War Thunder devs apologize after using Challenger shuttle explosion in official art
War Thunder developers responded over the weekend after players spotted that the Challenger explosion had been used in new key art.
‘War Thunder’ Studio Announces PSVR 2 Combat Flight Sim ‘Aces of Thunder’, Trailer Here
Gaijin Entertainment, the studio behind combat simulator War Thunder, announced a new flight sim coming to PSVR 2 called Aces of Thunder.
The online game is said to focus on World War II planes, such as the American fighter P-51 Mustang and British Spitfire, however future add-ons are planned to bring combat aircraft from other eras, Gaijin says.
It’s said to feature competitive online battles including modes like team versus team, single duels, and modes with custom settings.
The game is also set to include “[p]hysically accurate flight and damage models, derived from the leading War Thunder military action simulation game, [to] further enhance the believability of Aces of Thunder,” the studio says in a press statement.
Quite unlike the free-to-play War Thunder, the studio’s upcoming VR aerial dogfighter is set be distributed on a paid model.
“All aircraft that would be a part of this game or its future add-ons will be available immediately upon purchase, and the players will be able to apply cosmetic items to customize their planes,” the studio says in a press statement.
The VR game is said to be made “specifically with capabilities of PlayStation VR2 in mind.” While Gaijin hasn’t mentioned other platforms, it’s only advertising PSVR 2 support on the game’s website.
Gaijin is developing Aces of Thunder with a new in-house team whose members have experience working on War Thunder, the studio says.
There’s no release date yet, so we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled on the game’s website and social in the meantime.
Best Flight Sticks And HOTAS Controllers For VR Space Combat And Flight Games Like Star Wars: Squadrons
Star Wars: Squadrons releases October 2nd (check out our info roundup for more details) and is fully playable not only in VR, but with a flight stick or full HOTAS (Hands-On Throttle And Stick) setup on both PC VR and PSVR. This is our list of the best options!
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One note worth mentioning is that Star Wars: Squadrons is not a space flight sim. This is an arcade-style space combat game. While you will need to manage power systems and fly well during dogfights, it’s relatively pick up and play compared to more complex games. As a result, it’s totally playable on just a controller, keyboard and mouse, or even a single flight stick without a full HOTAS if you wanted.
Since this very well may be the first real game many people have played with a flight stick or HOTAS, we’ve got a list of the best controllers to get for that game — or any compatible VR game.
Best Flight Sticks And HOTAS Controllers For Flight Sims and Star Wars: Squadrons
Thrustmaster T.16000M FCS (PC)
Amazon: $320 for HOTAS, $100 for stick only, or $380 for HOTAS and pedals
This is the HOTAS I have at home that I have continued to use personally after reviewing it back in 2017. while I haven’t too spend much time with it since I don’t play a lot of flight sims, it’s still been a great experience every time I have used it. The stick itself is extremely sturdy and feels fantastic in my hand. There is a throttle as well, but I personally usually just use the stick because it has a built-in slider at the bottom that acts like a throttle. So I rest my left hand on the left side and move the throttle slider with my thumb.
One feature I love is that you can twist the stick (in addition to pushing it forward, back, left, and right obviously) which is great in flight games for yaw control, or rotation of your ship. You can get just the stick for around $100 instead, which is what I prefer on PC as explained.
Thrustmaster T-Flight HOTAS X (PC)
I have not personally used this one but it’s recommended often across message boards and Reddit, plus it has great reviews coming in at 4.5 stars after over 5,000 ratings. That’s quite solid. It’s more affordable than the previous option with similar functionality here — although the stick and throttle do seem to be connected. I love the ergonomic design and easily accessible buttons on both sides of the device though.
Logitech Extreme 3D Pro Joystick (PC)
I have not used this stick, but plenty of people recommend it (4.5 stars on nearly 4,000 ratings) as an extremely affordable entry-level stick-only device. There’s no throttle included at all, but for this price it’s hard to beat. You get 12 buttons and enough stick movement to play most VR games that function with a stick only.
Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS 4 (PC, PS4)
If you’re planning to play Squadrons on PSVR (or other games like Ace Combat 7 or EVE Valkyrie Warzone) then this is a great HOTAS to get. Jamie played Ace Combat 7 in PSVR with this and loved using it. I haven’t used it recently, but I did use it at an event once and really enjoyed the feel and design. It’s similar to the HOTAS X from above, but a little cheaper, and with PS4 support. There are only 440 reviews on Amazon as of the time of this writing, but it seems to be a good all-around choice if you want a decent HOTAS setup without breaking the bank.
