superhot vr – Page 4 – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

May 30, 2019

‘Superhot VR’ Studio: Quest Launch Saw 300% Increase in Revenue Over Rift Launch

The studio behind the infectiously cool action game SUPERHOT VR (2017) say the Oculus Quest launch last week has brought them another big helping of success.

Superhot Team says in a press statement that on May 21st, Oculus Quest’s launch day, that the studio saw “300% higher sales than their launch on Oculus Rift.”

Superhot VR initially came to Rift on December 5th, 2016 as an Oculus Touch launch title. It later landed on Steam with support for HTC Vive, which ostensibly helped the game further build its profile as a ‘must play’ VR title.

Considering the game had already greatly benefited from name brand appeal thanks to its highly successful flatscreen version released in 2016, the revelation that Superhot VR has vastly outsold its initial PC VR launch in the first day could point to a much higher adoption rate of Oculus Quest.

“We’ve been amazed by the outstanding player reception on the Quest. It’s an outstanding piece of hardware that feels excitingly close to magic,” said Tom Kaczmarczyk, cofounder & director at SUPERHOT. “It represents a totally new quality in VR. It’s a watershed moment for the industry and the sales numbers suggests that players believe so too.”

Superhot VR Dev Tested ‘Larger’ New Levels For Quest Release

Superhot VR on Quest is one of if not the best ports for Oculus’ new standalone headset. Some minor visual sacrifices aside, it’s exactly the same as the original game. In fact, Quest’s tether-free tracking makes it better than it is on PC. But the game’s developer didn’t always plan a straight port for Quest. At one point in time, it was working on new levels.

The developer revealed as much in a recent blog post detailing the Quest version’s progress. After testing the original Oculus Quest prototype over a year ago now, the studio started to experiment with the freedom to move in VR. “Quest unlocked a whole swath of new potential features and design options for us. Larger playspaces were particularly exciting to explore,” the team wrote. “Running around in huge 20x20ft virtual environments seemed to open up so many new opportunities.”

As such, the developer began to work on “larger, more walkable levels” for an eventual Quest release. It was even planning to showcase these new levels at Quest’s reveal at Oculus Connect 5 in 2018.

Ultimately, though, the team decided against using these new levels. “Turned out – walking around was way less exciting than just naturally using larger playspaces to be even more of a badass in the tight, action-packed combat scenes of the original game,” the studio explained.

Two weeks before OC5, then, the team set about reworking the original game’s levels for Quest.

While it’s definitely disappointing to hear that new Superhot VR levels were ditched, it makes sense. Quest does allow for more movement in VR, but that doesn’t mean players themselves have more space to move in. I certainly wouldn’t have been able to play massive Superhot levels in my tiny apartment.

The team did make a few changes to this version, though. You no longer need to grab pyramids between sequences, for example, and there’s a guest mode. It’s also planning to add some of the optimizations it’s made into the PSVR and PC versions of the game soon.

The wait continues for a true Superhot VR sequel, then.

Tagged with: Oculus Quest, SUPERHOT VR

The post Superhot VR Dev Tested ‘Larger’ New Levels For Quest Release appeared first on UploadVR.

May 21, 2019

Oculus Quest: The Top 10 Games to buy on Launch Day

So you’ve spent your hard earned cash on a nice new Oculus Quest headset and now you need some awesome content to put the headset to good use. There’s certainly plenty to get your teeth stuck into, whether that’s action, horror, comedy, relaxation or to work up a sweat. The difficulty in choosing is what to purchase next, so VRFocus is here to guide you on the best videogames to add to your library.

None of these recommendations will feature the free content available such as YouTube VR, VRChat, PokerStars VR or Rec Room as they’re free, so should be the first ones you download anyway.

What we’re interested in are the ones that cost you cash as they range from £7.99 GBP all the way up to £22.99. There are some instant standout titles ported over from Oculus Rift, plus some brand new originals which have arrived just for the headset launch.

So in no particular order, the 10 best videogames to buy are:

Beat Saber – £22.99

The highly popular rhythm-action title has taken the VR world by storm over the past year and shows no signs of letting up. With thumping music and addictive gameplay, Beat Saber will have friends saying ‘just one more go’ as they try again on Expert+ level. This is one videogame where you will work up a sweat and burn some calories, and enjoy doing it at the same time.

Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series – £7.99

This isn’t a videogame, instead Vader Immortal: A Stars Wars VR Series shows you the future of VR entertainment. Mixing cinematic design with interactive gameplay, this first episode slots you into the Star Wars universe between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. While you don’t necessarily need to be an avid fan to enjoy the roughly 50-60 minute experience, it certainly doesn’t hurt – especially when the lightsaber comes into play.

SUPERHOT VR – £18.99

Another title that has an avid fan base much like Beat Saber, SUPERHOT VR is one of those delightfully simple yet gloriously engaging VR experiences where the screenshots struggle to capture the gameplay. Essentially a first-person shooter (FPS), the trick here is that time only moves when you do, allowing for all sorts of Matrix-style bullet dodging.

Apex Construct – £14.99

One of VRFocus’ favourite bow shooters when it first arrived on PlayStation VR, Apex Construct by Fast Travel Games doesn’t seem to have suffered from its port to Oculus Quest. Somehow the studio has managed to cram in all the action or the original whilst maintaining the all-important bow features. A great adventure for all players.

Robo Recall: Unplugged – £22.99

Another reason why VR FPS videogames are the best, Epic Games’ Robo Recall stunned when it arrived for Oculus Rift. All out action that showcases VR at it’s best, whether that’s shooting robots or getting in close to get your hands dirty, the Oculus Quest version has lost none of the excitement, all it lacks is some of the visual fidelity of the PC original.

Journey of the Gods – £22.99

Turtle Rock Studios has released two new videogames for the launch of Oculus Quest. While Face Your Fears 2 hasn’t made this list, stylish action-adventure Journey of the Gods has. Offering a large world to explore with fantastical creatures to fight, you chose to fight with a crossbow, sword and shield or mix between the two. Along the way, there are secrets to be discovered and upgrades to be had to the boss fights a little fairer.

Moss – £22.99

Easily demonstrating that all VR content doesn’t need to be first-person, Polyarc’s Moss is an adorable third-person puzzle title featuring a little mouse named Quill. She doesn’t say anything but knows you’re there guiding her, with you and Quill able to talk to each other through sign language. The studio has updated the videogame for the launch adding further content for players.

Creed: Rise to Glory – £22.99

Float like and butterfly and sting like a bee in one of the more realistic experiences for the standalone headset. Creed: Rise to Glory by Survios puts you in the film, able to train with the likes of Rocky Balboa, before heading into the ring to see if you’ve got the skills to last. Another high energy videogame, this will definitely feel like a workout.

Shadow Point – £14.99

Coming from British VR studio Coatsink Software, Shadow Point is a nice relaxing puzzler that’s all about light and shadows. Great for first time VR players, don’t be deceived by the cartoon design work, the challenges start off easy but do become more complicated as the gameplay develops. Plus there’s the added bonus with Sir Patrick Stewart doing the story narration, which is nice.

Job Simulator – £14.99

Finally, VRFocus finishes with an oldie but a goldie. Owlchemy Labs’ Job Simulator has supported almost every VR headset released and done well on all of them. The quintessential pick-up and play VR experience that’s all about using your hands, everyone who likes VR needs to have played this at least once. It’s bizarre, funny, and difficult to put down.

April 30, 2019

Four VR Games Compared Side-By-Side On Rift And Quest

Oculus Quest, Facebook’s new standalone VR headset, is arriving in just a few weeks’ time. Facebook is pushing its latest device as an all-in-one VR system that will enable Rift-quality experiences. And it’s true that Quest’s inside-out tracking, for the most part, brings great PC VR titles to mobile. But to get there, developers have had to intensively optimize their games for less powerful hardware.

How did that pan out?

We’ve rounded up four Quest games that also appear on Oculus Rift and taken screenshots of each version. The left side of each picture below is Quest and the right is Rift. The differing hardware means that images are captured in different ratios, so we’ve done some cropping on Rift’s part.

Superhot VR (Demo Version On Quest)

Based on the demo supplied to us, Superhot VR is probably the best-looking port you can find on Quest right now. Granted the game’s minimalist art style was never the pinnacle of VR visuals, but the developer has done a remarkable job keeping them in line for Quest all the same.

You can notice a few slight differences, though. Namely in the below shot you can see additional lighting effects on Rift through the chainlink fence. Quest doesn’t enjoy such luxuries, but it doesn’t dent the experience one bit.

Apex Construct

We’ve had extensive time with Apex Contrsuct on Quest and it holds up really well compared to PC. As you can see from these comparison videos, though, there’s an undeniable difference between the Rift and Quest versions.

