Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida is confident that issues with current VR headsets will be improved upon in the future.
Speaking to The Independent at the IFA technology conference in Berlin last week, Yoshida outlined many of the common problems with early VR headsets like the company’s own PlayStation VR (PSVR), noting that the tech was “still evolving” at the moment. He noted that the inability to see the world around you when in VR could be “a little bit dangerous” and that motion sickness was still prevalent.
“So there is a lot of room of room to improve in VR experiences and you will see the change and the improvement,” Yoshida said.
Yoshida’s comments weren’t specific to PSVR itself, but his words were certainly relevant to the headset, which features a limited 180 degree tracking system for its motion controllers. We’ve got our fingers crossed that the company is planning to improve upon that feature and many, many others in a successor to PSVR, if the company ever decides to make one. The Sony-backed Japan Display Inc already showcased a hugely promising new VR display at the SID Display Week earlier in the year.
Also during the interview, Yoshida noted that mixed reality technology was “one potential evolution of VR”, likely referring to headsets like Microsoft’s HoloLens and the recently-launched Magic Leap One. That makes us wonder if Sony has any of its own experiments going on in that space right now and if they could at all be linked to the PlayStation brand. As PS4 enters the later stages of its lifecycle and speculation about a possible PS5 begins to ramp up we’ll be very interested to see where the company also takes this tech.
Every month we aim to round up each and every VR game release for you in one single place — this is September’s list. Don’t worry — we’ll continue highlighting the best ones at the end of each week too.
August was a huge month for VR. Between Firewall Zero Hour, Electronauts, Torn, and plenty others there was certainly something for everybody regardless of your chosen platform. Now with September right around the corner, it’s time to take a look at what’s coming down the line next.
And if you’re a VR game developer planning to release a game soon — let us know!You can get in touch with me directly by emailing david@uploadvr.com or hit all of the editorial team by emailing tips@uploadvr.com. Please contact us about your upcoming releases so that we can know what you’re working on and include you in release lists!
Rift, Vive, and Windows VR Game Releases For September 2018
We would love to include mobile releases, but there is very little visibility about what’s coming to Gear VR, Go, or Daydream and it’s difficult to track releases accurately by date. That being said, if you have a mobile VR title in the works with a specific launch date or window, let us know!
Sony is finally offering a base PSVR package that includes everything you need to jump into any game on your PS4. Well, it is in Japan at least.
The company announced this week that a special bundle containing the headset, a PlayStation Camera and two PS Move motion controllers will go on sale on September 13th. Brilliantly, it’s called the ‘PlayStation VR Exciting Pack’ and costs 36,980 yen (about $335). It saves you about $70 instead of buying the headset and controllers separately.
One might argue that the image above is how it should have looked when PSVR launched back in October 2016.
This is the first base bundle we’ve seen to throw in the Moves outside of a limited Skyrim VR bundle last year. It’s great to finally see everything you need to play any PSVR game — many titles can only be played with two Move controllers — included as one package, though there’s no word on if Sony will bring it to other markets at this point in time.
PSVR’s shaping up to have a busy few weeks with the launch of Firewall: Zero Hour, Torn, Zone of Enders 2 and more now just a stone’s throw away. Let’s hope you have your own Move controllers at the ready.
Firewall: Zero Hour is less than two weeks away and yesterday Sony hosted a final pre-launch press preview session at their San Mateo headquarters. At the event we were able to go hands-on over the course of four hours with the final release build version of the game across competitive Contracts mode, co-op, and even solo training mode. For the first time ever we also got hands-on time with the game using just a standard DualShock 4.
During our demo every contractor, gun, perk, attachment, camo skin, and everything else was unlocked for tinkering with over a million in-game credits and fully leveled up content to explore — and we spent a lot of time digging into everything.
For those unaware, Firewall: Zero Hour is a first-person tactical, team-based competitive shooter in development by First Contact Entertainment exclusively for Sony’s PSVR. You can read our giant info dump right here if you want more nitty gritty details, but basically imagine Rainbow Six and Onward had a baby and you’re pretty close to understanding how this game works.
Technically there are three ways to play: solo, co-op, or full 4v4 PvP in the Contracts mode. Both Solo and Co-Op are considered “Training” missions and award far less XP and in-game credits. You’ll use the credits to unlock new guns, attachments, cosmetic alterations, and perk slots.
