Bethesda have been embracing virtual reality (VR) in a big way recently, with ambitions of bringing three of its biggest franchise names into VR, with news of The Elder Scrolls VR: Skyrim VR and DOOM VFR breaking at E3 this year. Bethesda have now announced the official release dates for its three upcoming VR titles.
The release dates for The Elder Scrolls VR: Skyrim VR, Fallout 4 VR and DOOM VFR were revealed as part of the announcements for the schedule of the upcoming QuakeCon event, an annual celebration of one of the most successful arena shooters ever made. QuakeCon is host to the Quake World Championships, which this year will have a prize pool of $1 million (USD). The Elder Scrolls VR: Skyrim VR, Fallout 4 VR and DOOM VFR will all be available to play for attendees at QuakeCon, along with other Bethesda titles such as Dishonored: Death of the Outsider and The Evil Within 2.
The release dates for the three Bethesda VR titles is as follows:
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR: November 17 for PlayStation VR (PlayStation 4)
DOOM VFR: December 1 for PlayStation VR(PlayStation 4), HTC VIVE (PC)
Fallout 4 VR: December 12 for HTC VIVE (PC)
QuakeCon is due to take place on 24th-27th August at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Centre in Dallas, Texas. Further details can be found on the QuakeCon website.
A price point for the three titles has not yet been confirmed.
VRFocus will bring you further information on Bethesda’s VR projects as it becomes available.
Gamescom is one of the biggest events of the year from developers and videogame fans. As such, Sony have brought out all its most hotly anticipated virtual reality (VR) titles to showcase at the event, most of which have playable demos available.
PlayStation has its own dedicated area on the show floor where attendees can ‘check in’ to try some of the biggest upcoming titles on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR. VR-compatible titles on offer include Grant Turismo Sport, for which a set of full arcade-style racing seats have been set up to offer the most realistic experience on the eagerly awaited driving simulator. The VR mode for Gran Turismo Sport is only available in 1vs1 mode, but the PlayStation VR has been set up and is awaiting use if attendees wish to test it.
Also available at the PlayStation stand is The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR, a title whose announcement was greeted with great enthusiasm at E3. The Elder Scrolls is one of the most successful western RPGs, and its move into VR is eagerly awaited by fans. Another RPG title that is available is Final Fantasy XV: Monster of the Deep, the Final Fantasy XV spin-off that using fishing as a central mechanic, along with introducing several RPG elements such as equipment upgrades.
PlayStation VR exclusive shooter Bravo Team is also on offer, giving Gamescom attendees the chance to get to grips with an Aim controller in the upcoming cover-based military-style shooter.
While not on the PlayStation stand, another anticipated PlayStation VR title was available to play, with Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown being demonstrated at the Bandai stand for players to take control of a military jet in immersive VR.
VRFocus will continue to report on the latest news from Gamescom
Out of the three big head-mounted display (HMD) manufacturers, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) certainly dominated the recent Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2017 with a press conference that featured announcements like Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR coming to PlayStation VR. The studio hasn’t openly confirmed any other supporting headsets just yet, but details have emerged of a HTC Vive version due in 2018.
In a recently released video from Gamespot, the presenters say Bethesda has confirmed that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR will be coming to HTC Vive next year, although no exact dates have yet been mentioned. As SIE enjoys a timed exclusive or two to help promote PlayStation VR – Resident Evil 7 biohazard is for 12 months – don’t expect the experience to arrive early 2018.
It’s no real surprise that Bethesda plans to support multiple virtual reality (VR) headsets. A tweet during E3 2017 stated: “It’s been fun bringing our style of games to VR. We plan on supporting as many platforms as we can.” There’s also the issue of user base. For VR it’s a lot smaller than normal consoles and PC so to get a return on the VR investment multiple headset support would be needed.
There’s one small cravat to that, no mention of Oculus Rift has occurred at present. As Bethesda’s parent company is Zenimax – and the oh so little issue with an ongoing lawsuit between Zenimax and Facebook – there might be a possibility Oculus Rift owners may not see a release for the headset.
If you want to know more about The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR checkout VRFocus’ preview from E3 which said: “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR looks set to stand tall as one of the medium’s ‘must buy’ titles.”
VRFocuswill continue its coverage of Bethesda and its VR offerings, reporting back with the latest announcements.
Since its release in 2011, players have been wanting more and more reasons to jump back into the world of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and finally, at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2017 during Sony Interactive Entertainment’s (SIE) press conference we finally got the official unveiling of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR. The PlayStation VR exclusive version of the beloved RPG is due for release in 2017.