Details like extra vegetation and overall texture quality are reduced in the Quest version. For the chance to play Apex Construct on Quest, though, the trade-off is more than worth it.

Creed: Rise to Glory

Performance-wise, Creed is one of the games we’ve seen that’s struggled most in translation to Quest. The tracking is a challenge and load times can be lengthy. Visually the game is much drabber too, though Survios has been smart with its optimizations.

Lots of character models still look detailed, for example. The Quest version also sheds a lot of lighting effects which, while atmospheric in the Rift version, help it compare a little better in screenshots.

Rush

Rush is an interesting one given that it’s designed to run the gamut of VR headsets. The Rift version was never particularly show-stopping visually, and the two compare a lot closer than you might expect.

In fact the Quest version seems to sport more vegetation in some places, which makes up for the blurrier textures. Draw distance is very low on Quest, but it was never huge on Rift to begin with.

So that’s just a handful of comparisons. We’ll likely share more as more games are added to Quest’s line-up in the run-up to launch on May 21st.

Tagged with: Apex Construct, Creed: Rise to Glory, Oculus Quest, oculus rift, RUSH, SUPERHOT VR

The post Four VR Games Compared Side-By-Side On Rift And Quest appeared first on UploadVR.

April 26, 2019

Specially Designed for Location-Based Entertainment: SUPERHOT VR: Arcade Edition is now Available

Slow motion shooter SUPERHOT VR might be a couple of years old but it’s still a great videogame – hence why it’s going to be an Oculus Quest launch title. The standard home version has also found its way to virtual reality (VR) arcades, but to make the experience more suitable for location-based entertainment (LBE) the SUPERHOT team has now created the SUPERHOT VR Arcade Edition.

Superhot VR: Arcade Edition

SUPERHOT VR: Arcade Edition has been tweaked and refined for LBE gameplay, adding a range of features that improve the experience for both gamers and operators.

These include a new scoring feature helping increase competition and replayability. Local leaderboards have been installed with a Hall of Fame, while arcades can now select between new and optional time-limited modes with 5, 15, and 30-minute session lengths. Operators have a new Administrator Panel to select default modes, options and settings to ensure the videogame suits their needs. Control options to select between the Classic and Updated HTC Vive control schemes and support for 11 languages: English, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, Polish and Russian.

“It was clear there was a large appetite for a version of SUPERHOT VR that played amazingly well for both players and operators in a public setting,” said Alastair Hebson, Head of Special Projects in a statement. “It was an obvious decision for us to greenlight a project and hire a team solely focused on making it happen. It’s exciting for us to be in the LBE space and part of this growing industry sector.”

Superhot VR: Arcade Edition

SUPERHOT VR: Arcade Edition may have been designed for LBE but that doesn’t mean to say some features wouldn’t work on the home version. “Work is already underway to determine how to bring the most suitable arcade features to our existing fans in the absolute best way possible,” states the team.

If you happen to run a VR arcade or possibly setting one up and are keen on SUPERHOT VR: Arcade Edition then head on over to SpringboardVR to find out more. VRFocus will continue its coverage of SUPERHOT VR, reporting back with any further updates.

April 16, 2019

Superhot VR: Über 800.000 verkaufte Einheiten übersteigen Einnahmen des Originaltitels

Der innovative Shooter Superhot VR für PC-Brillen und PlayStation VR (PSVR) feiert einen Meilenstein. Mit 800.000 verkauften Einheiten konnte der VR-Titel mittlerweile mehr Umsatz generieren als die originale PC-Fassung aus dem Jahr 2016. Dies bestätigt Tomasz Kaczmarczyk, Mitgründer des Entwicklerstudios von Superhot, in einem Interview gegenüber MIXED.

Superhot VR – Über 800.00 verkaufte Einheiten übersteigen Einnahmen der Originalfassung für PC

Der VR-Shooter Superhot VR gilt neben Beat Saber plattformübergreifend als eines der beliebtesten VR-Spiele überhaupt. Entsprechend behauptet sich das Spiel mit seinem innovativem Konzept seit Release dauerhaft in den Top Ten der digitalen Verkaufsstores. Auf SteamVR wurde es 2018 als Topseller gelistet und auch im PlayStation Store führt es kontinuierlich die Download-Charts an.