Since Firewall is primarily a multiplayer game that’s heavily focused on 4v4 matches, teamwork is crucial. Luckily every single PSVR has a mic built into it because you’re gonna be encouraged to communicate often while playing this one.
At my preview session there was a good mixture of people like myself that had played the game before (here and here) as well as people that were new to the game or new to VR in general. After a few matches you could hardly tell the difference. We were playing on the final “release” build of the game, which means this is the “gone gold” version that was likely already shipped out to retailers.
The main new things we got to try at this latest preview event were the full selection of maps, character customization, and for the first time ever trying it with a DualShock gamepad instead of just PS Aim.
So, technically, as explained you can play with either the DualShock 4 controller or the PS Aim, but after trying both I can say that I vastly prefer playing with the PS Aim. The DualShock 4 controls are similar to in Farpoint, meaning you need to physically point and aim the light bar on your controller, but it just feels a bit odd waving a gamepad around. I got used to it, but aiming a plastic rifle was way more natural.
There are nine total maps in Firewall: Zero Hour and up until yesterday I’d only seen three of them. All in all there’s honestly a good assortment of options. Some are incredibly small with lots of tight spaces, like Shoot House, which is basically just a plywood shooting range full of small rooms and narrow hallways. Then others are enormous, like Warehouse, which is an enormous waterside shipping location full of cargo containers and multiple levels, or District, which is just a multi-block section of a Middle Eastern city complete with convenience stores and shops to explore and several streets and alleyways.
However, I do think that if I had to pick a favorite map at this point it’d be Office, which is an ultra-modern Silicon Valley-style social networking company’s headquarters. It’s two floors with a large, open foyer in the center, multiple stair wells, several offices, cubicles, and interconnected hallways. Everything is laid out very realistically with desks, plants, and furniture to provide sporadic cover as your explore.
Every map has a unique personality all its own and I can vividly remember exciting moments and tense firefights from every single one over the course of my entire demo.
During this latest hands-on session I was also able to uncover new layers to the gameplay that I hadn’t really realized before. First of all, the strategies for whether you’re playing Attacking or Defending are vastly different. For example, door blockers may be more valuable than grenades if you’re defending and the room with the laptop has a lot of entrances. Additionally, if you’re attacking, you don’t win the match by killing all of the defenders. Unless you hack the firewall and then retrieve intel from the laptop within the time limit, you lose.
At the play session we literally had a scenario where the attacking team wiped out all of the defenders but they’d been so set on hunting us down that they forgot to hack the firewall downstairs so when they found the laptop they couldn’t even access it and the timer ran out. Victory from the grave somehow feels even sweeter.
On top of all that, when you’re dead, you can still monitor security cameras around the level and talk to your teammates in a support role, which is extremely useful as a defender to spot where the attacking team is approaching from.
My only lingering reservation about Contracts is regarding balance. At the event, other than perhaps one time, across the whole four-hour session I don’t think the Attacking team ever won a single match. Now a big part of that is probably due to the fact that none of us knew the maps very well and as a Defender you can lay traps and ambush Attackers more easily. Map knowledge will help counteract that over time, ideally.
Finally, there’s customization. Any time you play a public match in Firewall you earn XP and credits based on performance across your entire account. As you earn XP you level up and with each new level you gain, you’ll unlock new gear, accessories, attachments, and customization options. Then, once something is unlocked, you can “purchase” it with your credits to equip.
There is a bit more complexity to it too. For example, if you unlock a red dot sight and purchase it, then you can equip that red dot sight on any gun that allows it. Attachments are not gun-specific when purchased but can be applied to any applicable weapon. The same goes for camo and skins — all guns have access to a purchased skin and all contractors have access to camo, face paint, arm patches, etc. once purchased.
The last wrinkle to the progression puzzle is that each contractor has a specific perk unique to them, such as carrying more ammo, higher resistance to explosions, or faster reloads. As you increase in level you’ll unlock a contractor’s secondary perk.
There is one single pool of secondary perks that you can purchase from and then assign any of those unlocked secondary perks to any contractor with an open slot, as long as they don’t have the perk already.
Overall Firewall: Zero Hour seems to have really shaped up nicely. There is a lot of map variety, tons of customization and upgrade options, a solid assortment of contractors and guns, and the core gameplay dynamic in Contracts mode is both tactical and thrilling. However, balance issues and concerns over potential player size, the long-term appeal of just one game mode, and the value of limited Co-Op and Solo modes, all have me a little concerned. We’ll have to wait until launch to see how it shakes out!
