quest 3 games

The Best VR Games to Share with Your Family This Thanksgiving

Meta Quest 3 News & Reviews, pc vr games, PC VR News & Reviews, psvr 2 games, PSVR 2 News & Reviews, psvr games, quest 2 games, quest 3 games, steamvr games, thanksgiving, thanksgiving 2023 / Ryan Harris / November 22, 2023

The food coma is fast approaching, but you probably still have some fellow Americans to entertain on this holiest of holy feasts. What better way to liven up the post Turkey Day frivolities than popping your brand-new VR headset on a noggin or three?

Keep in mind: some of the best results we’ve had over the years tend to be with very noob-friendly games and apps. Your Thanksgiving Day guests probably won’t have enough time (or inclination) to learn complex mechanics, and keeping things quick and simple is usually the right way to go to make sure everyone not only gets involved, but doesn’t have to wait around a bunch either.

Above all, one of the best ways of getting everyone gawking is by making sure you can see the action on a TV screen or monitor, which you can do easily with any headset out there. It’s fairly straight forward on SteamVR and PSVR 2 since you already have a monitor/TV hooked up. For Quest, you can mirror your view to your Meta App-connected phone, or cast to a smart TV.

Now, let the arm flailing and requisite safety briefing begin!

Beat Saber

What: This incredibly addictive and easy to pick-up game is one of the best entry points for VR firstimers, but has enough depth to appeal to anyone along their way on the pro VR gamer skill tree.
Who: Everyone will want to get up at least for a song to slice blocks to the beat. Thankfully there’s plenty of difficulty settings to satisfy even the most musically disinclined.
How long: 5 – 15 minutes per person
Why: Most songs last around five minutes, but you’re bound to encounter failures along the way, and also family members that just can’t help themselves for a second go at another song.
Platforms: Quest 2/3/Pro, PSVR/2, PC VR

Store links: Meta Store (Quest, Rift), PlayStation Store, Steam

Pistol Whip

What: Like Beat Saber in addictiveness, but instead of slicing blocks to the beat, you’re shooting dudes John Wick-style. It’s all very stylized, so there probably won’t be much, if any pearl-clutching.
Who: Older kids, teens and adults of all ages.
How long: 5 – 10 minutes per person
Why: Like Beat Saber, most songs (called ‘scenes’) last around five minutes. Remember to lower the difficult to easy mode so most anyone will get to the end of the level.
Platforms: Quest 2/3/Pro, PSVR/2, PC VR

Store links: Meta Store (Quest, Rift), PlayStation Store, Steam

CREED: Rise to Glory

What: CREED: Rise to Glory (2018) is a highly polished arcade boxing game that puts you in the shoes of Adonis Creed, the protagonist of CREED (2016) and CREED II (2018). Punch, punch, punch, block and dodge.
Who: Everyone with some caveats. Make sure your family member is physically fit enough to go the distance for a full match, and kids may have problems hitting their much taller targets.
How long: 5 – 10 minutes
Why: Freeplay matches against AI can last anywhere from 2 – 5 minutes, but depending on how much fun everyone is having, this might be a good opportunity to let your family members really flaunt their dodging and punching prowess for a few sessions.
Platforms: Quest 2/3/Pro, PSVR/2, PC VR

Store Links: Meta Store (Quest, Rift), PlayStation Store, Steam

Blaston

What: This room-scale is a free-to-play shooter that puts you in a ring to go 1v1, giving you multiple weapons to shoot and dodge around. While online matches are great for seasoned players, pop into single player mode for some quicker and easier human vs. AI action. Also, if you have two headsets, you could set up 1v1 duels!
Who: Everyone will want a turn, as they see you grabbing guns and Matrix-diving out of the way of oncoming bullets.
How long: 5 – 10 minutes
Why: Individual matches can be shorter than 5 minutes, although you may want to dedicate more time to each player, as they quickly build expertise with the game’s various weapons.
Platforms: Quest 2/3/Pro, PC VR

Store Links: Meta Store, Steam

Angry Birds VR: Isle of Pigs

What: This VR version of the hit mobile game Angry Birds is exactly what it says on the tin, putting the slingshot in your hand to take the fight to the evil piggies, who hide in increasingly elaborate wooden structures.
Who: Everyone should find this one an easy choice; it’s dead simple and super fun to smash blocks and knock down stuff. Serious name brand recognition should also perk up an ear or two with the older crowd.
How long: under 5 minutes
Why: It’s easy to get lost in this one, as you trudge ahead to harder levels, or continuously retry a level to get the best score. Pass this one around the room quickly and keep the masses snacking.
Platforms: Quest 2/3/Pro, PSVR/2, PC VR