SUPERHOT

Nun kann sich das Team rund um Superhot VR mit einem neuen Meilenstein rühmen, denn mit über 800.000 verkauften Einheiten über sämtliche VR-Plattformen hinweg, erzielte die VR-Adaption des Titels mittlerweile mehr Umsatz als sein Original für PC. Grund für diesen Erfolg liegt laut Herr Kaczmarczyk im guten Ruf des Spiels sowie in der stagnierenden Bestenliste der VR-Titel.

Virtual Reality Shooter Zeitlupe

So gilt der Titel mittlerweile als Must-have für VR-Spieler, welches jeder VR-Enthusiast einmal ausprobieren sollte. Doch auch, wer uninformiert nach erstem Spielefutter für seine VR-Brille sucht, wird rasch auf Superhot VR stoßen. Da sich die Top Ten der Stores kaum verändern, schlagen VR-Neukunden nach dem Kauf der Hardware auch stets beim innovativen Shooter zu. Deshalb gleiche die Zahl der verkauften VR-Brillen ungefähr der Zahl der verkauften Spiele. Die erhöhten Verkäufe zur Weihnachtszeit tun dann noch ihr Übriges dazu.

Das beliebte VR-Spiel soll neben den bisherigen Plattformen zukünftig auch für die kommende Oculus Quest erscheinen, was die Verkaufszahlen zusätzlich in die Höhe treiben dürfte. Zudem arbeitet das Dev-Team bereits seit Längerem an einem Nachfolger des VR-Spiels.

(Quellen: Road to VR | MIXED)

Der Beitrag Superhot VR: Über 800.000 verkaufte Einheiten übersteigen Einnahmen des Originaltitels zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

April 15, 2019

Superhot VR Has Sold Over 800,000 Units, Made More Revenue Than The Original

Here’s a fun little fact; smash hit VR shooter, Superhot VR, has made more revenue than the original game it was based on.

Tomasz Kaczmarczyk, one of the founding members of the game’s development team, recently confirmed as much to Mixed. However, Kaczmarczyk’s comments were today backed up by Callum Underwood, a former member of Oculus Publishing and Developer Relations team that helped bring Superhot VR to life. Not only did Underwood confirm Superhot VR had made more revenue than the original Superhot, but the VR version has sold over 800,000 copies across its various platforms.

SUPERHOT VR, with over 800,000 sales across platforms, has generated more revenue than the original SUPERHOT

— Callum Underwood (@DevRelCallum) April 15, 2019

Superhot VR first launched as an Oculus Rift exclusive in late 2016 before moving to HTC Vive, Windows VR and PlayStation VR in the following months. It evolved out of a 2014 Kickstarter campaign for the non-VR game that raised $250,798. That project went on to release on platforms like PC, Xbox One and PS4.

Since launch, Superhot VR has been a mainstay in Sony’s monthly PlayStation Store charts and is widely considered to be one of the most popular (and best) VR games. Another hugely popular VR game, Beat Saber, recently announced that it had sold over a million copies since launching in 2018.

It’s also due to release on the upcoming Oculus Quest, a standalone VR headset many believe has the potential to sell millions of units. We don’t yet know if the game will support cross-buy, a recently-introduced feature from Oculus that will allow those that buy a game for either Oculus Rift or Quest to then pick up its counterpart for free too. Oculus says it’s up to developers if they want to support the initiative or not.

Tagged with: SUPERHOT VR

The post Superhot VR Has Sold Over 800,000 Units, Made More Revenue Than The Original appeared first on UploadVR.

March 27, 2019

New Trailer for Oculus Quest Reveals More Launch Titles

The Oculus Quest standalone headset is expected to launch soon – even though Oculus is still saying Spring 2019 for now – and in preparation for this the company has now teased fans with a new sizzle reel showcasing some new launch titles.

Oculus Quest - Front

Having previously confirmed that Robo Recall, Moss, Beat Saber, The Climb, and Dead & Buried II would be available on launch day, recently announced Journey of the Gods and Shadow Point have now also been confirmed. Adding to the are Superhot VR, Vacation Simulator, Creed: Rise to Glory, Space Pirate Trainer and Dance Central.

Titles like Creed: Rise to Glory and Space Pirate Trainer have already been out a while, so a lot of VR gamers have likely tried some of the older releases. Owlchemy Lab’s latest Vacation Simulator is brand new with the studio only just revealing the launch dates for the PlayStation VR and PC VR versions. Coatsink’s Shadow Point, on the other hand, is being built specifically for the Oculus Quest, offering a mystery puzzle adventure into the stars.