Check back in a couple of weeks for our full, scored review. Until then, you can read our massive info dump for everything you need to know about Firewall: Zero Hour and let us know what you think down in the comments below!
It’s Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR that comes out on top. The 2017 port of the open-world epic role-playing game (RPG) remains one of our favorite VR experiences to date, so we’re not surprised to see it top the list even if it did come out a year later than many of the other titles. No doubt the PSVR Skyrim bundle released last year helped in that department.
Up next is Sony London’s launch compilation, PlayStation VR Worlds. The game offers a handful of short experiences that take you deep below the sea and pit you in the middle of a heist in London. The game comes bundled in with a lot of PSVR units so, again, we’re not surprised to see it doing so well.
The first game not to be bundled in with the headset is Rec Room, which is in the third spot. It’s free to play but its an excellent social VR app that earns its place. Arguably PSVR’s biggest AAA title, Resident Evil 7, comes in at fourth. Yesterday, we reported that the game had passed 500,000 VR users, though that was worldwide.
The full list is below but there are some other interesting things to note. Farpoint, for example, is at number 9. The first-person shooter (FPS) is best played with Sony’s PSVR Aim Controller, so we wonder if that suggests a lot of PSVR owners also have that kit, though it can be played with a DualShock 4 too. Other launch titles in the list include Job Simulator, Until Dawn: Rush of Blood, and Batman: Arkham VR. Superhot VR just makes it into the 10 spot, likely because it’s so darn good.
Sony hasn’t released a similar list for Europe yet.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR
PlayStation VR Worlds
Rec Room
Resident Evil 7 biohazard
The Playroom VR
Job Simulator
Until Dawn: Rush of Blood
Batman: Arkham VR
Farpoint
Superhot VR
Sony’s PlayStation VR (PSVR) headset has sold over three million units worldwide.
The company announced the news on the PlayStation Blog today, also confirming that it had sold 21.9 million games and experiences for the platform. The console launched back in October 2016 and, last December, Sony confirmed that PSVR had passed the two million mark, so it’s taken another 8 months to sell another million units. Since then, the headset has seen a few price drops and a revised model.
We don’t know how many units PSVR’s main rivals, the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive have sold still.
To celebrate the milestone, there’s a PSVR sale going on on the US PlayStation Store this week. It even includes discounts on two big upcoming games, Bow to Blood and Torn. Sony also confirmed that Creed: Rise to Glory is coming on September 25th and Evasion arrives on October 9th.
PSVR is largely considered to be one of the most accessible VR headsets on the market, running on the PS4 console rather than the more expensive and complex PCs that the Rift and Vive need.
The headset has a busy end to the year coming up with other releases like Firewall: Zero Hour in a few weeks’ time and Astro Bot: Robo Rescue also arriving in October.
Every month we aim to round up each and every VR game release for you in one single place — this is August’s list. Don’t worry — we’ll continue highlighting the best ones at the end of each week too.
And if you’re a VR game developer planning to release a game soon — let us know!You can get in touch with me directly by emailing david@uploadvr.com or hit all of the editorial team by emailing tips@uploadvr.com. Please contact us about your upcoming releases so that we can know what you’re working on and include you in release lists!
Rift, Vive, and Windows VR Game Releases For August 2018
We would love to include mobile releases, but there is very little visibility about what’s coming to Gear VR, Go, or Daydream and it’s difficult to track releases accurately by date. That being said, if you have a mobile VR title in the works with a specific launch date or window, let us know!
For today’s livestream we’re digging into our pile of PSVR games once again to take Farpoint for a spin. We’ll be focusing on the game’s addictive co-op and PvP multiplayer offerings. During the stream I’ll be joined by my UploadVR colleague, Jamie Feltham, as we fight back hordes of alien beasts using our trust PS Aim Controllers.
With Firewall: Zero Hour right around the corner and Evasion coming later this year as well, it’s high-time we get our feet wet with the PS Aim Controller again. Bugs and aliens are the first targets in our sights.
We’ll be livestreaming Farpoint on PSVR today using an El Gato HD60 S, PS Aim Controllers, and monitoring chat on a nearby PC. The stream will be starting very soon at approximately 11:45 AM PT and we’ll aim to last for about an hour or so. We’ll be livestreaming directly to the UploadVR Facebook page. You can see the full stream embedded right here down below once it’s up:
Let us know which games you want us to livestream next and what you want to see us do, specifically, in Farpoint and other PS Aim Controller games. Comment with feedback down below!
