Sony reveals more details about its upcoming PlayStation VR2 headset, confirming 11 more games that are in development for it.
Sony has highlighted 11 new games that have been announced for its PlayStation VR2 headset. Sony has finally made major announcements about its PlayStation VR2 headset, confirming that it will launch February 22 for $549.99. However, a VR headset is only as good as the games it can play, and so Sony has also pulled the curtain back on 11 new games that are coming to the device in 2023.
Some games were confirmed as PlayStation VR2 titles long ago, like Horizon: Call of the Mountain, which is scheduled to be a launch title with the headset and there will even be a bundle available for those interested. Resident Evil Village is also getting a virtual reality makeover with PlayStation VR2, and so fans have that to look forward to as well.
Besides Horizon: Call of the Mountain and Resident Evil Village, VR fans have 11 more games to look forward to when PlayStation VR2 launches next year.
After the Fall
After the Fall is a post-apocalyptic co-op shooter that turned quite a few heads when it first released last year. The game earned somewhat mixed reviews at launch, but it’s looking to turn things around with the PlayStation VR2 version. It’s unclear if After the Fall will be available to PlayStation VR2 owners at launch or not, but the game should take advantage of the new headset’s special features to enhance the experience compared to the original release.
Cities VR: Enhanced Edition
The Cities city-building sim game has proven quite popular, but besides the standard version of the game, fans also have the option of checking it out in VR. Confirmed to be a PlayStation VR2 launch title, Cities VR: Enhanced Edition will offer the same kind of Cities VR experience that fans have come to expect, but with some added bells and whistles that better take advantage of the new headset’s unique features.
Cosmonious High
Owlchemy Labs is one of the premiere developers of virtual reality games, with great praise aimed at its Job Simulator and Vacation Simulator games. Owlchemy Labs was right there with the original PlayStation VR headset at launch with Job Simulator, and while it hasn’t been confirmed if Cosmonious High will be a launch title or not, fans can at least look forward to the game coming to the PlayStation VR2 headset eventually. VR aficionados may already be well aware of the sci-fi adventure game that is Cosmonious High, as it’s already released for other virtual reality platforms and earned strong reviews in the process. Whenever it does come to PlayStation VR2, it should prove to be a big release for the headset.
Crossfire: Sierra Squad
Smilegate has found mixed success with its Crossfire first-person shooter franchise. The original Crossfire, released all the way back in 2007, was a massive success, mainly thanks to China, but the recently-released Crossfire X was a flop with critics and fans alike. Smilegate is dusting itself off and taking a swing at the virtual reality space with its next game, Crossfire: Sierra Squad, which will launch for Sony’s new headset at some point next year. Based on the trailer, it looks as though Crossfire: Sierra Squad will provide a fairly standard FPS experience in a VR space, and it will be interesting to see how it stacks up compared to other FPS VR titles that have released over the years.
Hello Neighbor VR: Search and Rescue
The Hello Neighbor stealth horror games have cultivated a fanbase that oddly seems to consist mostly of children, in a phenomenon not unlike the Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise. In any case, horror is usually greatly enhanced by virtual reality headsets, and there’s no reason to think that won’t be the case with Hello Neighbor VR: Search and Rescue as well. It’s been noted that pre-orders for the game start on November 15, the same day that PlayStation VR2 headset pre-orders go live, and so it’s most likely a launch title, though that has not been specified. It’s also been confirmed that Hello Neighbor VR: Search and Rescue is going to be a cross-buy release, so anyone picking it up can play on the original PlayStation VR headset or PlayStation VR2.
Jurassic World: Aftermath Collection
The Jurassic World franchise seems like it would be a perfect fit for the virtual reality space, though Jurassic World: Aftermath has not been well-received by critics, earning mostly negative reviews at the time of its release. The PlayStation VR2 headset gives Jurassic World: Aftermath a second chance at making a first impression, utilizing the PlayStation VR2 headset’s improved graphics and various other features to enhance the experience. This collection will feature both parts of Jurassic World: Aftermath in a single package, so maybe being able to play the whole game from start to finish will leave fans with a higher opinion of it.
Pistol Whip VR
The original Pistol Whip is often hailed as one of the premiere virtual reality games, and for good reason. It essentially combines John Wick-style shooting action with a music/rhythm game set-up, and not only does it work as a fun game, but it’s also doubles as an exercise app. Pistol Whip players have to shoot all the enemies that pop up in each level, but they also have to duck and dodge to avoid getting hit by bullets themselves. Pistol Whip has been updated with major content updates since its original release, and of course, the version on PlayStation VR2 will come with its own enhancements. Anyone that already owns the original version of Pistol Whip on PS4 will be able to upgrade to the PS5 version for free whenever it launches.
Tentacular
Tentacular is one of the highest-rated virtual reality games of 2022, and so it’s great to see the game coming to PlayStation VR2 headsets. Tentacular is a game where players take on the role of a massive octopus and interact with a game world with their huge, over-sized tentacles. It’s earned a great deal of praise from the VR community and for good reason, so it should make a great addition to the PlayStation VR2 library of games. It has not been confirmed as a launch title, but pre-orders for it open alongside the PlayStation VR2 headset on November 15, so there’s a good chance it will be.
The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR
The original PlayStation VR headset launched with Until Dawn: Rush of Blood, an on-rails first-person shooter based on Supermassive Games’ Until Dawn horror franchise. The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR is not yet confirmed to be a PlayStation VR2 launch title, but it does seem to be following in Rush of Blood‘s footsteps otherwise. It’s an on-rails shooter set in Supermassive’s Dark Pictures universe (with players visiting familiar locations from those games), utilizing the PlayStation VR2 headset’s various unique features to enhance the scares for the players. Some examples given include using eye-tracking to make it so enemies only move when players aren’t looking at them and having demons whisper in ears with the 3D audio integration. If The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR is a PlayStation VR2 launch title, it could very well end up being a must-buy for horror fans.
The Light Brigade
The roguelike genre is not explored very often in virtual reality games, but that will change with The Light Brigade, a new title that has players exploring procedurally-generated first-person worlds, shooting enemies and solving physics puzzles. What makes The Light Brigade stand out, though, is the fact that it is launching for both the original PlayStation VR and PlayStation VR2, and it has been described as a “cross-buy” title. So while it seems the PlayStation 5 will not be backward compatible with original PlayStation VR games, there will be some games that users only need to buy once.
Zenith: The Last City
There aren’t many VR MMORPGs on the market, but one game that fits that description is Zenith: The Last City. Zenith: The Last City launched for other VR headsets earlier this year to mixed reviews, but just like Jurassic World: Aftermath, PlayStation VR2 gives the game a unique opportunity to make a second first impression. The developers will be utilizing the PlayStation VR2’s unique features when it comes to Zenith: The Last City to improve the experience from how it was on other platforms. Whether that effort adds up to a must-buy PlayStation VR2 launch title or not remains to be seen, but fans will find out when the game launches alongside Sony’s next-gen VR headset in February.
