It's time once again for our weekly VR news round-up, featuring the biggest XR news stories and a few we initially missed.
This week's biggest hardware story is the Quest 3S launch, which became the top-selling gaming device on Amazon. We'll bring you our full review soon but in the meantime, we assessed its hand tracking quality compared to Quest 3. Motorola Phones will soon be usable in VR via Quest's Horizon OS, the non-pro Apple Vision headset is reportedly targeting $2000 pricing, and we shared our hands-on impressions with the Vive Focus Vision.
With VR gaming, DIG VR was delayed to avoid clashing with Batman: Arkham Shadow while Skydance's Behemoth released Quest 3 gameplay footage. Augmented Empire is making a comeback seven years after launching on Oculus Go, and The Exorcist: Legion VR received a new epilogue. Further stories followed for Phasmophobia, Starship Troopers, MudRunner VR, BLUD, Gunman Contracts, Bonelab, and Steam Next Fest.
As for new game releases, it's been an especially heavy week on Quest. Alongside Max Mustard reaching on Steam and the multiplatform Arizona Sunshine Remake, other new VR games include Just Dance VR, Clawball, Does It Stack?, Living Room, Maestro, Undead Citadel, and Airspace Defender. You can find our previous impressions or reviews in the prior links.
Our complete list of articles is here and as always, here are this week's five VR news stories that we initially missed:
Downtown Club Version 1.1 Will Add A Performance Mode
Developed by Commuter Games, Downtown Club is a VR racing game that entered early access in June. The studio confirmed its upcoming Version 1.1 patch will add dynamic resolution, performance improvements, and a higher resolution for both Quest 2 and Quest 3. UploadVR has also been informed that it will feature "an optional 90fps “performance" mode with reduced graphic details and effects."
James Tocchio
Breachers Launches Competitive Season 2 Next Week
VR FPS Breachers has seen a long list of post-launch and following Competitive Mode launching in April, Triangle Strategy confirmed Season 2 will commence next week. That adds new throwing mechanics, a rappelling rework, an auto pick-up for the EMP, and more.
Henry Stockdale
VR Rhythm Game Audio Trip Gets Above & Beyond Expansion Soon On Quest & Steam
Audio Trip, a VR rhythm game from Kinemotik Studios, is partnering with electronic music label Above & Beyond for a new expansion. Arriving on October 24 on PC VR and Quest for $9.99, this includes six new tracks with three difficulty levels and new minimalist worlds inspired by album covers from Above & Beyond. These tracks can be experienced as an uninterrupted 30-minute compilation dance track. Here's the full tracklist.
- “Above & Beyond - Blue Sky Action” feat. Alex Varga
- “Above & Beyond - Crazy Love” feat. Zoë Johnston
- “Above & Beyond - Happiness Amplified” feat. Richard Bedford
- “Above & Beyond - Hello”
- “Above & Beyond & Seven Lions - See The End” feat. Opposite The Other
- “Above & Beyond - Sun & Moon” feat. Richard Bedford
New Sushi Ben Update Adds Replayable Quests And More Languages
A narrative slice-of-life adventure game, Sushi Ben by Big Brane Studios just received a big update. This latest patch introduces localization support for various languages and replayable quests, and that's now available on Quest. The PS VR2 version will likely receive this update soon, too.
Henry Stockdale
Blade & Sorcery: Nomad Looks Set For Its Official Launch Soon
After Blade & Sorcery received its full PC VR release earlier this year, Blade & Sorcery: Nomad on Quest looks set to follow soon. After Warpfrog's The Baron recently provided a detailed update about the porting process, an official launch trailer will air at 9am PT on October 21.
Other Updates
If you're after even more VR news, here's everything else we've spotted.
- Brazen Blaze kicked off Season 2: Act 1 with a new character.
- Rogue Piñatas: VRmageddon is a colorful co-op action game coming to Quest and Steam in early 2025.
- The UNDERDOGS soundtrack is now available for purchase.
- Into Black released its first patch with performance and balancing improvements.
- Crimen: Mercenary Tales released patch 1.3 on PS VR2, which adds head rumble and adaptive trigger functionality.
- Audiovisual platform Wave XR is making a comeback and you can sign up for the closed beta.
- Clamb VR is an upcoming PC VR game with sledgehammer locomotion, and a demo is currently live for Steam Next Fest.
- Pixel Arcade is a VR platformer with experimental gameplay that's also participating in Steam Next Fest.
- Bootstrap Island, Breachers, Taskmaster VR, and more joined this month's new lineup on Viveport.
If you'd like to inform us about a VR game we should know about for this article or future updates, you can use our contact page or email tips@uploadvr.com with details.
