Elsewhere Electric is a co-op puzzle game coming to Quest and PC VR, where one player explores the world in VR while the other joins in on mobile.
Set in an eerie facility, players will step into the shoes of two Elsewhere Electric employees sent to investigate the abandoned building and get it back online. An asymmetric workload splits responsibility between a VR player and a mobile one, with communication playing a key role in progression and puzzle-solving success.
As the VR player physically explores the facility's unnerving depths, the mobile player relays key information about the space to ensure they make it out alive. Haunting invisible creatures, world-shifting abilities, and curious language cyphers complicate your expedition further as you and your friend try to solve problems and survive.
Games by Stitch describes Elsewhere Electric as a "spooky roguelike Metroidvania," and it's not the studio's first foray into VR. The team previously released mystical escape room simulator Flow Weaver and cosmic horror game Broken Spectre.
An online factsheet confirms Elsewhere Electric is coming to Quest and Steam in "Spring/Summer 2025." The free accompanying mobile app will be available on Android and iOS.
Trombone Champ: Unflattened adds a new environment, custom songs on Quest, and more in today's update.
Following November's launch for Trombone Champ: Unflattened, Flat2VR Studios has unveiled the somewhat self-explanatory “New Environment, Custom Songs+” update. Most prominently, that includes the alternative Outdoor Winter environment and support for custom songs for Quest. Visiting the shopkeeper, George, now provides a quick tutorial on how to install custom tracks.
Other new additions include several new trombones themed around Koi Fish, a red Chinese envelope, and Unicorn horns. A new 'Pitch Assist' option is available that lets you stay on pitch without negatively affecting your score. Simplified Mode has been renamed 'Unflattened Mode,' and Flat2VR Studios states this is because the original name led some players to assume this is an easy mode. Finally, additional quality-of-life changes like store shortcuts are also being implemented.
We had considerable praise for Trombone Champ: Unflattened in our launch impressions on Quest 3, calling it a “highly charming” adaptation of the 2022 viral flatscreen hit.
Trombone Champ: Unflattened feels more like a brand-new game than a flatscreen port, building upon the existing foundations well to deliver ridiculously silly fun... It's a rare game that can get me laughing at my own failures. Despite my control issues, it's a great debut effort from Flat2VR Studios and after five hours, I'm having a great time.
Beat Saber is 2024's most downloaded game on PlayStation VR2.
You're likely aware that Sony posts the PlayStation Store's top 10 monthly downloads on the PlayStation Blog for every active platform. After releasing December's charts nearly two weeks ago, Sony's now revealed 2024's top downloads across PS5, PS4, free to play flatscreen games, and PS VR2.
Given its consistently strong performance across the year, it's little surprise to see Beat Saber take no.1 across both Europe and North America. Rounding out the top four across both regions is Pavlov — which you may recall was also 2023's most downloaded PlayStation VR2 game — Among Us VR, and Arizona Sunshine 2. Here's the full charts for further information.
PlayStation Store - 2024 Download Chart For PlayStation VR2
Much like 2023, it's worth noting that Sony's criteria excludes games with optional PSVR 2 support, thus removing new contenders like Demeo Battles and My First Gran Turismo. However, Phasmophobia and Gran Turismo 7 still reached the flatscreen PS5 charts. Copies sold through hardware bundles are still excluded, which is only Horizon Call of the Mountain, though that didn't stop it reaching #5 in Europe.
This year's annual stats also marks a notable change, as there's no longer a listed category for original PlayStation VR games. That's unsurprising given the platform's been mostly abandoned by developers, the only notable exception being upcoming horror title The Obsessive Shadow. As such, November 2024 marks the last time Sony recorded the top performing PSVR games.
VR survival shooter Into The Radius has sold 800k copies over the last five years.
Confirmed in a soon-to-be published interview, CM Games CEO Vlad Rannik spoke to UploadVR during PG Connects London 2025 to discuss Into The Radius 2. Touching upon how the original game guided the studio's approach to early access for the sequel, Rannik revealed Into The Radius sold 800k units since the initial launch back in November 2019.