HORI HOTAS Flight Stick For PlayStation 4 (PS4)
This setup is a little pricier, but you get the benefit of a device that is tailor-made for the PS4. This even has a built-in PS4 touchpad so you don’t need to take off the headset or grab a controller at all. Additionally, like the T.16000 for PC and most other premium HOTAS setups, you can separate the throttle and stick for a more comfortable arrangement.
Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog (PC)
Good luck finding one, but this is one of the most premium HOTAS setups you can get for PC. As a premium offering, this setup is more than just a game controller — it’s an actual replica from the U.S. Air Force A 10C aircraft. All the buttons, switches, and physical components look just like they do in that aircraft’s cockpit. That’s pretty wild and it features over 19 buttons with fantastic precision.
That’s our list of flight stick and HOTAS recommendations for VR space combat and flight sim games. Are you excited for Star Wars: Squadrons? Do you have other recommendations? Let us know down in the comments below!
Italy Joins the Fight in War Thunder
War Thunder developer Gaijin Entertainment is consistently improving and expanding the virtual reality (VR) compatible MMO, with regular large scale updates. Today sees another rolled out for players, War Thunder Update 1.69, called ‘Regia Aeronautica’, adding Italy into the mix.
Italy is the sixth playable nation, represented with its own vehicle tree, alongside USA, Germany, Great Britain, Japan and USSR. The country’s aviation lineup will initially consist of several dozen aircraft, ranging from the light and maneuverable Italian biplanes of the 1930s to post-war Jet aircraft. These include the Fiat CR.32, a mass produced, all-metal biplane employed by the Regia Aeronautica that can withstand serious damage and even carry bombs into combat.
Then there’s the Fiat G.55S monoplane fighter, a torpedo bomber prototype, capable of carrying a 987 kg torpedo whilst armed with three 20mm cannons.
“With the addition of Japanese Ground Forces at the end of last year, all of the game’s nations are now represented with more than 800 aircraft and ground vehicles in total, early testing of Naval Forces is full steam ahead and very soon War Thunder will feature a new nation. We will add more than 20 new Italian vehicles and update the existing models, so Italy will be represented with several dozen aircraft on its launch,” said Kirill Yudintsev, Creative Director of Gaijin Entertainment in a statement.
These Italian aircraft are available to pre-order now through the War Thunder store.
Generally War Thunder released an update introducing modern armamentsconcentrated on historic warplanes and ground vehicles, but in March Gaijin Entertainment into the videogame. These included the M1A2 Abrams and T-14 Armata tanks, while the skies saw supersonic jets like the F-22 Raptor and T-50 PAK FA appear.
War Thunder supports both Oculus Rift and HTC Vive headsets. For further updates on the videogame from Gaijin Entertainment, keep reading VRFocus.
Modern Warfare Comes to War Thunder
Gaijin Entertainment has rolled out new updates for its virtual reality (VR) compatible war fighting MMO War Thunder. For the first time, players will be able to use modern machines of war.
Both ground and air vehicles will be added in the new update, which sees the likes of the M1A2 Abrams and T-14 Armata becomes available for tank drivers, while pilots can get their hands on supersonic jets like the F-22 Raptor and T-50 PAK FA and a whole range of modern attack helicopters.
The new update will bring the new vehicles into the research trees for army, navy and air force for all nations. The modern vehicles some with a range of new features which will add new strategy elements to the game, such as smokescreen launchers, reactive armour and high-precision weapons.
“Our players often reach out to us with requests and wishes for the introduction of modern vehicles to War Thunder,” says Kirill Yudintsev, Creative Director of Gaijin Entertainment. “In fact, even way before the release, we have already begun to run large-scale internal testing and preparations, as we see this as great opportunity to expand the historical framework of our game. This weekend, we are finally able to present the first results of our efforts.”
War Thunder was originally launched in 2012 as a free-to-play cross-platform military MMO. It now features over 800 planes, tanks and armoured vehicles from time periods dating back to the Second World War. The developers aim for as much historical accuracy as possible and features a ‘Realistic Battles’ mode which features more realistic physics and damage modelling.
Gaijin Entertainment regularly put up news of updates on the Development Blog, where players can find further information and pictures of the upcoming new vehicle types.
For further updates on War Thunder and other VR titles, keep checking VRFocus.
VR Scores Big in Steam Top 100 Sellers of 2016
Valve Corporation has revealed the top 100 best selling videogames of 2016 via the Steam digital distribution platform. Within the list is a varied selection of AAA titles, indie hits and unexpected success stories. However, a number of virtual reality (VR) compatible titles have also made the list.
The ‘Top 100 Best Sellers of 2016’ list revealed today is based upon the highest grossing titles of the calendar year 2016. No information regarding revenues has been disclosed, however it remains interesting to see how many of these titles include VR compatibility; including the very first title on the list: DOTA 2.
