Our latest VR news roundup is live, featuring several stories you may have missed this last week.
With VR hardware, we tried the Pico 4 Ultra after ByteDance announced launch plans and confirmed which games support the Pico Motion Trackers. Quest 3S seemingly received FCC certification, Quest 3 overtook Valve Index for the 2nd most used VR headset on Steam, and Meta killed the Spark Engine. Surreal Touch achieved its funding goals, and Play For Dream is targeting a Western launch.
For VR gaming, No Man’s Sky added fishing in the Aquarius update. FNAF: Secret of the Mimic will reach PSVR 2, and Orion Drift is the next game from the Gorilla Tag team. Other stories emerged for Exercise Your Demons, Stunt Double Joe McFlash, The Exit 8 VR, Zenith, Into Black, NFL Pro Era, Fracked, Shogun’s Empire, Asgard’s Wrath 2, Premier League Player, and more. We also reviewed Track Craft, Retronika, Hitman 3 VR Reloaded, and Starwave.
Following Gamescom, you’ve likely seen many previews going up recently. Batman: Arkham Shadow, Behemoth, Band Space, All On Board!, Escaping Wonderland, Action Hero, Zombie Army VR, Ember Souls, and Trombone Champ: Unflattened, are just a few examples. That’s before we get into Venice Immersive entries, where we tried Impulse, Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom, Fragile Home, Address Unknown: Fukushima Now, and Project: Lost Worlds.
We’ve not done a full ICYMI for nearly a month due to those events, so today’s additional news will only focus on more recent stories. Our full coverage is here, but otherwise, here are five VR news stories we initially missed:
Subside Confirmed A Release Date On PC VR
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Developed by A2D Software, Subside is an aquatic VR experience where you can explore multiple areas and interact with various creatures. Now confirmed for a September 17 launch, a Steam demo remains available and we previously praised the “eye-catching” visuals. You can check out our previous impressions in full below.
Beat Saber Gets ‘Shock Drop’ With Houdini By Eminem Now Available
Beat Saber released its first “Shock Drop”, which offers individual singles instead of the usual larger DLC packs. Beat Games is kicking this off with an uncensored version of Eminem’s Houdini using the hip-hop mixtape environment, and that’s available now for $2.
Sandbox VR Plans To Open 280 New Locations Globally
Sandbox VR plans to expand its location-based entertainment chain significantly, opening 280 new locations in the next four years through a franchising program. In a press release, the team advised it’s seen a 60% increase in franchise deals during Q2 2024 and that Sandbox currently serves over 100k monthly players.
By Grit Alone Has Been Delayed Until November
Initially targeting a September launch, Crooks Peak confirmed in a press release that By Grit Alone will be delayed until November 2024. Studio founder Charlie Cochrane stated this is so the team can add “a couple of quality of life features, VR comfort options,” and additional polish.
The Mixologist Pours A Release Date This Month On Quest & Steam
The Mixologist is a new arcade-style VR bartending game where you can craft over 100 cocktail recipes. Featuring a solo campaign and multiplayer co-op, this features five different bars with different atmospheres and challenges. While it’s heading to Quest and Steam on September 19, Pico and Apple Vision Pro versions are also planned.
Other Updates
Star Wars: Outlaws VR Mod Out Now by Luke Ross
Luke Ross has released a 6DOF VR mod (gamepad controls) for Star Wars: Outlaws, a game I’ve been having a lot of fun with as a Star Wars fan.
Download now on his Patreon: https://t.co/2eaohdsO3T pic.twitter.com/tV4p1o13K3
— Flat2VR (@Flat2VR) September 3, 2024
Looking for further VR news stories? Here’s everything else we’ve spotted this week.
Luke Ross released a 6DOF VR mod with gamepad controls for Star Wars Outlaws on his Patreon.Patch #3 is now live for Zero Caliber 2.Puzzling Places – Monthly Pack #28 adds six new puzzles themed around China.Clique Games announced that Frenzy Extinction will reach Steam and Quest on September 12.Toy Monsters is now available on Pico 4.Viveport added three new PC VR games to the subscription service – The Last Worker, The Tale of Onogoro (also on XR Elite), and Arcaxer.HTC will unveil the next Vive headset on September 18 at 5am PT.Meta announced its full program for Meta Connect 2024.Vivarium is planning a beta test on Pico from September 19 until October 3.D-Day Museum is a VR museum coming to Steam early access on November 1.
