Tennis League VR is coming to Quest headsets this month, set to release on April 20.
Announced last year, Tennis League VR wants to bring the full tennis experience into virtual reality, with several options for play. Developer AnotheReality says it’s “made for aspiring pros, fitness fanatics and casual joes,” with both offline solo and online multiplayer modes.
You can check out some gameplay footage in the release date trailer above. AnotheReality says seasoned tennis players will be able to use real tennis techniques in-game, refining slices, lobs and topspin shots across the different modes. There will be a career mode for solo play and an academy mode for training, as well an online multiplayer mode to play against friends or spectate online matches.
There will also be arcade mode, featuring the freshly-revealed Droid Rush game shown in the trailer above and the pictures below. AnotheReality describes Droid Rush as “tennis meets tower defense,” where players will be taken off the court and thrust into a neon virtual environment to fend off robots using precise shots and sharp reflexes.
Tennis League VR will be available on the official Quest Store from April 20, but if you’re itching to check it out already then there’s a free demo available now via App Lab to tide you over.
Fruit Ninja VR 2 now has a final release date, set to launch later this week on April 6 for Quest, Pico and PC VR.
Halfbrick Studios says the sequel will feature the return of Classic, Arcade and Zen modes from the original, now “juicier than ever.” Fruit Ninja VR 2 also features a new bow weapon, which will let you aim and shoot down fruit with arrows instead of the regular slice and dice method.
A new rhythm mode will “challenge you to keep up with the pace of the track,” while multiplayer mode will let you compete with other players and show off your slicing skills. If you’d rather use bow in multiplayer, then the new Apple Head multiplayer mode is a perfect fit, while the Social Hub offers a place for players to relax and chat with others in-game.
Halfbrick also says that there will be a new world relaxing area called Fruitasia, where you’ll be able to “take a break from the competition” and “explore, relax and slice to your heart’s content.”
The game is currently available on Steam for PC VR in Early Access, but will go into full release later this week alongside other platforms. On Quest, it will support Quest 2 and Quest Pro but not the original Quest headset.
Bloody combat simulator Gorn is now available on PlayStation VR2 for PS5.
In a bit of surprise news last week, Devolver Digital announced that Gorn is now available for PSVR 2 on PS5. Even better, those players who already own the game on PS4 for the original PSVR can upgrade to the PS5 version for PSVR 2 for free.
The combat simulator was first released for PC VR in 2019, before being ported across to the original PSVR and Quest platform in subsequent years. Across all platforms, Devolver Digital says that the game has now sold over 1.5 million copies – half a million more since it passed the one million milestone almost two years ago.
While the release itself was a surprise, there were already some indications that Gorn might be arriving on PSVR 2. In February, a German PlayStation blog post seemingly leaked four unconfirmed PSVR 2 games in the post’s tags and gallery section, including Gorn. The leak also listed a sequel to Solaris: Offworld Combat (which First Contact Entertainment later confirmed) and ports of Wanderer and Project Wingman. Given the Solaris sequel has been confirmed and Gorn is now also available, here’s hoping we see the other two arrive in the near future.
If you don’t already own Gorn on PS4, the PS5 version for PSVR 2 is available now for $19.99. If you want to learn more about the game, you can read our Gorn review of the original 2019 release.
In the roughly 15-minute demo of Pin City I played at PAX East 2023, I hurled my bowling ball over fires, through tunnels and into halfpipes.
Put simply, it looks like Studio 217 is making sure the game lives up to its ‘VR bowling with a twist’ subtitle.
Inspired by the mechanics of mini golf, the object of Pin City isn’t just to rack up the highest score possible in each frame, but also to figure out the best way to get your ball to collide with the pins at the end of your lane without being thwarted by any number of obstacles.
In a normal bowling alley, that wouldn’t be too much of a problem. In Pin City, it is. Popular mini-golf obstacles block your ball’s way, adding an arcade-like twist to the sport. Similar to What The Bat? and What The Golf?, Pin City starts out simple: a normal bowling alley with a normal lane and ten pins. The more frames you play through, the more chaotic things get. Eventually, you’ll be defying gravity or jumping over fire with your ball. You might even get outside of a typical bowling lane!
With rules this loose and goofy and a foundation this fun, the sky really is the limit for Pin City – once they can ring in the actual throwing mechanics of the game, at least. Wii Sports, the first game to really nail motion-controlled bowling in a video game, gave a sense of weight by limiting your character’s range of motion to essentially the arc your arm takes when rolling a bowling ball in real life.