Store links: Meta Store (Quest, Rift), PlayStation Store, Steam

Puzzling Places

What: Puzzling Places brings relaxing and wholesome 3D jigsaw puzzling to VR, letting you put together hyper-realistic miniatures of beautiful places from around the globe.
Who: Everyone. While it doesn’t have a ton of crowd-pleasing wow factor, this is great for quieter moments where you want to show off how ‘neat’ VR can be, especially to older family members.
How long: under 5 minutes
Why: Keep difficulty low to get people through fast enough
Platforms: Quest 2/3/Pro, PSVR/2

Store links: Meta Store, PlayStation Store

Wooorld [Quest]

What: It’s like Google Earth for Quest. Browse an immersive, 360 Street View photospheres, or look down at a tinker toy map of 3D cities. It’s social, but you can also do private single-player sessions so people don’t have to deal with multiplayer.
Who: Everyone. We’ve all had places from our past that we either haven’t or physically can’t return to. This gives you and your loved ones a trip down memory lane that is sure to set off some long conversations and stories.
How long: 10 – 20 minutes per person
Why: You can easily spend hours alone revisting places, but make sure to set the expectation early on that not everyone can hog the headset. Ask someone to show you their childhood home, or favorite vacation spot and move on to the next person.
Platforms: Quest 2/3/Pro

Store links: Meta Store

SUPERHOT VR [No PSVR 2 Support]

What: Insanely stylish, easy to pick up and play, Superhot VR (2017) tosses a little time-bending cartoon violence your family’s way that shouldn’t receive too many odd glances from the older generation.
Who: Younger, more game-savvy players are sure to love the concept, letting them live out their dreams of being an action hero. The concept is simple and slow enough to get anyone in the mood to punch some red crystal dudes in the face.
How long: 5 – 10 minutes
Why: A single stage can go by pretty quickly. It may be best to do a round-robin style match that lets everyone have a go when one player fails a level, or relegate a person to two to three of the smaller sections a piece.
Platforms: Quest 2/3/Pro, PSVR (no PSVR 2), PC VR

Store links: Meta Store (Quest, Rift), PlayStation Store, Steam

Richie’s Plank Experience [No PSVR 2]

What: Walk the plank! Literally! Get a wooden board from your garage and line it up with the game’s virtual plank to really scare the bejesus out of people as they teeter over perilous heights.
Who: Everyone, with a few caveats. Make sure the person is healthy enough to take a self-induced tumble. Tell kids they can’t jump off the ledge and skydive, because… floor.
How long: 5 minutes per person
Why: This is a classic experience that will have everyone watching and wanting to take a go themselves, putting your VR headset at the center of attention.
Platforms: Quest 2/3/Pro, PSVR/2, PC VR

Store links: Meta Store (Quest, Rift), PlayStation Store, Steam

Gran Turismo [PSVR 2]

What: Drive fast in cars you can’t afford.
Who: Older kids, teens, and adults. Although speeds can be excessive, the driving experience is comfortable enough for most anyone.
How long: 5 minutes per person
Why: You can easily put someone in the corner with this one, as they progress to more difficult tracks, although it’s an easy game to pass around as people get the immersive feel of driving faster than they ever have in real life.
Platforms: PSVR 2

