Yesterday’s PS5 reveal went down a treat with most gamers, but there wasn’t much to say on the PSVR front.
This was to be expected, of course; Sony wants to market its console for launch and talking about additional hardware at this stage complicates that. We were waiting with bated breath for a mention of VR, but knew full well it was highly unlikely.
But, look a little closer at yesterday’s showcase and you will see at least a few promising hints for the future. PS5 is compatible with a new HD camera, for example. But it’s the games, mostly sequels to titles with original PSVR support, that have us most intrigued. So here’s five PS5 games we certainly hope get PSVR support.
Resident Evil Village
We’re all pinning our hopes on this one, right? Resident Evil 7 remains one of the best PSVR games on the market and the series is long overdue to make its return to the headset. And the signs are encouraging; Resident Evil Village (which, as the logo design makes clear, is Resident Evil 8) returns to a first-person perspective and picks up with 7’s hero, Ethan Winters.
Details are slim but we know Ethan sets off for a snowy, mysterious village on the hunt for Chris Redfield, who appears to have been a very bad boy. The game will feature more open spaces than 7, with a greater emphasis on combat. Let’s hope we get to see all of that in VR when it launches next year.
Gran Turismo 7
Another series with unfinished business in the VR arena. Gran Turismo Sport, the PS4 iteration of the racing sim, featured incredibly immersive but desperately slim PSVR support. But yesterday’s reveal of Gran Turismo 7 brought with it renewed hope that we’ll get a full driving simulator in VR on PS5.
In fact, in a 2019 interview Polyphony Digital head Kazunori Yamauchi said that the first and most obvious jump Gran Turismo could make with a new console was in VR. “The first thing that’s going to be affected by more power is VR,” the developer said. “I don’t think that there’s anything else that requires that much processing power.” Based on those comments alone, eventual PSVR support for Gran Turismo 7 seems likely.
Deathloop
Why Deathloop of all the games featured at the show yesterday? Because developer Arkane — best known for the Dishonored series — has been experimenting with the platform, as seen in the additional VR modes for 2017’s Prey. That makes it at least a little more suited for PSVR support than many of the other games on show.
In this first-person shooter, you play a prisoner trapped on an island where everyone is out to kill you. Every time you die you wake up ready for the hunt to start all over again. There’s a touch of Arkane’s signature sorcery to it, with powers like telekinesis and teleporting, two things that work incredibly well in VR. We’ll be keeping a keen eye on this one.
Astro’s Playroom
What is Astro Bot without VR? That’s the terrible question Sony had us reckoning with when Astro’s Playroom was revealed last night. Granted, it doesn’t sound like this is a full sequel to the best PSVR game; Astro’s Playroom is a pack-in title for PS5 with four worlds to explore (similar to how Playroom and Playroom VR came free with PS4 and PSVR).
But, all the same, we’re hoping to see a VR version of this. Even if it doesn’t quite take advantage of VR hardware like Rescue Mission does, returning to this adorable world is a must on PS5. If not Astro’s Playroom, then surely a full PSVR sequel is on the way.
Grand Theft Auto V
Let’s end on a curveball. Yes, GTAV is heading into its third console generation on PS5, and we’ve been promised improved visuals and more updates to Grand Theft Auto Online. But surely the most significant update Rockstar could implement here is full PSVR support?
It sounds ambitious and we really doubt it would happen, but the keen interest in the recent GTAV mod surely proves it could be done. We can’t think of a better way for Sony to kickstart a new generation of VR.