Skyrim VR is a pretty exciting announcement for PlayStation VR owners – the title will be designed for use with the PS Move controllers, adding an extra level of depth and immersion as players swing swords, shoot arrows and fire magic in the most immersive way to play Skyrim yet.
We played The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR at E3 2017, and we were very impressed, saying; “It’s rare that a VR experience at a huge event such as E3 can separate you from the outside world, but The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR achieved this with ease. Any misgivings about the potential of adapting such a huge world to VR – including that of the dreaded simulation sickness – have been washed away with even just a few minutes of gameplay.”
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR will also include all of the previously released DLC for Skyrim, so fans will have plenty to dip their toes into, even if mods might not be available in the future.
To see more of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR, make sure to watch the official trailer below where you can see the tweaked VR controls in action.
For the latest of Bethesda VR and PlayStation VR, keep reading VRFocus.
The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2017 hasn’t disappointed this week with plenty of virtual reality (VR) news, one of the biggest being the confirmation of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR for Sony Interactive Entertainment’s (SIE) PlayStation VR. Due out later this year for the headset, owners can now pre-order their copy on PlayStation.Store.
Available for £49.99 GBP/ $59.99 USD, the UK store listing also has a release date of 22nd December 2017 – the US store has it as 31st December 2017. With the discrepancy it’s most likely that these dates are merely placeholders – although the UK store listing would put it prime time for the festive period. The other reason to doubt these dates is the fact that Bethesda has already said The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR will be coming to PlayStation VR in November.
VRFocuspreviewed The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR, saying: “It’s rare that a VR experience at a huge event such as E3 can separate you from the outside world, but The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR achieved this with ease. Any misgivings about the potential of adapting such a huge world to VR – including that of the dreaded simulation sickness – have been washed away with even just a few minutes of gameplay.”
When The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR does arrive later this year gamers will not only be treated to the core gameplay experience but also add-ons, Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn.
As Bethesda releases further details on The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR, VRFocuswill bring you the latest details.
Bethesda Softworks’ Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) press conference has caught a bad rap this year. With an endless stream of new titles all confirmed for release in 2017, it would be easy to assume the videogames audience would be satisfied with the showcase. However, while the lack of innovation in a sea of sequels has not been well received, the virtual reality (VR) community has been blessed with exactly what they asked for.
A flurry of big names graced the screen at Bethesda Softworks’ ‘Bethesdaland’ themed press conference. After being offered cotton candy and Ferris Wheel rides amidst a mass of playable demos and free bars, the showcase saw new entries in the Wolfenstein and The Evil Within franchises appeared with a ‘2’ suffix, while new downloadable content was announced for Dishonored 2. A new beta for Quake Champions has been announced and The Elder Scrolls franchise is getting fleshed out further with a new mobile title and a Nintendo Switch port of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. That’s plenty for one publisher, right?
Well, it seems that’s not the case. Despite the hospitality of the publisher for those in attendance and the non-stop rush of new videogames and content being displayed on-screen – one big franchise after another – the general consensus is that Bethesda Softworks might as well not have bothered with a press conference this year. As much as they tried to deliver what their audience wanted (and as well as all of these titles will no doubt perform), the hivemind opinion of the videogames industry is that the publisher isn’t attempting anything new.
Conversely, the VR community has applauded Bethesda Softworks for the exact same thing that the larger industry has critised the publisher for. Two remakes and a semi-sequel have been presented, and all three have been welcomed with open arms.
Fallout 4 VR, originally revealed at E3 2016, has seen significant improvement since its unveiling. Now complete with free movement, V.A.T.S. implementation and a much more complete ‘Fallout’ feeling, Fallout 4 VR has been the highlight of the show for many of those already invested in VR. Fallout 4 VR is currently only confirmed for HTC Vive, and is set to launch late in 2017.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR, much like Fallout 4 VR, is a familiar videogame returning afresh in VR. And that’s the punchline: this isn’t another remaster, it’s a complete refresh. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR may feature the same environments, enemies and quests that you’ve experienced before, but you’ve never experience them like this. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR is the fourth edition of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim to be launched on a PlayStation console and the second on PlayStation 4 alone, but it’s got the potential to be the best by far.
And then there’s DOOM VFR. Although this semi-sequel will reuse a lot of assets from 2016’s hugely popular DOOM it does feature a unique storyline. More importantly however, DOOM VFR somehow manages to not only perform light years ahead of the prototype revealed at E3 2016, but it also finds a solution to many of the problems facing modern VR, including fast-paced movement.