Firewall Zero Hour is just around the corner with a release date of August 28th, 2018. In preparation for the game we’ve rounded up all of the information we’ve got so far on this highly anticipated release. Once Firewall is out on PSVR, you’ll already be locked and loaded to jump in if you read this.
So here’s everything you need to know about PSVR-exclusive shooter, Firewall Zero Hour!
What Is It?
Firewall: Zero Hour is a PSVR-exclusive tactical, team-based first-person shooter. In the game you pick one of 12 different contractors, form a team of up to four total players in its core Contracts game mode, and fight against another team of four players. There are Solo and Co-Op training modes as well.
Gameplay is slow-paced and methodical, similar to non-VR game, Rainbow Six Siege, or PC VR-exclusive shooter, Onward. There are no respawns during matches and the objectives are more complex than simply “kill the other team” to encourage teamwork and strategy.
In Firewall: Zero Hour there are essentially two game modes: Training and Contracts. In Contracts two teams of four players fight against each other on one of nine maps. The objectives for the Attacking team to locate and steal sensitive information by hacking a firewall and then retrieving intel off of a laptop inside the level. If you’re on the Attacking team you must complete your objectives. Simply killing all of the Defenders but not completing your objective will result in a loss.The Defending team’s goal is to prevent the Attacking team from getting the information, or killing all of the Attackers.
What makes matches extra intense is that there are no respawns at all. Once you’re dead, you’re out until the next match and can only watch security cameras to give your team advice.
The only way of playing the Contracts game mode will be through competitive 4v4 online multiplayer so an active community will be very important. If you decide to play Training instead, you can do this either as a Solo player against a stream of AI enemies, or in Co-Op with a total of 2-4 real players against a stream of AI enemies. In Training, the objectives remain basically the same for both Attackers and Defenders.
Both Contracts and Training will be playable in either Public or Private varieties, however, you only earn XP and rewards for playing Public matches. All game modes require an internet connection to play and PlayStation Plus is requiredfor both Co-Op Training and Contracts.
What About Single Player?
As explained above, there will be a single player option in Firewall: Zero Hour, but it’s just one of the “Training” modes that is basically focused on the same objectives as Contracts multiplayer. The only difference is that you’re facing off against a stream of AI bots instead of other players. You will still gain XP and credits, but not as much as in Contracts.
This means that there is nota structured, narrative campaign. If you’re looking for a story mode similar to DOOM VFR or Farpoint, then you should look elsewhere.
Even the single player Training mode requires an internet connection to play.
How Do Contractors And Progression Work?
There are a total of 12 different Contractors in Firewall: Zero Hour. Visually each of them look different and have their own personal background stories informing their voice over style, name, and abilities. Although all 12 play the same mechanically in terms of actual controls on your controller, they differ in strategy. If you’ve ever played Rainbow Six Siege, this should sound very familiar.
Every contractor has a single special ability unlocked from the beginning of the game, such as faster reloading for certain types of weapons. As you continue to play as a Contractor and earn XP, you’ll unlock a second ability slot and additional weapon customization options for your loadout. There will also be a ranking system in place based on player overall level.
It’s also our understanding that there will be different outfits, face paint, and other forms of customization for each Contractor as well.
Here is list of all 12 contractors, their names, and what their starting primary ability skill is:
Skip
Real Name: Jack Turner
Primary Skill: Loaded (Extra ammo for primary and secondary weapons)
Texas
Real Name: Sarah Wells
Primary Skill: Bullet Sponge (Takes less bullet damage)
Red
Real Name: Sergei Volkov
Primary Skill: Bang Bang (Extra frag grenade)
Tarek
Real Name: Tarek Adjmi
Primary Skill: Wired (Enemy traps visible at greater distance)
Raha
Real Name: Raha
Primary Skill: Scout (Heightended enemy detection)
Diaz
Real Name: Rob Diaz
Primary Skill: Double Time (Faster movement speed)
Fang
Real Name: Fang Li
Primary Skill: Lightspeed (Reload magazines faster)
Meiko
Real Name: Meiko
Primary Skill: Ninja (Reduced movement noise)
Okoro
Real Name: Okoro Chetty
Primary Skill Heavy Duty (Less explosive damage)
Grim
Real Name: Charles Taylor
Primary Skill: Quick Fix (Revive teammates faster)
Nala
Real Name: Nala Buhari
Primary Skill: Ghost (Doesn’t set off mines)
Odin
Real Name: Erik Andersen
Primary Skill: Iceman (Decreased weapon recoil)
What About Maps?