Store Links: PlayStation Store

Don’t Miss

Quest Intro Apps – Oculus First Contact, First Steps, and First Encounters (Quest 3) are great ways to ease in newbies if they’re looking to learn more about the headset and common control schemes. Not a ton of crowd wow factor, but it might be just the thing for a smaller gathering with more dedicated neophytes.
Space Pirate Trainer – Pew pew pew. It’s fundamentally just a wave shooter, but it’s by far one of the best looking and best feeling out there. Find it on Meta Store (Quest, Rift), Steam, PlayStation Store.
Half-Life: Alyx – It’s not going to be the easiest to show off, since you’ll need to have a specific safe state in mind to drop players into, but it’s tough to beat if you’re looking to wow anyone with the best-looking VR games out there. Find it on Steam.
Red Matter or Red Matter 2 – Again, story-based stuff with a ton of tutorial-worthy VR control mechanics won’t be the easiest to show off, but if you happen to have a good save state, it can’t hurt to pop a non-believer into this extremely polished adventure game. Find both on Steam, PlayStation Store, Quest, and Rift.
Moss or Moss 2 – Try plopping the kids down into this family-friendly puzzle platformer that will have you awwwing to nearly the same degree as Astro Bot. Find both on Steam, PlayStation Store, Quest, and Rift.
Google Earth VR – This PC VR-only app is a good replacement for Wooorld. Giving a loved one the opportunity to travel, especially if they aren’t physically able, is going to really be a special moment. Travel the sights and revisit distant places you never thought you’d see again in the flesh. Find it on Steam and Rift.
ASTRO BOT Rescue Mission – Maybe not great for the crowd-pleasing wow factor, but after you show off some of the fan favorites above you might park a few more of your curious family members in a chair and let them experience the best platformer PSVR has to offer. Find it on PlayStation Store (No PSVR 2).
The Lab – Valve’s PC VR-only collection of mini-games and photogrammetry scenes isn’t really the “future” of VR anymore, but kids and adults alike will love the app’s snackable mini-games Longbow, Core Calibration, and Xortex. Find it on Steam.

The Best VR Games to Share with Your Family This Thanksgiving Read More »

Quest is Getting a Flurry of New Games in the Next Month and a Half

Meta Quest 3 News & Reviews, News, Quest 2, quest 2 games, quest 3, quest 3 games, quest games, quest games 2023 / Ryan Harris / October 27, 2023

Better keep a tight grip on that wallet—the next month and a half will see the launch of a flurry of anticipated games for Meta Quest 2 and Quest 3 (and a few which are also coming to PSVR 2 and PC VR). Here’s what should be on your radar.

If you’ve been looking for something new to play, you’re about to have some decisions to make. Here’s a chronological breakdown of new Quest games coming before the end of 2023, starting with five that are already available but shouldn’t be missed!

Dungeons of Eternity – Available Now ($30)

From the Developer:

Hack-n-slash takes on a new meaning in VR: swing swords, throw axes, use bows, wield magic staffs, and more to make it out alive. With the power of VR, you will be immersed in a fantasy adventure like no other.

COOP OR SOLO PLAY Band together for an unforgettable cooperative experience with up to 3 players, or delve into the dungeons yourself.

EVER-CHANGING DUNGEONS Explore randomly-generated dungeons across multiple game modes and realms – no dungeon run is the same. A vast array of chambers await, from combat arenas, puzzle, and trap rooms, secret chambers, and more.

FEEL THE DUNGEONS Hack-n-slash like never before with a visceral physics-based combat system and realistic interactions with the game world.

ENDLESS ARSENAL Every weapon is randomly generated, offering nearly endless loot within the dungeons. You will discover many weapon types, including swords, bows, magic staffs, and more.

PLAY YOUR WAY Craft your playstyle and appearance through loadouts, upgrades, and a diverse set of character customization options.

The 7th Guest VR – Available Now ($30)

From the Developer:

The classic game that chilled you to the bone in the 90s has been brought back to life, with cutting-edge VR technology that delivers an atmospheric story like no other.

Six guests have been welcomed to the foreboding mansion. But something sinister is at play. The wealthy recluse and toymaker, Henry Stauf, hides in the shadows, and there is a dark power here, shrouded in mysteries. Who is the 7th Guest? What does Henry want with them? And who will live to tell the tale?

As you explore the eerie mansion, the puzzles become increasingly challenging, and there are dangers lurking around every corner, with every shadow, creak, and flicker of light adding to the haunting tension.

Unlock new rooms and uncover hidden secrets, all while trying to keep your wits about you against the eerie horrors. The 7th Guest VR is the ultimate adventure for fans of mystery-puzzle games and those seeking a new and terrifying VR experience.

Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord – Available Now ($35)

Also on PSVR 2

From the Developer:

Team up with friends and become a Ghostbuster in this made-for-VR adventure.

Immerse yourself in the thrills and fun of bustin’ ghosts like never before on the Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest 3. Quash a Mini-Pufts invasion in your own home in the exclusive game mode, Mini-Puft Mayhem – featuring the Meta Quest 3’s unique mixed reality capabilities.