Later entering full release in July 2020, Into The Radius had a long history of post-launch support. CM Games continued releasing content updates until its last major patch in September 2023 with Update 2.7, alongside ports for Quest and PlayStation VR2. Rannik believes this approach helped drive additional sales long-term.
“Continuously improving Into The Radius 1 based on feedback drove sales as well. Contrary to what most people would say about PC and game development, where it's like, “hey, you launch, and then it's just bug fixes and DLCs to earn more money.” In our case, continuously improving the game and adding more content resulted in more revenue,” stated the CEO.
As for Into The Radius 2, the sequel reached Steam Early Access last July. Our initial review considered it to be an enjoyable experience but we believed the launch version felt “barebones,” though it's since received two major updates and several smaller patches. We'll bring you our full interview with CM Games soon.
Path of Fury - Episode I: Tetsuo's Tower, the Kung-Fu inspired VR fighting game, is coming to Quest this March.
Inspired by arcade games like Time Crisis and '80s Kung-Fu films like the Wong Kar Wai series, Path of Fury - Episode I: Tetsuo's Tower asks players to frantically swipe and punch at enemies as they ascend a high rise flooded with aggressive enemy fighters. As you progress higher, the enemy types and numbers grow and change, and you’ll need to manage your endurance and speed to reach the top.
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Path of Fury is developer Leonard Menchiari’s first VR title after previously working on two flatscreen games, The Eternal Castle [REMASTERED] and cinematic side scroller Trek to Yomi.
"I think VR is at its best when it combines exercise with beautiful, immersive environments, so I tried to create something that could merge those things together,” said Menchiari in a press release. “Through this, I was able to craft a linear experience with a strong backstory that despite being very straightforward, still felt different each time. That was the goal at least, but I feel like I got pretty close to what I was aiming for.”
Flat2VR Studios wants to take “some of the best things” from each FlatOut game and make an original version for VR.
This week at PG Connects London 2025, UploadVR interviewed Flat2VR Studios' Chief Operating Officer & Co-founder, Eric Masher, to discuss the team's upcoming projects and Trombone Champ: Unflattened. Speaking about FlatOut - a demolition derby game with destructible environments and vehicular combat - we queried if the upcoming VR game would adapt a specific flatscreen entry or if it's something else.
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While the initial trailer is based on FlatOut 4: Total Insanity, I'm told Flat2VR Studios currently holds the license for several FlatOut games. The team aims to create an original game that merges elements from the older titles to deliver something new. However, Masher informed UploadVR that the upcoming entry is still in the design process and the studio's looking at the best path to take. Accordingly, the game doesn't have an official name yet.
“We want to take some of the best things in each [FlatOut entry] and make it our own version. Where we are in development, I don't think we're ready to really commit to saying this is FlatOut or FlatOut 2… Either way, we will make sure the VR version retains the speed, look, and feel that made the series so popular,” stated Masher.
Following November's launch for debut title Trombone Champ: Unflattened, FlatOut marks one of three upcoming games publicly announced by Flat2VR Studios. It joins Roboquest, a fast-paced roguelite shooter with a comic book-inspired art style and Wrath: Aeon of Ruin, a 90s-style hardcore FPS inspired by 90s shooters like Doom and Quake.
FlatOut is coming to Quest, Steam and PlayStation VR2, though a release window remains unconfirmed.
Firewall Ultra, Sony's tactical multiplayer shooter for PlayStation VR2, received a surprise update despite the developer's closure.
Developed by First Contact Entertainment, Firewall Ultra has been largely inactive since the studio shut down four months after launch and after a handful of updates like two additional maps. It's therefore surprising to learn that it's now received a new update over the weekend, first spotted by Reddit user 'ROBYER1' and later shared by Gamertag VR.
The new patch quadruples how much XP and currency are earned by players, therefore making progression significantly easier. This addresses a core complaint from our launch review back in August 2023, where we criticized progression and how we believed it pushes players towards in-app purchases despite the base game's $40 pricing.
