But sometimes we want new, exciting games to try, especially on a new device like the PS VR2. Luckily, there’s plenty of that on its way as well, including exciting action-horror shooters and MMORPGs. I’ve decided to focus on seven games that we’re excited for as PlayStation brings gaming in virtual reality to the current console generation. If you haven’t already, make sure to check out our PS VR2 pre-order guide. That way, you can be sure to have your virtual reality headset already locked in for when the PS VR2 launches early next year.
After the Fall
After the Fall is a cooperative first-person shooter that takes place in a dystopian version of Los Angeles. You and your friends fight the Snow Breed, who have overrun the frozen wastes of ruined Los Angeles. The graphics don’t look as good as some of the best console games, but that’s to be expected. The gameplay, however, looks like it will keep you on the edge of your seat — if only you could actually sit down. I want nothing more than for there to be a killer FPS for virtual reality gaming. The thing that has me the most intrigued about After the Fall is the use of haptic feedback in the headset and controllers for the gunplay. I know it won’t feel like actually shooting a gun, but I like the idea that you will feel the effects of firing it. While After the Fall is already available on PS VR, the PS VR2 version looks like it can be a meaningful step forward for the VR shooter. After the Fall for PS VR2 is expected sometime in 2023. Owners of the PS VR version will get a free upgrade once it is available.
Horizon Call of the Mountain
Horizon Call of the Mountain has actually gotten a fair amount of attention so far. Earlier in the year, some press members got to go hands-on with the PS VR2, and Call of the Mountain was one of the games included in that demo. The Verge even described the sense of scale as “amazing,” calling it the most technically advanced PS VR2 experience. After watching the trailer, I get where they are coming from. The graphics look fantastic, especially for virtual reality. I fully anticipate that between the action, the graphics and the storyline, I will get sucked into this game almost instantly. It doesn’t hurt that it’s also part of the constantly excellent Horizon series from Guerrilla Games. Expectations are through the roof at this point. Horizon Call of the Mountain for PS VR2 is available for pre-order on November 15 and will launch on February 22, 2023.
No Man’s Sky
Back in 2016, I was one of the people who was bitterly disappointed by No Mans’s Sky. I expected a vast universe to experience and instead was left with largely monotonous planets and repetitive gameplay. I put it down after about eight hours and never played it again. Since then, the team at Hello Games has worked tirelessly to provide the experience it once promised. And while I have yet to hop back in myself, our own Peter Wolinski claims that the current version of the game is a masterpiece. The PS VR2 reveal trailer certainly has me ready to agree. I cannot wait to get swept away by feeling immersed in the engaging space combat it promises. Hopefully this time, I won’t come away disappointed. No Man’s Sky for PS VR2 will be available as a free upgrade on February 22, 2023. To access No Man’s Sky for PS VR2 you just need to own the PS5 version of the game.
Pistol Whip
This game just looks fun. I love that Pistol Whip leans away from trying to be a realistic shooter and instead steers into being an arcadey masterpiece. The art style of vivid colors and low-polygon character design blends perfectly with its rhythm-based FPS gameplay. Who needs John Wick when you can essentially be John Wick in Pistol Whip? As with After the Fall, Pistol Whip isn’t brand new for PS VR2. Instead, it looks to take the new features and upgraded graphics to provide an elevated experience. Much like with After the Fall, I’m excited to see how the haptic feedback plays into the immersive experience, especially in a rhythm-based game where the beats of the feedback could actually matter. Pistol Whip for PS VR2 is expected sometime in 2023. Owners of the PS VR version will get a free upgrade once it is available.
Resident Evil Village
Full disclosure: I’m not sure if I’m as excited about this game as much as I am enthralled by the prospect of how much it could terrify me. Resident Evil was already scary enough without being fully immersed in the world. Even from the trailer, you can feel the impressive sound design and the impressive detail in the castle of Lady Dimitrescu. Horizon Call of the Mountain may ultimately be the more impressive game, but Resident Evil Village is the most impressive PS VR2 trailer I’ve seen so far. The best part: the VR experience is promised to be the entire single-player campaign. If this is the case — and I don’t see why it won’t be — that is a huge win for VR gamers. The console version was declared “nearly perfect” in our Resident Evil review and it earned our Editor’s Choice badge. To experience that in VR is something I am definitely excited about. Resident Evil Village for PS VR2 is available for pre-order on November 15 and will launch on February 22, 2023.
The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR
If you read this, you’d assume I’m a glutton for horror experiences, and you couldn’t be more wrong. But when you promise me a “nightmarish VR rollercoaster action-shooter” as Supermassive Games Game Director Alejandro Arque Gallardo (opens in new tab) does in its promotion of the game, you have my attention. Despite being entirely on rails, the action in The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR looks entirely off the rails. From its hard rock soundtrack to the bloody mayhem, this trailer has me hooked. Switchback VR also represents another opportunity for the haptic feedback in the PS VR2 — after watching a bunch of game trailers, I think it appears to be a feature that developers are leaning into. In Switchback VR, this haptic feedback will have you feeling it when you fail to avoid enemies and environmental hazards. If this was just another horror game, I don’t know that I’d be so excited. But the roller coaster aspect has me truly excited. The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR for PS VR2 is available to wishlist in the PlayStation Store now, and is slated to launch on February 22, 2023. It may become available for pre-order as soon as November 15.
Zenith: The Last City
Like some other games on this list, Zenith: The Last City has already been out on previous platforms. However, it looks like the PS VR2 is going to give it a serious boost. Developer Ramen VR (opens in new tab) promises a new storyline with the launch of the PS VR2 edition, along with significant graphics upgrades and much faster load times on PS VR2. Ramen also touts the adaptive triggers on the new Sense controllers, which will change in terms of resistance depending on what attack you are commencing. Aside from FPS games, the other game I really think suits virtual reality is an MMO, or at least an RPG. Zenith: The Last City looks like it can go a long way toward offering a unique VR MMORPG experience, even though its cartoonish art design will be far from fully realistic immersion. But that’s okay. As long as the new story is engaging, Zenith looks like it can provide hours upon hours of fun. Plus, it’s a launch day title, so you’ll be able to hop in right away when PS VR2 launches in February 2023. Zenith: The Last City for PS VR2 is available for pre-order on November 15 and will launch on February 22, 2023.