Out of Scale: A Kurzgesagt Adventure – Available Now ($15)

From the Developer:

In this VR app, you explore the worlds within worlds around you from inside your mobile scale lab as you travel to five levels of scale – molecular, bacterial, insect, human, and mountain. You’re joined by STEVE, the lab’s AI assistant, who shows you the different effects of biology, physics, and chemistry in each realm. Together you’ll scan objects, find hidden ducks, and observe science in action. You will complete four missions around giant ants, a tardigrade, a protist, and giant fungi that have accidentally been scaled up by using scientific concepts and scaling objects up and down yourself.

In addition to the base game, there is a Multiplayer Theater where players can invite their friends and watch Kurzgesagt videos together in VR. There’s also a Mixed Reality Sandbox where players can bring objects and creatures they’ve unlocked in the game into their home.

Journey to Foundation – Available Now ($40)

Also on PSVR 2

From the Developer:

It’s been almost two centuries since Hari Seldon predicted the fall of the Galactic Empire and forged a Foundation to mitigate the chaos and destruction that would come.

You are an agent with the Commission of Public Safety, a shadowy organization that maintains order in the Galactic Empire. What begins as a mission to investigate deserters in the Periphery quickly becomes a battle for control of all humanity. With your superior officer in your ear, and the esteemed governor’s daughter at your side, you must journey to Foundation.

In this immersive roleplaying adventure, you decide who will rise and what is lost to the fires of anarchy. Disguise, hack, and blast your way through Asimov’s groundbreaking sci-fi universe using the most advanced tools the Galactic Empire has to offer.

The Foglands – October 31st ($35)

Also on PSVR 2 and PC VR

From the Developer:

The Foglands is an atmospheric 3D roguelike shooter where you’ll discover new paths, and uncover old secrets. Run into the unknown, fight monsters, scavenge loot, and try to make it back before you are swallowed by the Fog.

EXPLORE THE FOGLANDS – Play as a Runner, heroes of a sparse community living underground. Adventure from the wrecks of long-dead technology to the undiscovered depths where you’ll run, jump, sneak, and fight your way through the Fog.

ROWDY BAR-FIGHT ACTION – In a mysterious, fog-infested world, dangerous forces lurk in the shadows. Punch, throw, shoot, and smash through each run as you go toe-to-toe with strange, malevolent monsters and vicious, roving factions.

A MYSTERIOUS TALE – A great creature reawakens in the Fog. With the survival of your community in peril, you must strike a deal with a mysterious stranger in this sci-fi-western-horror story. Follow the network of tunnels to learn the long-buried truth and remember, sometimes the best way to move forward… is to look back.

SCAVENGE AND GROW – Scavenge precious items, unearth hidden secrets, and collect powerful abilities that can mean the difference between victory and death

Vampire: The Masquerade – Justice – November 2nd ($30)

Also on PSVR 2

From the Developer:

Become a vampire. Strike from the darkness and drink the blood of your prey. Use stealth, persuasion, and an arsenal of upgradable abilities to sneak past enemies undetected or punish the guilty in the seedy backstreets of Venice.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Justice is an open-ended, narrative Adventure RPG set in the World of Darkness universe. You have the power to strike fear into the hearts of criminals as an untraceable shadow, picking off targets one-by-one.

STEALTH IS YOUR WEAPON

Shadows are your ally. Take to the rooftops and seek new paths away from enemy eyes. Use Shadow Traps to snatch up unsuspecting prey and drag them into Oblivion. Activate Cloak of Shadows and slip unseen through enemy defenses. In Vampire: The Masquerade – Justice, stealth is your weapon.

BECOME A POWERFUL VAMPIRE

Punish the guilty with brutal abilities. Launch yourself towards opponents with immense force or boil their insides with Cauldron of Blood. Sink your fangs into their necks to stock up on blood. Load your crossbow with special bolts to kill, distract or knock out guards from afar. Dish out Justice with a vengeance

LEVEL UP AND EXPLORE

The dark skies of Venice provide ample opportunity to level up powers and build a character suited to your playstyle. Tackle side-missions to earn more experience. Convince NPCs to aid your quest, solve puzzles, uncover collectibles and test yourself with optional tasks in each mission.

Stride Fates – November 9th ($30)

Also on PC VR

From the Developer:

Enhancing everything players love about the freerunning nature of STRIDE, the full-fledged sequel ‘Fates’ pushes the parkour action formula even further with new gameplay and a story-driven campaign.