So that’s three VR titles which, for all intents-and-purposes, are old videogames repurposed for VR. But they offer unique worlds for deep exploration in a way that no VR videogame has yet managed. The VR aspect of Bethesda Softworks’ E3 2017 showcase faces the same problems as the traditional videogames designed for play on a 2D screen, and yet they still feel wholly new. Regardless of what you think of VR platform exclusivity or locomotion control systems, there’s no denying that Bethesda Softworks are about to big the medium a huge push forward.
This year’s E3 conference in Los Angeles has been just as exciting as ever – loads of brand new games constantly being announced your favourite virtual reality (VR) platforms – and PlayStation VR is no different. Sony’s console VR solution is showing no signs of stopping now.
We at VRFocus have seen some fantastic titles come to PlayStation VR in the last year, such as Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and the mesmerising Thumper, to name just two. Sony have shown they want to keep the VR momentum moving as they announced a swathe of new titles for your PlayStation VR head-mounted display (HMD).
Here are our choices for the best games on show for PlayStation VR at E3 2017.
DOOM VFR is a brand new game in the DOOM universe – not merely an adaptation of Bethesda’s successful reboot of the franchise.
Developed by id Software, the studio that created the DOOM franchise, DOOM VFR casts the player as the last known human survivor of the demonic invasion of the UAC’s Martian research facility. That is, until you yourself are (ripped and) torn from the mortal coil.
Not the first of Bethesda’s VR announcements, but the only PlayStation VR exclusive, the titan RPG Skyrim is making its VR debut on the PlayStation 4.
We played The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR at E3 2017, praising its immersion and adaptation to the VR platform. The game is designed to be used with the PS Move controllers, which will change the way players interact with the world around them. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR is set for release in 2017.
Possibly the most charming game revealed at E3 – VR or no – Polyarc’s Moss is an adorable platformer where you play as Quill, a little hero exploring a big world.
Moss is a PlayStation VR exclusive. We played the game, and couldn’t admire its visuals enough, saying; “Moss features a staggering amount of detail in its densely populated areas; leaves that rustle under feet, particle and water effects that bring life to the forest Quill calls home, and Quill herself is one of the most elegantly animated character models not just in VR, but in videogames as a whole. Quite simply, Moss looks stunning.”
Is there a better game title than V! No Heroes Allowed R! (What Did I Do to Deserve This, My Lord?). Not that we’ve heard. The eccentric Japanese title was recently confirmed for Western release by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) on PlayStation VR.
Being developed internally by SIE Japan Studio in collaboration with Acquire, it’s described as real-time startgy where player seek world domination as a God of Destruction.
Lucky’s Tale developer Playful are back, and they’re bringing a brand new videogame to the PlayStation VR in the form of Star Child, a game taking place on an alien world with fantastical neon flourishes.
Like Lucky’s Tale, the game takes a third-person perspective as the player watches their avatar go through some serious ordeals and take in some awe-inspiring sights, including the machinations of a giant robot.
Which game listed above are you most looking forward to playing? Is there a videogame title that we’ve missed that you would have included? Let us know in the comments below.
During Sony Interactive Entertainment’s (SIE) Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) press conference, Bethesda’s massive RPG The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was confirmed to be coming to virtual reality (VR) in the form of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR. The PlayStation VR exclusive gives players another reason to get lost in Bethesda’s deep world.
Skyrim VR will be releasing later this year, exclusively on PlayStation VR, giving SIE’s VR platform yet another great VR experience you can’t get anywhere else.
We played The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR at E3 2017, and felt the transformation into a VR title was a success; “It’s rare that a VR experience at a huge event such as E3 can separate you from the outside world, but The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR achieved this with ease. Any misgivings about the potential of adapting such a huge world to VR – including that of the dreaded simulation sickness – have been washed away with even just a few minutes of gameplay.”
In the screenshots below you can see combat and enemies familiar to Skyrim players in VR – the game shows incredible promise, and will give PlayStation VR owners another reason to immerse themselves in Skyrim.
For everything on Skyrim VR and PlayStation VR at E3 2017, stay on VRFocus.
PlayStation VR has sold over 1 million units and had more success in sales compared to the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. VRFocushas put together a list of games that we know are coming to the PlayStation VR. If you prefer watching all the games coming to PlayStation VR, scroll down to the bottom to view it.