We've contacted Sony Interactive Entertainment to query who the developer is behind the recent patch and whether any additional changes were made to the game. We'll update this article if we learn anything further.
As for the timing, Gamertag speculates this update “will surely only benefit new players” and suggests Sony might add the game to PlayStation Plus in February. While this could also be a final update before Firewall Ultra potentially gets delisted, considering February 22 marks PlayStation VR2's second anniversary, we'd speculate Sony might have released this update for that occasion.
Fitness Fables, a fantasy-themed VR exercise game, is now available on Quest.
Developed by Immersion Games (Divine Duel), Fitness Fables describes itself as merging interactive storytelling with exercise. Featuring more than 25 exercises included across 80 levels, you'll venture through the realms of Alterterra as you encounter boss battles, take part in strategic workouts and track your progress through a progression system.
With environments ranging from waterways to snowy slopes, Fitness Fables tasks you with “uncovering the mystery behind the world’s imbalance” as you exercise. Physical actions involve squats, arm rotations, and power throws, while the team confirmed there's adjustable difficulty options to let you scale the intensity.
Perhaps in preparation for the new year, this isn't the only VR fitness game on Quest we've recently seen, either. Two weeks ago, we saw the release of Shardfall: FitQuest VR, a fitness-action game from Quell Tech. Reminiscent of Until You Fall and Ring Fit Adventure, you're tasked with fighting against a mechanical army.
Fitness Fables is now available on the Meta Quest platform.
Update Notice
This article was initially published on January 21, 2025. It was updated and retimed on January 30 when the game officially launched.
We love stories that grant us control. There's something innately exciting about the prospect, but it's hard to pin down what makes a branching narrative so much fun. Fortunately, we have Human Within, which is one of the worst told stories I've ever experienced! Yes, it's weird to be happy about this, yet those mistakes are the perfect way to understand why and how these kinds of games work.
So, let's break it down, shall we? Naturally, this means there are major spoilers across this entire article.
Branches Need To Make Sense
Now, a story like this has to branch in a way that makes sense. It's about finding a flow of decision-making where the choice and consequence click. You can make informed choices, and crucially, if there's any sort of twist, you can still understand how that choice led to that outcome in hindsight. It adds weight. “Oh gosh, is the character I care about going to make it out of this alright?” or “Will they hate me forever if I do this?”
For Human Within, everything is framed through our heroine, Linh, a digital ghost trying to reconstruct her memories. This is intercut with her sister Nyla trying to find a way to break them out of the clutches of a morally dubious CEO who has them locked up. Linh alternates between helping in the present and reconstructing memories. It's a good premise on paper. The problem is how most choices hold no clear bearing on the situation.
You probably wouldn't wonder, “If I use a blender right now, will the sound bother a cat in the alley behind my house?” However, that's the sort of logic some choices operate under for Human Within.
For instance: If Linh takes to Blake's charm, she might learn that our “nefarious” CEO is actually just desperate to try and save his mother from dementia. So far so good, right? However, learning this truth only results in Blake being honest at the end, with Linh still screwing him over.
You're In Control, Not The Character
What's more, this highlights one of the biggest struggles with telling stories using defined protagonists. We love a protagonist with texture and backstory, but if the characters themselves aren't responding the same way we are, that can cause a lot of undue friction.
It also doesn't matter that her sister, Nyla, who the story anchors as the most “moral” person, is swayed by Blake's pleas for mercy. Linh still chooses to delete herself and corrupt the project out of… spite? Fear? It's not clear and doesn't make sense, which makes every subsequent playthrough feel more like tossing darts at a wall. Given how other seemingly significant decisions are all picked for you, like who you enlist to liberate yourself and Nyla, it's even harder to immerse yourself as Linh. You aren't playing Linh, you're just an underpaid editor to her life's story's subplots.