Firewall: Zero Hour will launch with nine maps. As of August 16th, we’ve tried them all. Here’s what to expect:
U.K. Docks – This one looks like a literal shipping facility with lots of containers and maze-like areas, Office – A modern, brightly colored office space for a social media company called Social Makers, Shoot House – Looks like a small, target practice shooting range with lots of cardboard cutouts.
Middle East Hotel – This one is almost all indoors with lots of tight hallways and intricate decorations, very high-end, District – Features lots of outdoor areas in the Middle East with a shopping district, several alleys, and even some grocery stands, Compound – This was the first map we ever played and is a mixture of a large, open field with a multi-level building at the center.
Russia Bunker – This is the second map we tried and it’s 100% in-doors with one open area at the center and lots of hallways at either end where you spawn, Warehouse – Mostly just one large open area, but it has lots of obstacles and containers scattered around, Embassy – Finally, this is a government building and the insides feature several cubicles in an office-like setting to duck behind for cover.
When you play a match in Firewall, the objective is placed in a different spot each time. So even if you play the same map over and over, it will yield a slightly different experience for both the Attacking and Defending team.
What About Weapons?
When you select a Contractor in Firewall: Zero Hour, you will also pick a loadout that is catered toward a specific playstyle. All loadout options are the same across all contractors and when you unlock a gun or accessory for a gun it unlocks those items permanently. For example, when you unlock and purchase the red dot sight, you can equip it on any gun that allows a sight attachment for any contractor. The same goes for camo colors/skins, patches, and gun trinkets.
We don’t have a full list of weapons yet, but from what we’ve seen everything you expect from assault rifles and handguns to shotguns and grenades are all represented. In our latest demo we counted around a dozen guns.
Can I Use PS Aim Or PS Move Controllers?
The first three demos we had for Firewall: Zero Hour had been with the PS Aim Controller. While using this peripheral, you move your character with the analog sticks on the controller itself and physically aim and shoot your gun with the plastic rifle. It feels similar to Farpoint and DOOM VFR, but it’s a bit slower-paced.
At the final hands-on opportunity on August 15th, we finally got to try the game using a standard DualShock 4 yet. It works similarly to the gamepad support in Farpoint, in which you must physically aim and point the controller as if it were your gun. It feels a little strange at first, but you eventually get used to it. Otherwise the controls are basically the same as the PS Aim.
Firewall: Zero Hour only supports the standard DualShock 4 and the PS Aim Controller — there is no support for the PS Move controllers. The main reason for this is that the lack of an analog stick on the PS Move controllers make it difficult to map all of the buttons and actions you need during a game.
When And Where Does It Launch?
Firewall: Zero Hour is releasing exclusively for the PSVR on August 28th. Specifically, the servers go live at 9PM PT. There is a PS Aim Controller bundle for sale if you don’t have the gun peripheral yet and want to use it when playing Firewall. If you want to pre-order the physical version of the game, you can do that from Target, GameStop, and Best Buy.
Or, you can pre-order the game digitally on the PSN Store. All digital and physical pre-orders for Firewall will receive the same pre-order bonuses:
Starting on August 7th and lasting until October 2nd, PSVR-exclusive horror title Here They Lie will be free for all PlayStation Plus subscribers. If you redeem the game during that two-month timeframe, it will be a part of your digital library for download/re-download permanently as long as you remain a PS+ subscriber. So you don’t need to play it during that time period, you just need to at least redeem and/or download it.
Here They Lie was actually a PSVR launch title all the way back in late 2016. It was one of the first titles on the platform to allow for full, smooth locomotion using the DualShock 4 controller. You can see some glimpses of its spookiness in the launch trailer below:
It’s not a perfect game and is far from the excellent quality found in similar horror titles, such as Resident Evil 7, but it’s got some really creative visuals and an intriguing premise that could be worth a few hours of your time if you’re a fan of the genre.
Virtual reality is an experiential medium and Here They Lie has some memorable experiences. But it all feels fuzzy and thrown together. A game that features striking moments to serve a powerful story along with engrossing gameplay will be the masterpiece that defines this early medium. While this game touches on some of those points here and there, it never fully realizes its potential. It leaves you wandering and wondering, even after the game is done, searching for more.
Do you plan on taking this one for a spin once it hits the PS+ library? Let us know what you think of the news down in the comments below!