Also included are ARK: Survival Evolved, the free-to-play War Thunder, Subnautica, and Elite Dangerous. It should be noted that, while each of these titles in compatible with the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, the OSVR Hacker Dev Kit or any combination thereof, they are all also playable without a VR head-mounted display (HMD) at all. Thus, it’s unlikely to be the result of VR compatibility that has brought such significant success to each title.
With the holiday season now over the VR audience is eager to see any reshuffling of the deck which may have occurred. Sales figures for each of the major VR HMDs have always been kept a closely guarded secret, but some believable estimations have made their way into the public spectrum previously. It’s likely that we’ll hear some more details on this prior to CES 2017, Las Vegas, later this week.
VRFocus will be in attendance at CES 2017 and will bring you all the latest details from the show floor.
War Thunder Exits Open Beta with Launch of ‘Way of the Samurai’ Update
Gaijin Entertainment’s massively multiplayer online (MMO) title War Thunder has been in beta for sometime now, but today that comes to an end with the title now available in its full form. In conjunction with leaving open beta, the developer has launched the next update, v1.65, called Way of the Samurai.
Leaving open beta has meant all current in-game nations feature their own aircraft and tank trees. So the update will focus on completing the armour of the Imperial Japanese Army, adding 30 armoured ground forces vehicles, with a full range of light and medium tanks as well as self-propelled guns and anti-aircraft vehicles modeled on interwar vehicles to proven mid-war workhorses and modern developments of the Cold War era.
The update now adds cockpit interiors for all aircraft with working gauges and indicators, and contains two new maps for ground and combined arms combat. These are ‘Abandoned Factory’ and ’38th Parallel’, with the first challenging tankers and air support to identify targets in a maze of industrial workshops and loading bays, while the latter propels players into the Korean peninsula and is the first ground combat location based on a post-World War II setting.
“After reaching this important development milestone, which marks the end of Open Beta, the goals set out for War Thunder in 2012 are now complete. We will focus on adding new features and improvements, to let virtual pilots, tankers and navy captains enjoy one of the most realistic, extensive and accessible war simulations of all time,” says Kirill Yudintsev, Creative Director of Gaijin Entertainment.
Gaijin Entertainment’s plans for 2017 include focusing on two major game modes for War Thunder. The previously announced World War mode allowing players to experience massive operations across different theatres of World War II, as well as the full release of War Thunder Naval Forces for all nations.
VRFocus will continue its coverage of War Thunder, reporting back with any further updates.
Celebrating War Thunder’s Fourth Anniversary Gaijin Entertainment Adds Some Halloween Fun
There’s only a few days to go until everyone dresses up as their favourite monster for Halloween, and videogame studios are getting in on the fun as well. Today Gaijin Entertainment, the creator of massively multiplayer online (MMO) title War Thunder, has announced a series of events and promotions for players.
Running from 28th October until 1st, November 2016, there will be an aircraft and a ground event to take part in. For those who enjoy taking to the skies is ‘Witch Hunt’, a race in which players take control of the infamous soviet night bomber, the Polikarpov Po-2 of the ‘Night Witches’ squadron. Getting ahead doesn’t just mean winning the race, it also means players can shoot their rivals with the rear mounted gun. On the ground there’s a race to the Sepulchre in an enchanted M18 Hellcat tank, operating without a commander or crew.
Winners are rewarded with a Witches’ Cauldron trophy. This yields unique items such as decorative pumpkins and witches hat, decals and boosters that improve earnings.
While for the fourth anniversary celebrations there are 50 percent discounts for all vehicles in-game which can be purchased with Silver Lions and Golden Eagles, discounts for in-game items: premium account, talismans, modifications and back-up vehicles and more until 2nd November.
War Thunder supports both Oculus Rift and HTC Vive head-mounted displays (HMDs), and for all the latest updates on the title, keep reading VRFocus.
War Thunder Desert Hunters Update Adds New Maps and Over 20 Vehicles
Gaijin Entertainment’s massively multiplayer online (MMO) title War Thunder, which supports both Oculus Rift and HTC Vive head-mounted displays (HMDs), has now received its next update – version 1.63 – which sees the addition of new maps and over 20 new ground and aerial vehicles.
Adding to War Thunder’s extensive battlefields is an Egyptian desert region and an aerial combat map in Greece. Set in the sparsely populated desert region of Sinai, the first map contains a myriad of sand dunes and the ruins of an old village with an oil installation to capture. While the second map features a labyrinth of rocky valleys across a multi tiered landscape to test the skills of even the best pilots.