MEET YOUR FATE

Raised in the slums of dystopian Airon City, at the very bottom of the food chain, you got a golden ticket out.

To survive and climb the ladder in elite police forces of SkyChase, you will have to deal with power shifts in gangs, dirty family feuds, corporate secrets, forbidden tech and much more. Your fate is bound with other motley characters in this story. Will you accept the destiny or fight against it?

FEEL LIKE A PARKOUR SPEC-OPS OFFICER

Climb buildings, vault through windows, and slide down cables with lightning speed.

Explore open-world locations under the watch of snipers and drones.

Feel the thrill of close-quarters combat with tactical shooter gameplay.

Use your gadgets and hacking skills to outwit thugs and corporates.

Demeo Battles – November 9th ($20)

Also on PC VR

From the Developer:

Welcome to the arena! Demeo Battles is a competitive turn-based strategy game for 1-4 players, featuring:

Turn-based Tactics – Battle your opponents in dungeons, forests and more as you square off against your enemies in grid-based action combat across 10 maps tailored for intense PvP competition — but don’t fall victim to “The Burn”

Monstrous Minions – Assemble an army of chaotic critters to fight alongside you — from rats and goblins to cave trolls to giant slimes — a rotating cast of 37 creatures to pick from at launch, all with a mind of their own!

Heroic Teamwork – Bring two champions to the battle in every match and leverage their synergies; control both heroes directly or partner up with another player to defeat competitors cooperatively

Play Your Way – Choose a champion to match your play style from 7 classes — hunter, sorcerer, assassin, guardian, bard, warlock or barbarian — to unleash magic, melee mayhem and more, with 89 possible cards to pick from when raining fury down on your opponents

Bespoke Builds – Spend your coins wisely when you enter the arena to build a unique loadout in every game, choosing from a randomized selection of action cards and monsters

Speedy Strategy – Challenge yourself to battle after battle with average matches lasting just under 20 minutes

Cross-Play – Play with your friends across all supported devices

Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR – November 16th ($40)

From the Developer:

Embody three legendary Assassins in this all-new full-length Assassin’s Creed action-adventure game. Experience firsthand the thrill of parkour, the rush of combat, and the tension of stealth as you become the Assassin like never before. Uncover new memories from Ezio Auditore, Kassandra, and Connor as you work to stop Abstergo from gaining the power to manipulate people’s beliefs.

PARKOUR: Feel the exhilaration of parkouring freely across expansive open maps. Explore Renaissance Italy, Ancient Greece, and Colonial America. Immerse yourself in history as you engage with NPCs and interact with historical figures like Leonardo Da Vinci.

COMBAT: Deploy your Hidden Blade with a flick of your wrist. Use your hands to block, parry, counterattack, and duel a variety of enemies. Immerse yourself in the action with weapons including bow and arrows, swords, throwing knives, the tomahawk, the crossbow, the Hidden Blade, and bombs, all of which attach to your full-body avatar.

STEALTH: Sneak up on a target from behind or surprise them with an air assassination. Evade enemies by blending into a crowd or distract them with objects in the environment.

Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR features all of the iconic gameplay from the series, including the dazzling Leap of Faith. You will become the Assassin, choosing how to achieve your missions as you sneak, traverse, and fight your way through open maps in an unforgettable campaign.

Ironstrike – November 16th ($20)

From the Developer:

Ironstrike is a co-op VR fantasy roguelike combat game developed by E McNeill. Players can go at it alone or party up with friends with a wide array of character classes to choose from to dispatch waves of challenging enemies. Utilize a wide array of weapons as a ranger or become an arcane mage to use magical spells to buff teammates or compromise opponents.

Arashi: Castles of Sin – Final Cut – December 5th

Also on PSVR 2 and PC VR

From the Developer:

Take on the role of the deadly assassin Kenshiro as you travel across feudal Japan to defeat the Six Oni of Iga, a bandit group spreading chaos across the land. Through a wide variety of weapons, tools, and techniques, you’ll infiltrate conquered castles and outwit your enemies as you hunt down each Oni.

With the innovations of Next-Gen VR hardware, immerse yourself in the ultimate shinobi fantasy. Leap from rooftop to rooftop, hide in shadows and perform lethal sneak attacks, survive impossible odds in sword combat, and vanish from the scene just as quickly as you arrived. Heightened graphical fidelity and carefully tuned controls make each new battle more engaging than the last.