Farpoint is a first-person shooter on the PlayStation VR. When it launched, it debuted at number two in the UK Sales chart and is sold alongside the new Aim controller. Starting with a bloke putting on a PlayStation VR in his basement he then finds himself transported to an uncharted alien world filled with all manner of enemies.
Survive in an unknown alien world after a crash, search for fellow human survivors whilst shooting hoards of alien creatures. The new DLC Cryo Pack coming on the 27th of June, a 2 player co-op with challenge levels in an ice world.
This VR game is a multiplayer racing title based on slot car racing. You can play with up to four friends or race AI opponents. Taking inspiration from toys by Scalextric and Carrera, FuturLab has created a title that evolves slot-car racing in a way only videogames can do.
Featuring both a singleplayer – against AI – or an online multiplayer for up to four people, Tiny Trax includes six vehicles to select before heading out onto the track. Friends can select either single races or go for a tournament to test their skills.
Is a first-person shooter set in the year 2076, where you must throw, slow and shoot your way through extraterrestrial-bots inspired by classic arcade shooters, the studio only released one image, showing a vicious looking robot. First Contact Entertainment describes ROM: Extraction’s gameplay mechanic as “Throw, Slow & Shoot.” Whereby players will have the ability to slow down time – called “Reflex” power – to help defend themselves against these dangerous looking, extraterrestrial robots. The videogame will be a first-person shooter (FPS) using motion-based controls, three difficulty settings and global and local leaderboards.
Gran Turismo Sport was original slated for release at the end of 2016, but the developers were forced to push back the release date to 2017. Polyphony Digital are known among fans as being perfectionists, so it was not a huge surprised that an ambitious project such as Gran Turismo Sport ended up taking extra time.
The game now has a new Racing wheel designed exclusively for Gran Turismo Sport on the PlayStation 4. Specifically designed specially to enhance the experience of playing Gran Turismo Sport, the upcoming driving and racing simulator from Polyphony Digital on the PlayStation 4. Gran Turismo Sport is also offering virtual reality (VR) compatibility, which in combination with Thrustmaster’s racing wheel, could offer even more immersion to players.
THESEUS is a third person action-adventure where you play the titular character on a quest to slay the Minotaur from the ancient Greek mythology.
Taking inspiration from titles such as ICO, Shadow of the Colossus and the Last Guardian, Forge Reply has gone for a third-person viewpoint for its VR adventure, with Theseus employing a mix of static and dynamic cameras to aid immersion and gameplay.
Play this survival horror game where you wake up from a cryrosleep in the year 2521. Survive an experiment gone horribly wrong to save the ship.
Sneak around and hide behind cover, being stealthy will feel natural in VR and give you the upper hand.
7. Bloody Zombies – nDreams
Bloody Zombies is a side-scrolling brawler set in London. It supports one to four players online or locally. Follow the story of four lone survivors and fight zombies who appear as 2D cardboard cut-outs in a virtual environment.
A real-time strategy game announced at the 2016 PlayStation Press Conference and will be released in Japan in 2017. You’ll play as the demon load with the aim to conquer the world.
Play the the God of Destruction and fight against those heroes of justice by using the food cycle, breeding monsters and repelling incoming heroes while conquering strongholds.
Is a Chinese developed game set in a medieval-themed world and strategic gameplay where you assume the role of a commander. You have to build up your team to enjoy PVE and pvp, each battle lasts about 5 minutes and you will win the game after you destroy the enemy’s forts.
It’s cross-platform and is supported by HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, PSVR, Google Daydream and Samsung Gear .
Archangel is coming exclusively two PSVR for two weeks before coming to any other platform. In this story-driven shooter where you become a six-story-high war-machine and fight against the tyrannical HUMNX.
AI-controlled teammates in different vehicles will need your protection and will support you when your shields have failed.
SUPERHOTVR is finally coming to PlayStation VR, after debuting on Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.
SUPERHOT had heaps of critical acclaim at launch, and its VR version received equal praise. We can only assume the PlayStation VR version will be equally beloved.
The acclaimed shooter is finally coming to PlayStation VR, but this isn’t simply a port of a game you’ve already played, but an all-new installment built for VR.
Developed by id Software, the studio that created the DOOM franchise, DOOM VFR casts the player as the last known human survivor of the demonic invasion of the UAC’s Martian research facility.
Bethesda’s beloved The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is making its way to VR on PlayStation 4.
Publisher Bethesda Softworks has announced that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is set for a November 2017 release on PlayStation VR, and all of the original console downloadable content (DLC) will be included with both the digital and physical editions of the videogame.