Pin City, on the other hand, has a greater challenge. At every point in the game, Pin City allows players to have a full range of motion with their head and hands, meaning that it’s harder to get a feel for the right throw. When I spoke to the developers, they were very upfront about the challenge, telling me that their biggest priority at the moment is getting the rolling part – specifically the weighty feel of the bowling bowl – just right. While I don’t know the studio’s ultimate goal for Pin City, I do think adding some limitations for throws might allow for the rest of the game to shine more.
As I was getting my VR bowling sea legs, I accidentally threw my ball in just about every direction because I had some trouble understanding its weight and feel. After all, the Quest 2’s controllers aren’t nearly as heavy as a bowling ball. Even after getting the hang of things, I still found myself struggling as the lanes continued to evolve.
While I personally didn’t explore much beyond Pin City’s main attraction, the developers teased that other parts of the bowling alley are explorable and interactable. You can move your character around the lobby using teleportation-style movement and interact with various parts of the environment. It’s an idea that holds potential if explored further. Bowling alleys have a very iconic, consistent aesthetic to them and it would be interesting to see minigames explore some of that vibe and culture.
After talking with the developers about the game’s inspirations, I became even more excited about where this game could go. With DNA rooted in a range of games, from Walkabout Mini Golf to Boom Blox to What The Golf?, Pin City has some big shoes to fill. Moving forward, the key will be nailing the feel of the virtual bowling ball. But after trying the game out and listening to the Studio 217 team discuss their creative and mad-cap ideas, I have faith in this small team and I’m excited to see where they strike next.
I love it when games surprise me the way A Knight In The Attic did.
Not to discount the fun that comes from VR’s most popular genres, but this felt like something I’d never seen before. At PAX East 2023, I played the first 20 minutes of an early demo build of A Knight In The Attic, set to release April 13 on Meta Quest and PC VR.
In A Knight In The Attic, you unravel the mysteries housed within a dusty attic. With a very light narrative that centers around the Arthurian Legend’s femme fatale, Guinevere, this game maintains a mystical sensibility that really drew me in. In fact, playing the demo at Mighty Yell’s booth at PAX East, I completely lost myself in the game. The convention’s chaotic cacophony melted away as I explored the tilt maze-inspired world.
This is a great example of a game within a game. Your character is interacting with magical items in an attic. There’s scrolls that doll out tutorials, drawers that require keys to unlock, and a jar to catch fireflies, but the star of the show is the world of Camelot. Presented as a tilt maze, you hold and move the maze in your virtual hands the same way you would in real life.
There’s a twist, though. Instead of a marble, you’re rolling Guinevere around the maze. And instead of a plain wooden maze, you’re rolling Guinevere around the world of Camelot. The gameplay is quite engaging, with obstacles and challenges that provide clever twists beyond just avoiding walls and holes. Striking a good balance between challenge and smart checkpoints, it’s no pushover, but it also never treats the player unfairly. Extra collectibles also really encouraged me to put my skills to the test, though I only happened upon one or two during my time with the game.
After progressing to a certain point, you’re drawn out of the tilt maze aspect and encouraged to interact with other objects in the attic around you. This demo did a great job of balancing each side of its gameplay to keep you not only engaged, but continually searching for the next key, puzzle or objective.
My only concern is with the game’s narrative. Yes, it’s based on a fairy tale and aimed at all audiences, but it felt a bit sparse. One of the game’s main collectibles is optional scrolls that expand Knight’s story, but I never felt pulled into the story or even sure enough of what was going on to feel compelled to grab the scroll beyond the extra challenge.
Narrative complaints aside, I’m interested to see how A Knight In The Attic’s gameplay continues to evolve when the full game releases this month. Keep an eye out for more thoughts on the game in the coming weeks.
In an upcoming Q&A, Resident Evil Village VR Mode Director Kazuhiro Takahara told UploadVR that “at this time” the studio has no plans to bring the Resident Evil Village DLC content or The Mercenaries mode to PSVR 2.
Resident Evil Village released its new VR Mode as part of PlayStation VR2’s launch lineup last month and we absolutely loved it, praising it as a stunning and engaging horror shooter for Sony’s new headset. Village originally released for PS5 and other flatscreen platforms in 2021. Post-launch, Capcom released a version of the Resident Evil series’ staple arcade minigame mode The Mercenaries for Village, as well the Winters’ Expansion, which included a short DLC story expansion set after the main campaign called Shadows of Rose.