Each castle you conquer is capped off with an exciting battle against one of the Six Oni. Each bandit leader is a unique combatant both in style, personality, and abilities, putting your mastery of the sword to the test. Prove yourself against these fearsome foes as you hone your skills with each new encounter.

Your mission for justice is not one you take alone. With your canine companion Haru by your side, praised for her advanced AI and usefulness, Arashi brings a unique sense of companionship not found in other VR titles.

Customize your arsenal as you see fit before each mission with blades, grenades, mines, arrows, blowguns, pistols, and more! Whether you want to make it through unscathed and unseen, or want to face your enemies head-on with style, your choices are always supported.

Asgard’s Wrath 2 – December 15th ($60)

From the Developer:

Awaken, Cosmic Guardian – The fate of reality lies in your hands. Travel across vast realms inhabited by the gods in pursuit of the Trickster God Loki, who threatens to undo the threads of the universe. It’s up to you to battle gods and monsters alike as you take on one of the biggest and most epic scale Action RPGs ever experienced in VR.

Alongside legendary Egyptian gods, you’ll fight deadly warriors and awe-inspiring mythical creatures through physics-based, visceral combat with unique weapons and playstyles. Possess unique mortal heroes and convert loyal animals into your own warrior followers as you explore a massive, free-roaming and living world and solve mind-bending god-scale puzzles.

What Didn’t Make it in 2023

While that’s a solid lineup before the end of the year, two big Quest games that we hoped to see this year won’t be out before the New Year.

First is the highly anticipated Behemoth from Skydance Interactive, the developer behind the Walking Dead VR games. Original slated for a 2023 release date, the studio recently announced a major delay for the game until 2024. Also coming to PSVR 2 and PC VR.

And last but not least is GTA: San Andreas VR. Announced way back in 2021, we figured the game would be set for release not later than the launch of Quest 3… but with no release date set, it’s almost certainly not going to land in 2023. And with no recent updates on the game, we might not ever see it.

Quest is Getting a Flurry of New Games in the Next Month and a Half Read More »

Former Oculus CTO “unconvinced” Mixed Reality Apps Will Sell Headsets (like Quest 3)

Meta Quest 3, Mixed Reality, News, quest 3, quest 3 apps, quest 3 games / Ryan Harris / October 3, 2023

Less than 48 hours after Meta fully unveiled Quest 3, John Carmack, legendary programmer and former CTO of Oculus, expressed doubts about mixed reality’s ability to increase headset sales.

Carmack departed Meta late last year, concluding what he called at the time his “decade in VR.” Still, it’s clear the key cohort in Oculus’ genesis story has a lot to offer when it comes to all things XR.

While Carmack doesn’t mention Quest 3 by name, it’s fairly clear he’s talking about Meta’s first consumer mixed reality headset, having tweeted a message of skepticism about the headset-selling power of MR apps:

“I remain unconvinced that mixed reality applications are any kind of an engine for increasing headset sales. High quality pass through is great, but I just don’t see applications built around integrating rendering with your real world environment as any kind of a killer app. I consider it interesting and challenging technology looking for a justification. The power of VR is to replace your environment with something much better, not to hang a virtual screen in your real environment. In all the highly produced videos demonstrating the MR future, the environments are always stylish, clean, and spacious. That is not representative of the real world user base. There is certainly some value in the efforts, but I have always thought there was much more low hanging fruit to be grabbed first.”

In a follow-up tweet, Carmack maintains he’s not criticizing the future of augmented reality, but rather how MR-capable VR headsets are being served up today:

“I am specifically talking about MR in todays [sic] VR headsets. The magical, all-day wear, full FOV AR headsets of people’s dreams would be great, but they don’t exist, even in labs with billions of dollars.”

Meta announced relatively few MR games for Quest 3 at its full unveiling last week, emphasizing that 50+ new VR games are coming by the end of this year, many of which will feature “MR features” of some sort.

Still, increasing headset sales to rival Quest 2 ought to be a big focus for Meta, as the company revealed at Connect 2023 that it had just broken $2 billion in Quest game and app revenue to date.

While impressive, it signifies a dramatic slowing of content sales over the past year, putting Quest 3 in the metaphorical hot seat to continue the upward trend if Meta intends on defending its $4 billion-per quarter investments in its Reality Labs XR division.

