly doesn’t support PlayStation VR (PSVR), but it does pay fitting tribute to a game that does.
Players have uncovered a hologram in the game’s post-apocalyptic world that will look very familiar to anyone that played the PSVR launch title RIGS: Mechanized Combat League [Review: 8/10]. This image from Reddit user blueberry-yum-yum shows a window into the past, displaying one of the game’s arena maps, with its bold red and blue logo visible in the background. Horizon has also tipped its hat to Hideo Kojima’s upcoming game, Death Stranding, which uses the same engine.
But the RIGs reference is a little more touching. Though the game may ultimately go down as one of PlayStation’s more obscure exclusives, it was made by UK-based Guerrilla Cambridge, the sister studio of Horzion developer Guerrilla Games, based in the Netherlands. The two had worked closely in the past; Cambridge made a spin-off of Guerrilla Games’ Killzone series for the PlayStation Vita. It was one of the first studios to get to work with PSVR, announcing RIGs at E3 2015.
Although RIGs was a pretty great online arena shooter, it sadly didn’t have long legs. Though you can still play the game online, Guerrilla Cambridge was shuttered by owner Sony earlier this year, and any plans for future support were scrapped. Indeed, many of the replies to the easter egg on Reddit noted how sad it made them.
The game used full locomotion on a DualShock 4 controller, which is something rarely seen on PSVR so far. In fact, it’s one of just a handful of full first-person shooters on the platform, and was an early example of how to do it right.
As for seeing the world of Horizon inside PSVR some day? Fans will have to keep on dreaming for now.
Specifically, we didn’t know what the studio’s closure meant for the future support of the game. Guerrilla Cambridge released a Winter Update for the PlayStation VR arena shooter back in December, and it sounded like there might be more on the way with grand plans to foster a competitive Esports scene. Sony has just confirmed to UploadVR, however, that there will be no more DLC for RIGS, though the servers for the game will remain open.
The statement reads: “For players of RIGS Mechanized Combat League, we would seek to reassure you that the online service is not affected by this closure but unfortunately it will mean that there will be no further DLC for RIGS. We shall also continue to provide community support.”
Community support will hopefully mean things like patches and tweaks, but that’s about the extent of what you can expect from RIGS from now on. One of out biggest complaints about RIGS was the lack of content for the game, with a sparse number of maps and modes giving players a limited amount of options. The Winter Update helped to remedy this somewhat, but players surely would have welcomed even more additions to the game. Cambridge themselves had a DLC plan that involved multiple free content updates.
In addition to the spare line-up of content for PS VR so far this year, is this further proof that Sony is pulling away from the headset?
Hopes for future DLC for Evolution Studios’ Driveclub VR were also dashed last year when Sony closed the developer before the game had even launched. PlayStation VR Worlds developer Sony London is working on its second VR title, however.
Following the news last week we took a look at what Guerrilla Cambridge did for VR in the short time that it got to work with the tech.
The Black Friday deals are now over but that doesn’t mean to say there’s not more discounts available. For today we have Cyber Monday, where online retailers provide even further discounts to tempt eager shoppers. Online retail giant Amazon is well known for its offers at this time of year and today its now providing discounts on several PlayStation VR titles.
Sony Interactive Entertainment’s (SIE) head-mounted display (HMD) has only been on sale for just over a month, and these Amazon deals look to be the first available for owners of the device.
Currently on offer (but only for US customers) are:
It’s likely that most PlayStation VR owners will have picked up titles such as Batman: Arkham VR and RIGS: Mechanized Combat League, as this selection does include some of the most widely promoted videogames for the platform.
But with Christmas only a few weeks away expect even more virtual reality (VR) experiences to arrive for the headset, such as the recently announced Pinball FX2 VR by Zen Studios.
VRFocus will continue its coverage of PlayStation VR reporting back with all the latest announcements.
Next Thursday 10th November is set to be a big day with two hardware releases. Google will be launching Daydream View its latest head-mounted display unveiled in October, and Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) will be releasing PlayStation 4 Pro. Today SIE has announced which titles will be optimised for the new console, making use of the extra power it provides, and there are several virtual reality (VR) videogames in that list for PlayStation VR.