Although Village’s VR mode launched for PSVR 2 last month as a free extension of the existing PS5 release, it didn’t include PSVR 2 support for those post-launch additions and DLC expansions.
We asked Capcom’s Kazuhiro Takahara, Director on Resident Evil Village VR Mode, whether there were plans to add support for this content on PSVR 2. Kazuhiro Takahara simply responded “We do not have any plans at this time.”
While that’s a shame to hear, it also doesn’t mean completely rule out an announcement in the future. While not handled by Capcom, the Quest release of Resident Evil 4 VR from Armature Studio on Quest also initially launched in 2021 without Mercenaries mode, only to be revealed as a free update in 2022. Let’s hope Capcom is just keep quiet on a similar surprise reveal later down the line for Village.
Keep an eye out for our full Q&A with Kazuhiro Takahara tomorrow, where we discuss the challenges of bringing Resident Evil Village to PSVR 2 and much more.
Looking for new VR games coming out in April 2023? We’ve got you covered.
The last few months have been some of the busiest we’ve seen in VR’s recent history, with PlayStation VR 2 offering over 40 launch games. While many of these were enhanced ports of existing VR titles, new experiences like Horizon Call of the Mountain, Gran Turismo 7 and Resident Evil Village made it a busy time. While that calmed down across March, VR didn’t lack for big releases and April looks like another strong month.
Here’s the full rundown of the big VR releases coming to Meta Quest 2, PSVR 2, PC VR and Pico 4 in April 2023.
Recent VR Releases – March 2023
Before we discuss the upcoming month, here’s a list of VR games to check out from March.
Published by Fast Travel Games and developed by MobX Games, Everslaught Invasion offers an intense two-player co-op experience. Fast Travel Games confirmed to UploadVR that the game is set for release this month, with a final date to be confirmed down the line.
As one of three playable classes, you’re tasked with taking down hordes of Corrupted foes, gradually building up your class skills and weapons. It’s also coming to the HTC Vive XR Elite, though a release date remains unconfirmed.
Creed: Rise to Glory – Championship Edition – April 4 (PSVR 2)
A remastered version of 2018’s Creed: Rise to Glory, the Championship Edition looks like a significant upgrade for the original game. Alongside new story content based on Creed III, Survios confirms it will include big visual upgrades like 4K/HDR support with foveated rendering, alongside haptic feedback and cross-platform multiplayer.
Across The Valley – April 6 (PC VR and PSVR 2)
Ever wanted to look after a VR farm? Utilizing a hand-drawn art style, upcoming sim Across the Valley tasks you with managing the fields while looking after livestock through minigames, using your profits to expand the farm.
Half-Life 2: Episode Two VR Mod – April 6 (PC VR)
Similar to Half-Life 2 and Episode One, Half-Life 2: Episode 2 now joins both games with its own VR mod. Developed by the Source VR Mod Team, it’s a free mod offering full room-scale VR with motion controls, new weapon interactions, comfort options like motion vignettes and more. However, you must own the base game in order to use it.
Gambit! – April 6 (Quest, PC VR)
Yes, we know – this isn’t the first time Gambit! has featured on one of these lists. The co-operative VR heist shooter from XREAL Games previously had a May 2022 release date set, before being moved to to December and then being delayed once again only one day before release.
However, the game is now set to release this week on April 6 for Quest and PC VR , with full cross-play support from day one.
Fruit Ninja 2 (Quest, PC VR, Pico)
This sequel brings back old game modes, while adding a new bow weapon, a rhythm mode and options for multiplayer. It slices its way onto Quest, PC VR and Pico headsets on April 6 – you can read more here.
Breachers – April 13 (Quest, Pico, PC VR)
Developed by Hyper Dash studio Triangle Factory, Breachers is a 5v5 tactical VR shooter reminiscent of Rainbow Six Siege and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Split between Enforcers and Revolters, there’s a strong emphasis on verticality, letting you climb up walls to find different infiltration points.
Kill It With Fire VR – April 13 (Quest 2, PC VR)
Previously released for flatscreen platforms in 2020, Kill It With Fire VR is a first-person action game about taking down spiders and causing heavy collateral damage. First announced back in February, this is a separate release to the flatscreen Steam game, meaning owners of the original release will need to buy it again. Original PSVR and PSVR 2 versions are also coming later this year, though a specific release date remains unconfirmed.