There is something to be said about character agency in stories - easily enough to warrant its own article. Put simply, the agency should still align with the player themselves. If I'm generous and kind, my character should be too. If I'm a jerk, then so is my character.
Yet Human Within structures itself opaquely around what it's already decided Linh is like as a person. It's unclear how your choices impact the world and how you can actually alter Linh's perspective. You are fundamentally unmoored, rather than empowered and curious. Because it's hard to get people to make choices. We want to be liked, and statistically speaking, it's difficult to get us operating outside our norm, even in a virtual reality. So if we are being reminded of how we and our player character aren't aligned, then we're likely to be even more paranoid.
Telltale's famous first season of The Walking Dead might be a messy, assembled on the fly series of stories, but it gets under your skin. You become Lee Everett, even if just for a few hours, and make snap decisions that can surprise you. Lulling the player in like that, getting them on the same wavelength as the protagonist, is crucial. It's why we become so attached to heroes that can at times be little more than ciphers by comparison to everyone around them.
Intelligence And Observational Skills Should Be Rewarded
Which is what brings us to the greatest flaw in Human Within's storytelling - you're supposed to be playing the smartest person in this story, yet you never feel like it. Nyla is constantly telling you what to do. You have next to no say over how things play out in the “present” sections, only the past. Every interstitial puzzle is laden with being told “No” in dozens of different ways, sometimes unavoidably so before the real solution reveals itself.
It's funny too because this has the double-edged sword of lacking something you wouldn't think is important, but absolutely is: bad decisions. To be fair, clearly the story considers almost every choice that sees Linh agreeing with Blake as a bad choice, but I mean beyond that. It's not possible to get caught before the appointed time.
You will always navigate the same scenarios with little to no variance until it's so close to the end that it doesn't really matter. You can even see in the game's story “tree” in the extras menu that several scenes have no alternate variants. They're set puzzles with fixed solutions. In fairness, this is necessary to an extent, though not even having a minor fail state or something to reinforce the risk of it all robs the story of tension.
This actually circles back to my biggest issue with By Grit Alone. While it doesn't have branching narrative, a horror game also relies on tension. By Grit Alone's mistake was breaking the tension by killing the player too frequently - you can't be scared by repetition like that. You need a balance of some failure, but not too much. Just enough to snap you back, like a rubber band. We as an audience need to know that our choices could blow up in our faces, but also have enough information and certainty to commit anyway. Ideally, the story actually has fairly few avenues of failure, but you still feel the risk because it's there.
Mass Effect 2 is most famous for how it ends with its infamous “Suicide Mission” ending where you can, theoretically, get your entire squad and you killed. It's exceptionally hard to do that. You almost have to be trying to get that bad ending… but it's there. And the possibility gnaws at you. It makes you overthink decisions on your first playthrough. That's what Human Within could've had. The entire story is a hostage situation. The tension is there. It's great on paper. And yet, between decisions that happen in the past and next to no agency in the present, plus little reward for trying to be clever, you never feel it. Which is weird because there's even secondary info feeds we can pick up and look at, yet they're basically b-roll that can be tossed about. Imagine if looking at these altered the current scene somehow.
So our context only grows and informs in scenes with varying amount of importance. It's in the scenes where the plot moves forward that the context has the least amount of meaning or development. They're like a bitter divorced couple having to share a car ride together. And in the case of my first playthrough, there was even less context for some specific narrative flourishes, like how the end credits song is Nyla's favorite and that's why it plays. If anything, that's a narrative beat that could've added an emotional through-line worth keeping on track.
This is why I say it's the worst told story I've heard in quite some time. It's not that the linear series of events can't work, but in the format of a choose your own adventure? It's not my adventure, I don't have a clear choice, and I don't feel like I can contribute. Plus, the fact choices are made by which direction you're looking at key moments, instead of a button press? Not ideal, especially without dedicated eye-tracking support. At times, this meant Human Within decided I made a choice based on what aspect of a room I was staring at before I could turn my head the right way.