VRFocus had previously reported that Battlezone would be part of the line up, developer Rebellion made the announcement last month. But many of the experiences are new with a total of 13 VR videogames on the list. They are as follows:
PlayStation VR:
Battlezone
Bound
Driveclub VR
Hustle Kings
PlayStation VR Worlds
Rez Infinite
RIGS: Mechanized Combat League
Robinson: The Journey
Super Stardust Ultra
The Playroom VR
Thumper
Tumble
Until Dawn: Rush of Blood
PlayStation 4 Pro:
Battlefield 1
Call Of Duty: Black Ops 3
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Dishonored 2
EA Sports FIFA 17
Firewatch
Helldivers
Hitman
inFAMOUS: First Light
inFAMOUS: Second Son
Knack
Mafia III
Mantis Burn Racing
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
NBA 2K17
Paragon
Ratchet & Clank
Rise of the Tomb Raider
Smite
The Elders Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited
The Elders Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
The Last Of Us Remastered
The Last Of Us: Left Behind
Titanfall 2
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Viking Squad
Wheels of Aurelia
World Of Tanks
XCOM 2
And this is only the first wave, expect more to be added in the weeks and months to come. Already confirmed is Capcom’s Resident Evil 7 biohazard, which is due out on 24th, January 2017.
The PlayStation 4 Pro’s extra processing power will allow developers to create even richer videogames or make their current ones look even better. As Rebellion said in its statement, the console is: “offering a crisper, more vibrant experience”.
As VRFocus learns about further PlayStation VR titles being optimised for PlayStation 4 Pro we’ll let you know.
It’s now been five days since Sony Interactive Entertainment released its highly anticipated PlayStation VR headset into the world. The head-mounted display (HMD) has received a mixed bag of reviews with most being generally positive towards the device. While sales haven’t yet been released on the headset itself the GfK Chart-Track for UK videogame sales does paint a positive picture in these early days.
Bearing in mind that PlayStation VR launched on Thursday 13th, and the chart track’s listing are for just two days later ending Saturday 15th October, there are six PlayStation VR specific virtual reality (VR) titles in the top 40, with two further multiplatform VR videogames on the list as well.
Taking the highest spot of any VR title is the compilation, PlayStation VR Worlds at number 7, while Supermassive Games’ on-rail shooter Until Dawn: Rush of Blood also makes it into the top 10 at number 9.
Next up is Guerrilla Cambridge with multiplayer shooter RIGS: Mechanized Combat League at number 12. CCP Games’ EVE: Valkyrie which supports cross-platform play between PlayStation VR and Oculus Rift sits at 20. Driveclub VR by Evolution Studios comes in at 23, with Rebellion’s tank shooter reboot Battlezone sits at 28. Loading Human which launched simultaneously for PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, arrived at 36th place, with D3T’s Super Stardust Ultra VR last in the VR list at number 37.
For what is essentially an add-on to PlayStation 4, the fact that so many titles made it into the top 40 in a couple of days – with two in the top 10 – is the first good indicator of how well the headset has sold so far, although individual sales figures weren’t detailed and would prove to be useful.
VRFocus will continue its coverage of PlayStation VR, reporting back with any further updates
Welcome, one and all, to the first ever (and quite possibly biggest ever) release roundup for PlayStation VR. If you’re a regular reader here at UploadVR you’ll know that every Friday we give you a quick update on all the games that have launched for the Oculus Rift, Gear VR, and HTC Vive over the past seven days. Now that Sony’s headset is out, we’re going to be doing a list for that too.
Below you’ll find everything that hit the platform in the past few days plus our recommendations of what to buy. If you’re looking for something a little more in-depth, then we’ve recently gathered all of our reviews and coverage for launch into one handy post too.
Bound, from Plastic
Price: Free, Base Game Required: $19.99
Available as a free upgrade to anyone that already owns the game, Bound is a hypnotic adventure in which a dancer explores past memories by gracefully moving throughout fantastical environments. It’s more experience than game, but still not to be missed.
Recommendation: One of PS VR’s best games, believe it or not. Pick it up. Our review.
Volume: Coda, from Mike Bithell
Price: Free, Base Game Required: $19.99
Another free update, Coda brings more levels to the Volume experience specifically built for VR. This is a third-person stealth game played from an isometric view and made with a lot of heart. Plus the entire original game can be played in VR too.