Former Oculus CTO “unconvinced” Mixed Reality Apps Will Sell Headsets (like Quest 3) Read More »

Schell Games is Creating a ‘Kurzgesagt’ Educational Game for Quest, Trailer Here

kurzgesagt, kurzgesagt vr, News, quest 3, quest 3 games, schell games, VR Game / Ryan Harris / September 28, 2023

Popular YouTube edutainment channel Kurzgesagt is teaming up with VR developers Schell Games (I Expect You To Die, Among Us VR) to make an exploration adventure game for Quest.

Called Out of Scale: A Kurzgesagt Adventure, the fully immersive educational game is said to transform “the iconic look and feel of [Kurzgesagt’s] 2D videos for users to explore and learn about the concept of scale.”

Schell Games says players use drones, scanner rays, and a multitude of other lab tools to wind their way through several missions, while teleporting between five levels of scale to see how the different properties work in each unique dimension.

Beyond the main single-player game, Out of Scale: A Kurzgesagt Adventure will also come with what the studios are calling a ‘multiplayer theater’ which allows you to meet up with friends and other players to watch Kurzgesagt videos together.

There’s also slated to be a mixed reality mode where you can unlock the game’s core life forms and objects creatures so they can interact with in your real-world environment.

The game’s Quest Store listing maintains it’s launching on October 26th, supporting Quest, Quest 2, Quest Pro, and Quest 3. It’s not available for pre-order, priced at $15.

Schell Games is Creating a ‘Kurzgesagt’ Educational Game for Quest, Trailer Here Read More »

LEGO Mixed Reality Game Coming to Quest 3 December 7th

Connect 2023, LEGO Bricktales, lego mr, lego quest, lego vr, News, quest 3 games, quest 3 lego, VR Game / Ryan Harris / September 28, 2023

Meta announced at its Connect developer conference today that LEGO is releasing a mixed reality game for Quest 3, named LEGO Bricktales.

The blocky puzzle game essentially puts you in front of a number of diorama biomes, which were crafted brick by brick.

“Your journey will take you to the deepest jungle, sun-drenched deserts, a bustling city corner, a towering medieval castle, and tropical Caribbean islands,” Meta says in an announcement.

The objective is to help the minifigures of these worlds by solving puzzles and unlocking new skills throughout the story to further explore these worlds and uncover the many secrets and mysteries they contain.

LEGO Bricktales isn’t just puzzles and skills, Meta says on the game’s Quest Store page.

“From purely aesthetic creations, such as a market stand or music box, up to functional physics-based puzzles like building a crane or gyrocopter – each diorama offers a variety of construction spots with the freedom of intuitive brick-by-brick building. In each spot you are given a set of bricks and it’s up to you to figure out a unique build that will work. On top of specific puzzles and quests, there are additional builds in the amusement park so you can customize the rides to make them your own,” the description reads.

In addition to Quest 3, LEGO Bricktales will also support Quest 2 and Quest Pro when it launches, which is coming December 7th, 2023. The game is currently available for pre-order, priced at $30, which comes with an exclusive in-game outfit.

LEGO Mixed Reality Game Coming to Quest 3 December 7th Read More »

Meta Says Quest 3 Will Get More Than 50 New Titles by the End of the Year

Connect 2023, Meta Quest 3, meta quest 3 games, Mixed Reality, News, quest 3, quest 3 games, quest mixed reality, VR Game / Ryan Harris / September 28, 2023

At Meta Connect 2023 today, among the avalanche of news we learned Quest 3 is shipping October 10th, accessories are raining from the sky, and there will be “another 50+ titles” coming by year’s end.

Meta says over 100 new and upgraded titles are coming to Quest 3 by year’s end, with over half of them brand new.

Many of those 100+ apps and games are getting some form of “MR features” too, Meta says, which ought to help fill out what so far seems to be a fairly shallow pool of mixed reality content currently. Mixed reality games announced today include multiplayer tabletop battle game BAM! from I-Illusions, a mixed reality mode for Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord, Lego Bricktales and Meta’s First Encounters tutorial app for Quest 3 (we’ll be filling out this list as we learn more). Meta also showed MR modes for Stranger Things VR and Less Mills Body Combat.

Demeo Mixed Reality mode | Image courtesy Meta

While full-color passthrough allows for mixed reality games, Quest 3 is thankfully also backwards compatible with Quest 2’s entire library of over 500+ VR games and apps.