A Knight In The Attic – April 13 (Quest, PC VR)
Developed by Mighty Yell, A Knight In The Attic is an adventure game with a medieval twist. Played like a board game in your grandmother’s attic, you’re tasked with guiding Guinevere to save Camelot from the evil Mordred, guiding them through puzzle-filled levels.
Call of the Sea – April 13 (Meta Quest 2, Quest Pro)
Initially released in 2020 for flatscreen platforms, this Bafta-nominated puzzle adventure is set in the 1930s and tells the story of Norah Everhart. She’s investigating the disappearance of her husband Harry, who vanished while searching for a cure to Norah’s mysterious family illness.
Afterlife – April 19 (PSVR 2)
This new horror game from Split Light Studio promises a “twisted story” set within the Black Rose mental hospital. Playing a rookie police officer, you’ll have to uncover the facility’s darkest secrets while fighting off enemies through firearms and psychokinetic powers, with a bit of telekinesis puzzle-solving in the mix as well.
Amid Evil VR – April 20 (Quest, PC VR)
Influenced by classic 3D shooters, Amid Evil VR directly adapts the original flatscreen PC release from 2019. Promising seven episodes with different settings, enemies, magical weaponry and more, expect to see The Black Labyrinth DLC arrive for this VR version at a later date, alongside a PSVR 2 release down the line.
As a personal trainer, VR fitness apps aren’t something I usually lean towards. However, for Quest users looking for an introduction to strength training, the new weight-based training mode in Litesport (formerly Liteboxer) might have something to offer.
When playing VR, I’ve always enjoyed the passive fitness offered by games like Beat Saber and Blaston. I can see the appeal of proper VR fitness apps, but when I’m actually training, I tend to prefer picking up weights or doing some boxing. However, after trying out the newly updated Litesport (previously Liteboxer) app on Quest 2, that might be about to change.
The reason for Litesport’s name change is pretty simple – this isn’t just an app for punching the air to a beat anymore. The name change brings with it a new strength training mode, which actually has you using weights while working out in VR. Real weights, by the way, not virtual ones.
A lot of people will no doubt be worried about the safety aspect of training with real weights in VR. Before trying the new modes out, I had two main concerns, the first of which was about form. Anyone who has experience weightlifting knows that incorrect form can easily lead to injuries. Litesport remedies this concern with a pre-recorded virtual coach who guides each strength workout. Not only do they set the rhythm of each movement, which is essential, but also demonstrate each exercise as you go. The coach will also point out common mistakes, such as swinging the elbows when doing dumbbell curls.
Even when you’ve been lifting for decades, it’s hard to check your form during a normal workout, let alone while you’re in VR. A virtual mirror would be the ideal solution, but the guidance from the virtual coach still goes a long way towards alleviating my worries on that front. It also helps that the movements aren’t the big compound ones that can throw a person’s back out.
My other concern was a pretty simple one, and one likely shared by most VR users: what if I smack my headset with a dumbbell? The app makes use of two important features to combat this: hand-tracking support and passthrough mode. For Quest 2 users, you’re limited to the headset’s black and white passthrough, whereas those with Quest Pro will be able to work out in higher-resolution and with color. By using hand tracking and passthrough, the workouts become less like lifting in virtual reality, and more using mixed reality to offer support for newer lifters.
That last point is important too. I’ve been a personal trainer for over 13 years now and after trying Litesport’s new strength modules, I came away genuinely pretty impressed. While not a full weightlifting replacement, I see Litesport’s new modes as a great boon on those days when hitting the gym isn’t viable or just when you’re lacking motivation. This will be especially true for those of us who not only work at home, but also train at home too. I could definitely see myself relying on Litesport a couple of times a week for that extra bit of motivation, while also removing the stress of planning a training session.
Ultimately though, this isn’t really aimed at me. These new strength training modes feel far more aimed at those who are a bit newer to weight training, either wanting to build up some confidence or just those looking for a supplemental boost to other training methods. That’s why the coaches are constantly correcting standard mistakes, why they’re setting the pace, and why they’re so upbeat about everything, which is important when you’re settling into weight lifting.
