Strap yourself in; it’s Rock Band VR week on the Oculus Store. Harmonix’s long-anticipated rock sim is finally ready for you. There’s also another pretty good zombie shooter and a whole heap of stuff to look forward to on Gear VR this week.
If you missed last week, you can see those new releases here. And don’t forget that UploadVR has a Steam community group complete with a curated list of recommendations so that you don’t have to waste any money finding out what’s good in the world of VR.
Plus — check out our list of the best Oculus Rift games and best Gear VR games for more suggestions!
New Rift and Gear VR Releases on Oculus Home
Rock Band VR, from Harmonix
Price: $49.99 (Rift)
Oculus Studios’ second big game of the month is the rebirth of Harmonix’s beloved Rock Band franchise inside the Rift. Strap a Touch controller to a plastic guitar and then live out your rock fantasies on stage to over 60 tracks.
Recommendation: Series die-hards might be disappointed with an abbreviated Classic Mode, but there’s still a lot to love here. Read our full review.
Drop Dead, from Pixel Toys
Price: $19.99 (Rift)
Gear VR’s zombie shooter makes its way over to the Rift with Touch support. Drop Dead has you slaying legions of the undead in an attempt to stop the evil Dr. Monday and save the world. Zombie cure not included.
Recommendation: If you need to shoot something this week, this is your best bet. Read our full review.
V-Aria, from V-Aria
Price: $3.99 (Gear)
This uses your music to create immersive visualization experiences that, according to the developer “challenges your perceptions of space and time.” That sounds pretty heavy for a music visualizer. It works with mp3s on your phone or just by listening to the music around you from speakers.
Recommendation: If you need to see your music in front of you, scoop this up.
Drone Defence, from Chingis
Price: $2.99 (Gear)
The drones have turned and they’re coming to get you. Blast away the buzzing nuisances from the comfort of your sunny backyard using the Gear VR’s touchpad.
Recommendation: Not the most original idea. Pass.
Chicken Go, from HashVR
Price: Free (Gear)
If you guessed that Chicken Go was a Frogger clone that didn’t really look like it had much business being inside VR then, congratulations, you’re a winner. Hop across busy roads and lava rivers on your path to safety.
Recommendation: Skip it.
Realmcraft, from Tellurion Mobile
Price: $0.99 (Gear)
Apparently ripping off Minecraft is still a potential revenue stream for developers. Most Mojang clones have at least something to their name but this looks almost exactly like the original game visually, with fewer features. Minecraft is also already out on Gear VR so you should just pick that up instead.
Recommendation: Avoid.
The Caterer, from Illusive Creations
Price: $2.99 (Gear)
I’d quite like to see the manic cooking genre brought over to VR as a co-op experience more often. Sadly, The Caterer doesn’t quite look like it’s worth digging into.
Recommendation: Pass on this one.
Skydiver, from StarConsult
Price: $1.99 (Gear)
Pretty self-explanatory; jump in a plane, take off, and then jump out. As far as these types of experiences go, Skydiver looks well produced. Be careful if you get sick easily, though.
Recommendation: Thrill seekers only.
The Drowning Dungeons, from Savage Cabbage Software
Price: $2.99 (Gear)
A little horror creeps its way onto Gear VR this week. Drowning Dungeons looks a little like Dreadhalls, but if you need a new way to scare yourself then it could be worth checking out.
Recommendation: For those in need of frights.
Futuristic Flying Car, from Extremesoft
Price: $2.99 (Gear)
Flying cars might not be here yet, but Extremesoft wants to make up for that with its own take on what they’ll be like in VR. Graphically this is pretty blurry, though. Hopefully the future doesn’t look like that.
Recommendation: Pass.
New Oculus Rift Releases on Steam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUAUtPqk_eg
Boofle’s Home, from Eden Agency
Price: Free (Rift)
Boofle’s Home is an experience where a repaired stuffed heirloom has come to life and the loveable Boofle has a space where you to engage in a collection of activities. You can also choose from various cards and gift collections to create a Boofle card for different occasions.
Recommendation: A free and fun getaway that’s family friendly. Grab it!
Weelco, from weelco_vr
Price: Free (Rift)
Weelco is a tool for users to watch, upload, and share 360-degree videos. It includes a speech search with multi-language support and a user friendly interface.
Recommendation: Grab this and put it up against the other video app released this week. See what you enjoy more.
Storm VR, from TeamStormVR, Anrick, UNIT9
Price: $1.99 (Rift)
Storm VR is an introduction to a series that plans to put you through various survival sequences within different types of storms. This intro has you waking up in an intense snowstorm and you must find shelter before freezing to death.
Recommendation: This passion project shows a lot of promise and it could be worth it to invest and support the planned 5 episodes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoJ0gnYP1JI
EmbodyMe, from Paneo, Inc.
Price: Free To Play (Rift)
EmbodyMe lets users play around with holograms created using a single photo and communicate using them in a social environment. Prepare for an influx of celebrities and fictional characters to take selfies with!
Recommendation: A social experience that introduces a unique feature that could help it stand out. Check it.
Vine Video, from HTC Creative Labs
Price: Free To Play
Vive Video is an app that gives you an immersive space to watch 3D, 180-degree, and 360-degree videos. HTC’s Creative Labs have made the controls for this experience as intuitive as possible as you resize and orient the screen with your VR controllers.
Recommendation: Definitely worth the shot for free. See if lines up with other video players you likely have in your library.
McOsu, from McKay
Price: Free
McOsu is an open-source, circle clicking rhythm game that’s essentially a third party practice client based on the game osu!
Recommendation: Rough around the edges, but if you’re interested in osu! give it a shot.