Star Child was announced with a short trailer during Sony’s E3 press conference.
Star Child takes place on an alien world, filled with mysterious creatures and futuristic space ships. The man-made interiors of the planet hide many incredible fluorescent and neon creatures, all of which are sure to look incredibly imposing in VR.
Final Fantasy XV: Monster of the Deep will offer PlayStation VR players the opportunity to explore the world’s oceans, lakes, ponds and rivers and participate in a wide variety of fishing challenges. Many returning characters from the original Final Fantasy XV will appear in the videogame, including familiar faces such as Noctis, Prompto, Ignis, Gladiolus, and more.
17. Bravo Team – Supermassive Games
Bravo Team, appears to be a military first-person shooter (FPS). Releasing at the end of the year for PlayStation VR, Bravo Team will be one of the first competitive multiplayer VR shooters for the platform.
In Moss you will be focusing on puzzle solving and exploration, slowly finding your path forward through these huge stages. Butterflies and insects appear huge next to your mousey character as they are entirely dwarfed by trees and other creatures – something that becomes very obvious when coming face-to-face with a hungry snake.
Sparc is a skill-based, physical sport, where two players use PlayStationMove motion controllers to aim and throw projectiles at each other inside a virtual arena, all the while defending themselves by dodging, blocking, or deflecting incoming attacks from their opponent.
Sparc includes multiple two-player game modes where players can compete against their friends or find challengers via online matchmaking. Additionally, a selection of single-player challenges and training modes are included, plus a wide range of customization and personalization options for competitors.
The rumours surrounding an Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) reveal of a virtual reality (VR) edition of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim were proven true, and the reaction has been phenomenal. Though it appears that this new edition, simply known as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR, is currently confirmed for release only on PlayStation VR, the demonstration version of the videogame was highly impressive.
The experience began outside Bleak Falls Barrow, with a small number of bandits reason for an easy takedown as the player gets used to the control system. Using two PlayStation Move controllers, an ability can be assigned to each hand using the ‘favourites’ menu on the left controller’s Circle button. The menus will appear familiar to anyone who has previously played any version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, though scrolling through them is controlled by the Square and Cross buttons.
With fire and ice spells, a sword and bow available, players of the demo are able to mix-up their combo attacks. You’re able to grab items but not add them to your inventory, meaning the axe that was dropped by the first fallen enemy could be juggled but not equipped; a strange design edition but presumably one made to allow for the volume of players flowing through an event such as E3.
Once entering the dungeon things become much more interesting. The movement is limited to teleportation only, activated by press the Move button on the left controller, but the very precise head tracking allows the player to duck and dodge incoming attacks, lean around corners to view the dangers that lie ahead, and position themselves for stealthy ranged attacks with the bow. This all comes in handy in interior locations, especially when you’re vastly out numbered.
The visual quality of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR is, surprisingly, very close to that of the PlayStation 4’s recently released The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition. Though the demonstration was brief (a lot more time with the videogame would be needed to evaluate the minutiae of the visual differences) effects such as mist and reflection were all present and correct. The detail on magic attacks, such as ice bolts, did seem to have been significantly lessened, however.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim itself isn’t exactly criticised for its level of immersion, with many gamers across the globe having invested hundreds of hours into the videogame. However, on PlayStation VR it enters entirely new territory. It’s rare that a VR experience at a huge event such as E3 can separate you from the outside world, but The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR achieved this with ease. Any misgivings about the potential of adapting such a huge world to VR – including that of the dreaded simulation sickness – have been washed away with even just a few minutes of gameplay.
Set for release later this year, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR is currently only confirmed for release on PlayStation VR. In that respect, the PlayStation 4 has yet another reason to become new adopters’ choice of VR host platform, as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR looks set to stand tall as one of the medium’s ‘must buy’ titles.
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7. Bloody Zombies – nDreams 
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The experience began outside Bleak Falls Barrow, with a small number of bandits reason for an easy takedown as the player gets used to the control system. Using two PlayStation Move controllers, an ability can be assigned to each hand using the ‘favourites’ menu on the left controller’s Circle button. The menus will appear familiar to anyone who has previously played any version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, though scrolling through them is controlled by the Square and Cross buttons.
The visual quality of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR is, surprisingly, very close to that of the PlayStation 4’s recently released The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition. Though the demonstration was brief (a lot more time with the videogame would be needed to evaluate the minutiae of the visual differences) effects such as mist and reflection were all present and correct. The detail on magic attacks, such as ice bolts, did seem to have been significantly lessened, however.