You’ll need some actual dumbbells of your own to join in, but even without those and just using the controllers, the app offers a good chance to get more familiar with some classic weightlifting movements. If you do have weights, you can input how heavy they are at the beginning of a session. You’ll then get a summary of the total weight lifted at the end, as well as a breakdown of which muscle groups were worked and how intensely. It’s a nice bit of statistical validation after a lifting session, and a good way to figure out which muscle groups are likely to be a little tender the next day, especially for those not used to the constant companion that is delayed onset muscle soreness.
There’s also a little icon for each exercise showing which muscle groups it works. This isn’t just for information purposes though, because something any trainer will tell you is that knowing which muscles you’re meant to be working helps you actually use them when training. It’s called the mind-muscle connection in some fitness circles, and it basically ensures that you’re actively thinking about what you’re doing, which is something the app inspires constantly.
I’m genuinely quite impressed with it all. The fact that Litesport’s new modes make use of so many excellent Meta Quest 2 features is a big part of the appeal, but it’ll likely be even more impressive if you’ve got a higher-end headset with color passthrough, such as Quest Pro. Litesports says there will be more workouts added in the long run, and they’re even considering adding in some kettlebell exercises as well. I’m definitely a little more nervous about doing kettlebell swings in VR, but I’m still keen to see how it pans out.
For now, I’ll stick to improving my form – both inside and outside of VR.
In a new developer update, the VRChat team confirmed that it is developing mobile versions of its social VR experience, with an Android release coming first.
In the update, the VRChat team shared some footage of the game running on Android, but stressed that it was an in-development build and everything in the video is not finalized, but merely an indication that development is in progress.
The team says that it has been working on this mobile version “for a while” already and is already being used by some team members. The mobile version of VRChat for Android will only initially be available for members of VRChat Plus, the service’s optional paid subscription. The team plans to give members access to the mobile Android build within the next 3 or 4 months (subject to change), which will help them refine the UI and UX before a full public launch down the line.
The team says that any world or avatar that works on Quest will load “just fine” on this mobile build, as both systems run on Android. However, some more advanced world content with complex controls may need to implement changes to account for those using a touchscreen. That said, the team says that many worlds work great as is on the Android mobile version.
In terms of hardware requirements, VRChat says it requires a “mid-range device,” which it states is generally one including 6GB or more of RAM.
Regarding iOS devices, VRChat says they are working on a mobile version for iOS, but it is farther out than Android. “The challenge here is content, since iOS uses a completely unique and different graphics framework,” explained the team. “This means you would have to upload content built for iOS, which means three builds for one piece of content. Not ideal! So, we’re working on it. More on this Eventually.”
VRChat is not the only VR service that has released – or is working – on a mobile-equivalent. Walkabout Mini Golf plans to release Pocket Edition for iOS soon, while competing social VR service Rec Room released an Android mobile version in 2021.
A free Gran Turismo 7 update adds five new cars and additional track layouts.
Following its high-profile PSVR 2 release last month, Polyphony Digital will add five new cars in the free Update 1.31 for Gran Turismo 7; Audi RS 5 Turbo DTM ‘19, Porsche 959 ‘87, Porsche Carrera GTS (904) ‘64, Mazda 3 X Burgundy Selection and the Toyota Alphard Executive Lounge ’18. Two new Nurburgring track layouts, Sprint and Endurance, are also available with additional race events. Here’s the official description:
Introducing two new layouts for Germany’s ‘Nurburgring’. The ‘Endurance’ layout combines the ‘Nordschleife’ and the ‘Grand Prix’ courses into a total 23,864m long track. This challenging technical course takes a shortcut through the Grand Prix section for a faster return to the Nordschleife. This layout has famously been used in races like the Nurburgring Endurance Series (NLS). The ‘Sprint’ layout takes a shortcut on turn 4 of the ‘Grand Prix’ circuit to form a 3,629m short course.
Further adjustments regarding tire models, aerodynamics, suspension physics and more are also included. There’s also mention of support for 120fps on PS5, but the text is unclear whether this extends beyond the standard PS5 mode and also applies when playing PSVR 2. Currently, GT7 runs at 60fps on PSVR 2 with 120Hz reprojection, so a boost up to a native 120fps would be quite the upgrade.
However, we tried the game out today with the new patch installed and it still appears to be running at 60fps reprojected at 120Hz, not native 120fps. Nonetheless, we reached out to Sony for official clarification, but have not received a response. We’ll update this article if we receive more info.
Gran Turismo 7 is available now exclusively on PSVR 2 and Update 1.31 is available now.
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