Recommendation: You may well already own it. If you don’t? You should.
100ft Robot Golf, from No Goblin
Price: $19.99
Before PS VR gets a realistic golf simulator it’s going to get this bonkers anime-inspired multiplayer game. Take control of mechs, make cities and oceans your courses, and smash friends in the face with golf clubs. What’s not to love?
Recommendation: If not on launch day, perhaps in a quieter week in the months to come.
Rise of the Tomb Raider, from Crystal Dynamics
Price: $59.99
Lara’s latest heads to PS4 with a VR mission that’s around two hours in length. Explore Croft Manor and the history of the family itself in a Gone Home-style adventure that’s well worth a look for fans of the franchise with both game and hardware.
Recommendation: Not worth it for the VR alone, but the full game’s a treat too. Our thoughts.
Batman: Arkham VR, from Rocksteady Studios
Price: $19.99
Become one of the most iconic comic book heroes of all time in this brief adventure that lets you use the PlayStation Move controllers to become the Batman. Explore famous sights and meet with beloved characters as you solve a murder mystery.
Recommendation: Arkham VR isn’t a great “game,” but die hard Bat fans should definitely give it a go. Our review.
Battlezone, from Rebellion
Price: $59.99
Rebellion reboots a gaming classic for the new age. Jump into a tank, head onto retro battlefield to take down enemies with an array of weapons. Four player co-op makes this one of the platform’s only teamwork-based games so far.
Recommendation: If you can afford it, Battlezone is one of PS VR’s best. Our review.
Driveclub VR, from Evolution Studios
Price: $39.99 (Season Pass Holders for Driveclub Get a Discount)
Evolution Studios’ popular PS4 racer returns for headsets. It’s a somewhat skimmed down version of the original, but it’s still a mechanically precisce simulation that looks great and feels even better. Plus it’s the only game of its kind on the platform right now.
Recommendation: If you need a VR racer, this is your only option on PS VR right now, and it’s super immersive. Our thoughts.
Thumper, from Drool
Price: $19.99
Thumper comes across as a simple title, but quickly descends into a chaos. This is one that will need all of your concentration, both mentally and physically, while you’re trying to overcome electric obstacles to the beat of the increasingly bombarding music.
Recommendation: One of PS VR’s best games yet. Grab it. Our review.
Waddle Home, from Archiact Interactive
Price: $9.99
Remember Waddle Home from the Gear VR days? It’s back and revamped for VR, taking full advantage of the kit’s position tracked controllers. Guide penguins safely through treacherous environments, batting bombs and more out of the way in order to get them to an alien bent on saving them. Really. This was good fun on Gear and there’s no reason a spruced up PS VR version wouldn’t be the same.
Recommendation: Pick this one up for some Lemmings-inspired VR fun.
Headmaster, from Frame Interactive
Price: $24.99
What’s the most obvious interaction you can think of with PS VR’s position-tracking? For us, it’s head butting a ball in soccer, and that’s exactly what you do in Headmaster. This isn’t a simple little minigame, though, Headmaster has a full campaign with plenty of different game types.
Recommendation: One for the sports fans among us that like a dash of comedy.
EVE: Valkyrie, from CCP Games
Price: $59.99
VR’s flagship multiplayer space fighter comes to PS VR with cross play support on Rift. Take part in huge battles against other ships from the EVE universe in this expansive and exciting aerial shooter. Free updates keep on coming too.
Recommendation: A good one to get in on the ground floor with. Our review of the Rift version.
EVE: Gunjack, from CCP Games
Price: $9.99
The original Gear VR gallery shooter comes to PS VR with refined visuals. Gunjack is about as simple as they come, but that doesn’t stop it from being a healthy helping of fun. It’s a great game to introduce people to VR with, too.
Recommendation: A simple shooter that’s great to share with VR newbies.
RIGS: Mechanized Combat League, from Guerrilla Cambridge
Price: $49.99
One of the first full blown first-person shooters for PlayStation VR. RIGS is set in the not too distant future in which mech combat has become a popular sporting event. Jump into your Rig and take to the battlefield in this frantic shooter.