The Medium Matters
Despite all these issues, there is one crucial scapegoat for Human Within's stumbling blocks that explains at least some design decisions made: this is an FMV game. That's Full Motion Video, a genre born from CD tech in the 90s that imploded and recently had a big comeback, thanks to how much easier it is to tell a TV quality story on a tight budget. This style of gameplay introduces a whole mess of new challenges, though. Unfortunately, Human Within demonstrates several hiccups you can make with this as well.
The bold choice of fully 360° live action scenes is incredibly impressive… for about five minutes. I understand it's to symbolize how out of body Linh is feeling, but the effect drops off quickly. Then you start to realize that any time you move, the scene struggles to stay centered because it's a full 360° view from a single fixed point. This was undoubtedly very expensive to shoot, and the array of different sets used in the various flashbacks is arguably a greater expenditure of resources than just having branching versions of scenes set in one location. There's a reason your average Wales Interactive game has maybe three major locations total.
This is all the more awkward when Human Within features other sections with those multiple flat feeds you can pick up and look at individually in cyberspace. So despite leaning into the immersive nature of VR, it's actually more jarring when you aren't in cyberspace, as you aren't able to move or interact with anything. There are some fully CGI sections for puzzles as well, which are functionally pointing and clicking. Again, the priorities are a little unorthodox.
Had Human Within relied on flat FMV feeds and an otherwise more traditional computer-generated presentation, they could've used the freedom of VR to throw more information at the player at once. Really make us feel like we're in cyberspace as a digital consciousness. That sounds wild, right?
This could've been really cool, and for what it's worth, I don't begrudge the team behind Human Within. It's apparent this was someone's passion project, and making a great branching story is an immense task at the best of times. They had the right idea here, they just didn't convey it well. Yet in that, we can appreciate what other games get so right about choice. And if that's the consequence of the creative choices made, it's a silver lining in the end.
Human Within is available now on the Meta Quest platform.
Game Room Introduces A New Hidden Word Game On Apple Vision Pro
Developed by Resolution Games, Game Room is a title we previously named one of the best Apple Vision Pro games currently available. Joining several prior post-launch updates like the addition of Backgammon, Word Wright is a new hidden word game announced last week, and you can see it in action above.
VR Sci-fi Puzzler Exit Condition: One Escapes Onto Quest & Steam Next Week
Exit Condition: One describes itself as a “room-scale VR experience challenges players with a wide variety of escape room-style puzzles.” Arriving on January 23 for Steam and Quest devices, you play as a curator tasked with restoring a malfunctioning portal while trying to outwit a rogue security system.
The Obsessive Shadow Haunts Both PlayStation VR Headsets Next Month
It's an increasing rarity to see games arrive on Sony's older VR headset, but that's precisely what The Obsessive Shadow is planning this February. Featuring optional support for both PSVR 1 and PlayStation VR2, you play as a 9-year-old boy left alone in his home, navigating this unsettling labyrinth with just a flashlight. It's already available on Quest, and it's also “coming soon” to Steam.
Mixed Reality Racer Track Craft Received A Matchmaking Update
Track Craft just got a new multiplayer matchmaking update!
When you join multiplayer, all the online players now get a notification, so they can join you.
— BRAINZ GAMIFY | 🏎️Track Craft 🐓Pet & Run (@brainzgamify) January 17, 2025
Track Craft, a mixed reality racing game from Brainz Gamify (Pet & Run), continues receiving new features with its latest post-launch update. This time, multiplayer matchmaking now provides all online players a notification that allows them to join you. When asked if they'd implement colocation discovery for local multiplayer, the studio advised they will “look into this.”
VR PvP Horror Game Hunt Together Adds New Solo Waiting Mode In Update 1.9
Marking the first major Hunt Together update for 2025, Carbon Studio has released Version 1.9 on both Quest and Steam. The VR PvP horror game now features a new solo waiting Mode for three maps, a new announcer system, balancing tweaks, and more.
Other Updates
After some additional stories? Here's all the other updates we've seen this week.