On the vehicle front there’s both ground and aerial units to experiment with. The new WW2 and Cold War era options include three new top rank self-propelled anti-aircraft guns alongside tanks and other ground base vehicles. These include the M163 Vulcan, T20 and M56 “Scorpion” for the US; Leopard A1A1, FlakPz I “Gepard”, RakjPz 2 HOT, and Sdkfz 9 Flak37 for Germany; FV438 “Swingfire”, FV4202 and A1E1 “Independent” for Great Britain; and ZSU 23-4 “Shilka”, КV-122 and GAZ DShK for the USSR.
The American M163 Vulcan Air Defense System has a massive, six-barreled 20mm Gatling autocannon capable of firing more than 3000 rounds per minute. The famous Soviet ZSU-23-4 ‘Shilka’ has a 23mm ‘Amur’ quad anti aircraft cannon, and the Flakpanzer Gepard is equipped with a twin 35mm Oerlikon KDA autocannon.
Taking to the skies for the US is the F9F8, Germany has the BV-238v-1, while Great Britain now includes the Brigand B1 and Hudson MkV. For the USSR there’s SU-6 and Japan gets three aircraft additions, the P1Y1 mod. 11, Ki-87 and J1N1.
VRFocus will continue its coverage of War Thunder, reporting back with all the latest updates for the title.
A Guide to Cross-Platform Gaming in VR: PlayStation 4, Xbox One & Windows PC
Cross-platform gameplay has always been a heated debate amongst videogame fans. Since the early ‘90s Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and Mega-Drive (aka Genesis) from Nintendo and Sega, respectively, gamers have always wondered what it would be like for the rival systems to work co-operatively and allow everyone to play together. In virtual reality (VR), there are a number of opportunities for this, with some developers already pursuing their own paths.
Last year Microsoft began a debate concerning online gameplay between Xbox and PlayStation consoles, and suggested that they would be open to such an agreement. Indeed, it’s the Redmond based team that has been most conscientious of cross-platform gameplay for over a decade, with Windows Vista promoted as a synced platform with Xbox 360 through Halo 2 and Shadowrun, Windows Phone promised (but rarely delivered upon) instant resume for videogames released on both Xbox 360 and the mobile format and now Windows 10 gamers able to join with Xbox One through the upcoming ‘Play Anywhere’ programme.
Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) also has their Remote Play system, in which PlayStation 4 videogames can be streamed to the PlayStation Vita through a local network, but aside from recent murmurings concerning PlayStation Now coming to PC it’s been largely reserved to SIE (or other Sony division) hardware. However, it now seems that SIE could lead the way for cross-platform gameplay when it comes to VR.
Below are a few titles which highlight the potential of cross-platform gameplay, blazing a trail for others to follow:
EVE Valkyrie on Oculus Rift, HTC Vive & PlayStation VR
CCP Games are an aggressor in the VR space. Their development strategy expands into new territories backed by a hugely popular franchise – EVE Online – and the company isn’t afraid to show their wares long before release. EVE Valkyrie originally made its debut back in 2013, yet didn’t launch until March 2016, alongside the Oculus Rift itself. CCP Games has already confirmed that EVE Valkyrie will also see release on HTC Vive and has long been showing-off the PlayStation VR version. However, the company has also confirmed that all three editions of the videogame will allow for cross-platform gameplay, with teams in a single match set to be comprised of Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR players.
War Thunder on Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR
Though technically not officially released for Oculus Rift, War Thunder is already compatible with the head-mounted display (HMD) through Gaijin Entertainment’s own execution. Additionally, War Thunder is already available for PlayStation 4 and will be compatible with PlayStation 4 sometime around the launch of the HMD. Gaijin Entertainment already allow PlayStation 4 and PC gamers to play together and make no exceptions of those playing in VR. A launch on PlayStation VR is not likely to change this openness of gameplay one bit. For this one however, you’re likely to need a flight control stick: check out VRFocus‘ guide to the best flight control sticks for PlayStation 4 here.
World War Toons in VR & Non-VR
Reload Studios has spoken about cross-platform gameplay for the forthcoming World War Toons previously, though there’s been no confirmation of whether PlayStation 4 players will be able to go head-to-head with PC gamers. However, the studio has confirmed that a non-VR version is in development and, in fact, VRFocus has experienced this already. A fine balancing act, given World War Toons’ fast-paced first-person shooter (FPS) action.
Xbox One VR
The Xbox One’s VR compatibility looks set to appear later than that of PlayStation 4, with the recently revealed Project Scorpio console designated a VR compatible platform. So what does this mean for cross-platform gameplay? Given that Microsoft has been making moves to bring PC and Xbox closer together – and more recently open to the idea of co-operating with SIE for PlayStation cross-platform gameplay also – it’s likely that this will already be part of Microsoft’s strategy. Exactly what form it will take however, we’re unlikely to see until next year.