Recommendation: The best FPS on PS VR right now. Pick it up. Our review.
Job Simulator, from Owlchemy Labs
Price: $29.99
On of the HTC Vive’s staple titles is now ready for its PS VR debut. Put on the headset to travel into the future then use a machine to travel back to the present and mess around in the silly jobs that humans did… back then?
Recommendation: A great way to introduce people to the magic of VR. Our review of the Vive version.
Super Stardust Ultra VR, from d3t
Price: $19.99
The arcade classic gets VR-ified with a new cockpit view that makes it a little more like Battlezone than it does the original Stardust. Still, if you want the classic experience then that’s available to play in VR too.
Recommendation: If you’re looking for Battlezone, maybe buy Battlezone. This one’s a bit wonky.
The Assembly, from nDreams
Price: $29.99
It’s been a long time coming, but nDreams’ The Assembly is finally available this week. This is an engrossing first-person adventure in which you’ll control two different protagonists as you explore a secret underground layer belonging to the titular organization. There are puzzles and choices aplenty to be made as you study lab experiments and surreal setups.
Recommendation: We reviewed The Assembly on PC and enjoyed it generally. $30 is a little steep, but it’s an interesting experience.
Tumble VR, from Supermassive Games
Price: $9.99
One of the better PlayStation Move titles comes to PS VR with new levels and support for the DualShock 4 (though Move integration is still in). Use position tracked controls to grab blocks and stack them as high as possible, then watch it all come tumbling (get it?) down.
Recommendation: It’s cheap, clear fun, and a great demonstration of what VR can do. Our review.
PlayStation VR Worlds, from Sony London
Price: $39.99
One of the original PS VR titles is finally available. This is a collection of several different experiences, many of which Sony used as tech demos for PS VR over the years. There’s a shark infested dive into uncharted waters, a fast-paced downhill race, and a high-octane London shootout amongst others.
Recommendation: There’s some good experiences, but it’s rather forgettable overall. Our review.
Hustle Kings VR, from EPOS Game Studios
Price: $19.99
Hustle Kings has been on PlayStation platforms for what feels like an age, and now you can play it in VR. There’s not much more to say about it, is there? It’s pool in VR. If that’s your thing, have at it, though be aware there’s a rival coming up.
Recommendation: Sports Bar VR sounds like the better bet. Pass.
Until Dawn: Rush of Blood, from Supermassive Games
Price: $19.99
Until Dawn was a brilliant choose your own adventure horror game, but this is not Until Dawn. It’s a horror rollercoaster in which you face off with enemies from the original title, blasting them away with the PlayStation Move controllers.
Recommendation: A great distraction for horror fans. Our review.
Harmonix Music VR, from Harmonix
Price: $14.99
The makers of Rock Band VR have something a little different for the launch of Sony’s headset. Music VR is a surreal experiential piece with four different minigame-esque activities. It’s not something that will keep you busy for long, but you can party with robots.
Recommendation: Only if you’re interested in seeing how music and VR can collide. Not much to it.
Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA X, from Sega
Price: $49.99
This one is a niche title, as nine times out of ten those who would be interested in Hatsune Mikue: Project DIVA X will be fans of the long ongoing series of games the vocaloid comes from. Bob your head and wave your arms along to music as you enjoy the concert, and even earn your way to get up close to the superstars.
Recommendation: If this is your thing, go for it. You know already if this is for you or not.
Here They Lie, from Tangentlement
Price: $19.99
VR horror gets trippy with this first-person exploration game. You explore a monstrous world in which just about anything can happen, and whatever does transpire usually ends up being very disturbing. Fun for all the family.
Recommendation: Horror fans that don’t get motion sick should give this a whirl. Our review.
Keep Talking & Nobody Explodes, from Steel Crate Games
Price: $14.99
This is already something of a multiplayer classc in VR circles. In Keep Talking, the VR player has to defuse a bomb while others that can’t see the device use a free manual to guide them through it. Close teamwork is essential to emerge victorious.
Recommendation: Perfect for VR parties, if you’re planning to host one.
Loading Human, from Untold Games
Price: $39.99
Loading Human is an ambitious story-driven adventure game where feelings are real, characters are convincing, and story comes first. Sadly it’s been stunted by some awkward controls thanks to PlayStation Move’s limitations.