Granted, individual developers will need to push Quest 3-specific updates that overhaul things like texture quality and render resolution to get the most out of the Meta’s latest and greatest.

Its higher-resolution, independent displays and second-gen Snapdragon XR2 (see the full specs here) will also boost Quest 2 content out of the gate though, making what’s there a little sharper and clear, and a little less resource intensive too.

– – — – –

Connect 2023 kicks off today, taking place September 27th and 28th at Meta’s Menlo Park headquarters. There’s been a ton of news already, so make sure to follow along with Connect for all of the latest XR stuff from Meta.

Meta Says Quest 3 Will Get More Than 50 New Titles by the End of the Year Read More »

‘Demeo’ Update Brings Hand-tracking Ahead of Planned Launch on Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro

apple vision pro, apple vision pro games, demeo, demeo mr, Meta Quest 3, mixed reality games, MR games, News, quest 3, quest 3 games, resolution games, vision pro, VR Game / Ryan Harris / September 7, 2023

Resolution Games revealed its popular tabletop dungeon-crawling RPG Demeo now features hand-tracking support on Quest 2 and Quest Pro with its latest mixed reality update. It also includes a few new features to its previously released MR mode that are aiming to appeal to both future owners of Meta Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro.

Ahead of Demeo’s confirmed launch-day release on Quest 3 sometime this Fall, Resolution Games announced it’s now pushing out the game’s Mixed Reality 2.0 update, which is available starting today on the Quest 2 and Quest Pro.

Added to Demeo last Fall, the game’s mixed reality mode lets players take the gameboard out of the virtual world and into their living rooms. Now, in the game’s Mixed Reality 2.0 update, players can put down their controllers and use their hands to pick up miniatures, play cards, and roll the die.

The update also adds two new MR features: co-location to optimize local mixed reality multiplayer, and decorations (including candles and posters) that can be placed to set the mood.

Notably, the studio says the original Quest won’t be receiving the Mixed Reality 2.0 update, but instead is getting a separate final update, bringing ongoing support for the game on Quest 1 to a close. Cross-play support for Quest 1 has also been discontinued.

Demeo Battles, the game’s upcoming PvP mode, is set to feature a similar MR mode on Quest 2, Quest 3, and Quest Pro when it launches later this year, Resolution Games says.

At the moment, Resolution Games says it’s currently focusing half the studio’s workload on the creation of MR projects. The studio tells Road to VR it has “multiple mixed reality titles actively in development across a number of devices for 2024 and beyond, including several with dedicated controller-free play.”

Additionally, the studio confirmed Demeo is in active development for Apple Vision Pro for “fully virtual as well as mixed reality gameplay,” with a flatscreen version planned for release on Mac.

‘Demeo’ Update Brings Hand-tracking Ahead of Planned Launch on Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro Read More »

‘Espire 2’ Mixed Reality Missions Coming as Free Update to Quest, Trailer Here

digital lode, espire 2, espire 2 mixed reality, espire 2 vr, Meta Quest 3, News, quest 3, quest 3 games, VR Game / Mike M. / June 15, 2023

Espire 2: Stealth Operative (2022), the stealth action game from Digital Lode, is getting a free mixed reality mode for Quest 2, Quest Pro and Quest 3 later this year.

Digital Lode revealed footage of the mixed reality update during the UploadVR Summer Showcase, promising a series of stealth missions that “grow and adapt to the player’s personal playspace.”

“Missions are deliberately focused and optimized for all environments ranging from small areas to multiple rooms,” the studio says. “Play as Tempest, an agent who must pass a series of Mixed Reality Missions to earn their stripes and be cleared to pilot an Espire Frame.”

Each mission is said to offer a variety of objectives, and will also include enemy soldiers, bipedal mechs, electronic threats, and “more that emerge to prevent you from completing your objective.”

Espire 2’s mixed reality mode is slated to arrive for free on Quest headsets sometime later this year.

Meta Quest 3, the company’s next mixed reality standalone, is set to arrive sometime this fall, priced at $500. Besides being thinner and more powerful than Quest 2, Quest 3 promises the same color passthrough function as the company’s $1,000 Quest Pro, which could usher in a new influx of similar mixed reality modes in the coming months.

‘Espire 2’ Mixed Reality Missions Coming as Free Update to Quest, Trailer Here Read More »