And for those with a really keen eye keep a look out for a flurry of videogame images right at the end, through the Oculus Quest lenses. VRFocus managed to spot what looks like The Tower, Job Simulator, Fruit Ninja, Rush VR, Ultrawings, Drop Dead, Bait!, Virtual Virtual Reality, Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes, Eleven Table Tennis, and Angry Birds VR. All making for quite the VR launch lineup.

Vacation Simulator

Oculus did previously say that Quest would feature 50+ titles for its launch, so there’s certainly a few more still to be announced. The headset will be retailing from $399 when it does arrive, with many expecting that announcement to be made during the Facebook Developers Conference (F8) in April.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of Oculus Quest and its latest VR titles, reporting back with all the latest announcements.

January 16, 2019

PlayStation VR Demo Disc 3 Now Available for EU Customers

The act of releasing a demo is a bit more of a rarity nowadays, with virtual reality (VR) developers occasionally using the medium to promote an upcoming videogame. The demo disc, on the other hand, is a dinosaur of a bygone era, when magazines were your essential source of gaming info, with each monthly publication adorned with a selection of titles on disc. Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) is still keeping that nostalgia alive with its PlayStation VR Demo Disc, the last or arrived in 2017. That changes today – for European customers at least – with the release of PlayStation VR Demo Collection 3.

Astro Bot: Rescue Mission

Completely free to download from the PlayStation Store, the collection features nine titles for PlayStation VR and is especially ideal if you’ve just purchased a headset over Christmas. On offer are some of the best examples of VR content for the headset.

Astro Bot Rescue Mission
SUPERHOT VR
Headmaster
Resident Evil 7 biohazard Teaser Demo: The Kitchen
Job Simulator
Moss
The Persistence
Thumper
Battlezone

All the titles support the DualShock 4 controller apart from Job Simulator where you will need PlayStation Move controllers.

Battlezone image

Titles like Job Simulator, Battlezone, The Persistence and Thumper have once again made the grade and stayed in place from the last demo collection, even though some were original launch window experiences from way back in 2016.

SIE happened to reveal the top downloads of 2018 for PlayStation VR recently, with Owlchemy Labs Job Simulator attaining the number one spot in the US and number two in Europe. Both Moss and SUPERHOT VR also made it into the top ten on both charts.

The company is also likely celebrating as it released sales figures for PlayStation 4 last week during CES 2019, with the console achieving a whopping 91.6 million sales worldwide by the end of 2018.

If you are new to the PlayStation VR platform then you’ll also want to take a look at VRFocus’ ‘Best PlayStation VR Games of 2018‘ feature to see what videogames should be in your library. And there are plenty of titles coming in 2019 to look forward to as well. For all the latest updates on PlayStation VR, keep reading VRFocus.

January 15, 2019

PSVR Demo Disc 3 Incoming With Astro Bot, Superhot, More – Report

It looks like PSVR demo disc 3 is on the way.

That is according to Ostrog, which claims to have spotted an ESRB listing for ‘PSVR Demo Compilation 3’. We couldn’t find the listing ourselves but the site apparently took a screenshot that you can see below. There were rumors of a new demo disc late last year but, when we asked Sony about it, the company told us it didn’t comment on rumor and speculation.

Image courtesy of Ostrog.

If it’s true then it looks like this demo disc has some goodies on it. From what we can see on the description it includes some of the headset’s best games such as Astro Bot Rescue Mission, Superhot VR, Resident Evil 7 and Headmaster. Expect a small playable slice of each. It’ll be interesting to see if there are any new experiences included in the bundle.

The first PSVR demo disc came with the headset itself and included free looks at launch-era titles like RIGS and Driveclub. Sony refreshed its offering with a second disc in late 2017. That included early playable demos of Moss and Star Child (which still isn’t out). This new disc might not be as forward-looking, but PSVR now has a strong back catalog worth digging into. We wouldn’t be surprised to see other games like Firewall Zero Hour and Tetris Effect included in the pack.

No word on when PSVR demo disc 3 might be introduced (if it’s real). Hopefully we’ll get a downloadable version on the PS Store if so.

Tagged with: Astro Bot: Rescue Mission, demo disc, Headmaster, PSVR, Resident Evil 7, SUPERHOT VR

The post PSVR Demo Disc 3 Incoming With Astro Bot, Superhot, More – Report appeared first on UploadVR.