Recommendation: The Assembly is better and cheaper. We recommend passing on this one. Our review.
Sports Bar VR, from Cherry Pop Games
Price: £14.99 (Not Released in US Yet)
What’s known as Pool Nation VR on HTC Vive comes to PlayStation VR for launch and holds up surprisingly well. Use the Move controllers to play various minigames with friends or just trash the sandbox environment.
Recommendation: Definitely one to get if you have friends to hang out with in VR. Lots to do.
Rez Infinite, from Enhance Games
Price: $29.99
A cult classic comes to PlayStation VR. Many remember Rez for its tranquil on-rails shooting action and nowhere has this been better realized than with Rez Infinite. Sadly, it doesn’t come with the amazing suit it was revealed with last year.
Recommendation: An essential purchase for fans of the original and just about everyone else. Our review.
SUPERHYPERCUBE, from Polytron
Price: $29.99
Just as the title would imply, Superhypercube is Hole in the Wall on acid. Using your Dualshock 4 controller to change the shape’s position, you have to get the ever growing collection of blocks through the hole.
Recommendation: It’s pretty addictive, and it comes with our recommendation. Our review.
Wayward Sky, from Uber Entertainment
Price: $19.99
A charming little adventure unlike anything else seen on the platform. In Wayward Sky you explore a massive sky fortress, alternating from third and first-person views to deliver immersion without making players ill.
Recommendation: Definitely one to check out though it falls short of greatness. Our review.
Today Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) launches its PlayStation VR head-mounted display (HMD), and gamers across the world will be able don their devices and start playing RIGS: Mechanized Combat League. The multiplayer title features 33 Trophies to unlock and VRFocus has the full list below.
RIGS: Mechanized Combat League includes both online 3 vs 3 multiplayer and offline championship modes, across 4 arenas: Rio de Janeiro, Macau, Dubai and Nevada. The title is available to purchase through the PlayStation Store for £49.99 GBP.
Full Trophy List:
Teamwork – Perform a Touchdown Assist in Endzone – (Bronze)
Big Shot – Be the Champion in League 3 – (Bronze)
Going Pro – Be promoted from Division 10 – (Bronze)
Pilot License – Complete the Tutorial – (Bronze)
Matchplay – Complete your first online match – (Bronze)
Open Season – Complete your first league match – (Bronze)
Most Valuable – Be the MVP in a match – (Bronze)
New Ride – Purchase your first RIG – (Bronze)
Draft Pick – Hire your first paid hire pilot – (Bronze)
A Word From Our Sponsor – Complete your first sponsorship – (Bronze)
Show Off – Complete your first Trials challenge – (Bronze)
Suit Up – Customize your pilot – (Bronze)
Destruction Derby – Win a Team Takedown match – (Bronze)
Denial Ain’t a River in Egypt – Perform a defensive takedown in Endzone – (Bronze)
Goooooooooooal!- Score a goal in PowerSlam – (Bronze)
In The Zone – Score a touchdown in Endzone – (Bronze)
Mano a Mano – Win a 1 vs 1 matchmade match – (Bronze)
U-List – Become a U-list celebrity – (Bronze)
Going Up – Be the Champion in League 2 – (Silver)
All-Rounder – Win a match with every RIG class – (Silver)
Takedown King – Win the Team Takedown tournament – (Silver)
Bowl Winner – Win the Endzone tournament – (Silver)
Power Play – Win the PowerSlam tournament – (Silver)
Ace – Become the Top Gun – (Silver)
Up-and-Comer – Be promoted from Division 8 – (Silver)
Globetrotter – Win a match in every arena – (Silver)
We Are the Champions – Be the Champion in League 1 – (Gold)
Superstar – Become an A-list celebrity – (Gold)
Connoisseur – Purchase all RIGs – (Gold)
Exhibitionist – Complete every Trials challenge – (Gold)
Double Down – Win both the tournament and league in same League season – (Gold)
Breaking Ranks – Be promoted from Division 6 – (Gold)
RIGS: Mechanized Combat League is a hugely popular virtual reality (VR) title that may have been unfortunately stunted by the 
