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Double Fine's mesmerizing 'GNOG' comes to PS4 in May
If you thought that Persona 5 would be the most stylish game you'd play this Spring, you might want to think again. In a move set to please PlayStation owners, Double Fine has announced that it's bringing the beautiful puzzler GNOG to PS4 and PSVR on May 2nd. Developed as a collaboration between toy maker Samuel Boucher and Canadian art collective Ko_Op, this stunningly realized puzzle game sees players exploring a strange world of interconnected heads. With an achingly cool soundtrack complementing GNOG's gorgeous visuals, players are tasked with solving various physics-based puzzles as they attempt to find their way to each head's exit.
'Trinity' will be the first interactive VR sci-fi TV show
Virtual reality production studio UNLTD today revealed that it's working on the world's first interactive sci-fi TV show. Speaking at SXSW, the company announced the premise for Trinity- a show set in a future where humanity has long become extinct. With only a few surviving androids left on Earth, the story follows the robotic resistance as they take a stand against the all-powerful singularity threatening to destroy them. After speaking about the challenges of filming in VR, producer John Hamilton promises that Trinity will be an experience which allows 'viewers to move around an episode in a way that hasn't been seen before'. The live-action series will be split into five fifteen minute episodes and is to be released on all available virtual reality platforms.
PSVR goes on safari with 'Virry VR' nature documentary
Slowly but surely, PlayStation is releasing more non-gaming offerings for the PSVR headset. Next up is Virry VR, an app that wants to put you within arm's reach of Kenyan wildlife. Among other things, you'll see rhinos bathing and lions eating according to the European PlayStation Blog. The entirety of the video was filmed at Lewa Downs, a UNESCO heritage site home to elephants, Grevy's zebras, hyenas and leopards.
PlayStation VR's gun controller lands on May 16th
If you've been waiting to try Sony's VR light gun, or PS VR Aim Controller, then you can now start to get excited. Independent developer Impulse Gear has let slip to RoadToVR that the peripheral will hit store shelves on May 16th, 2017, alongside the VR shooter it created, Farpoint. We've known since E3 last year that Farpoint was designed for the new controller, although details of the bundle are new.
Sony files patent for Vive-style PSVR tracking device
Sony is experimenting with its own Vive-style VR tracking device, according to a patent filing from June. The document hints at a tracker working similarly to HTC's current virtual reality tech. Functioning as an external projector, the device would use lights and mirrors to map the player's real world movements straight into PSVR. While Sony's VR offering currently uses a camera to detect light from the player's headset, the existing tracking limits users to an incredibly small space. With light often interfering with the PS4's camera, if this new tech makes it to production it could not only give gamers more mobility but also potentially provide a more accurate and immersive PSVR experience.
Sony made a PSVR music video you can move around in
When it comes to the immersive visuals virtual reality offers, the audio needs to be equally as compelling. That includes having the sound adapt to your movements as you navigate a scene or event. To show off what its PlayStation VR setup is capable of, Sony enlisted violinist Joshua Bell to record a 360-degree virtual reality studio session. With adaptive audio and positional tracking, the company offers the ability for you to "step inside" the venue a lot more realistic.
'Psychonauts' in VR is a story Tim Schafer never planned to tell
Tim Schafer's Psychonauts is the definition of a modern cult classic. Despite winning multiple awards and the adoration of critics, Double Fine's first game sold poorly. Good games, however, don't go unplayed. Over the course of a decade, Psychonauts sold over a million copies in digital redistribution and left fans clamoring for a sequel to wrap up the game's loose ends. Now a satisfying conclusion to the original game's story is finally here, but it's not Psychonauts 2 -- it's Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin, a virtual-reality spinoff heading exclusively to PlayStation VR on February 21st.
The PS4 will soon support external drives and 3D movies in VR
It's been a little while since we last saw an update for the PlayStation 4, but that doesn't mean Sony hasn't been hammering away on new tweaks for the console. Today, the company unveiled plans for its version 4.50 (codenamed Sasuke) system update, confirming support for some oft-requested and useful new features like external hard drive support for games, custom wallpaper and and the ability to view 3D Blu-rays via PSVR. PS4 Pro owners will also be pleased to know that they may be getting some love too (more on that later).
PlayStation VR bundles are back
Sony knows that you probably don't have the camera and Move controllers needed to make use of its PlayStation VR headset, so it's reviving and expanding its virtual reality bundles to help get you started. On top of the original bundle, which includes the necessary hardware, the PSVR demo disc and PlayStation VR Worlds, there's a new GameStop/EB Games exclusive bundle that packs in the on-rails shooter Until Dawn: Rush of Blood. Both will cost the same $499 as the previous bundle, and it's really just a question of when you can get them: the regular bundle will hit stores next week, while the Rush of Blood kit will be available later in February.
'Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin' will launch on February 21st
It's been a long time since the first Psychonauts was released -- more than 10 years, in fact. However, developer Double Fine announced in late 2015 that it was bringing the series back with a pair of game: Psychonauts 2, a proper sequel, and Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin, a game for PlayStation VR meant to bridge the two titles. The latter title is just about ready to drop: Sony and Double Fine just announced that it'll be released on February 21st.
'Resident Evil 7' is the most terrifying VR game on the market
I didn't recognize Resident Evil 7: Biohazard when Capcom revealed it at E3 2016 with a mysterious teaser trailer. To begin with, it was a first-person game, when Resident Evil is famously a third-person perspective series. Secondly, the trailer showcased a dilapidated, cockroach-filled house that looked like it would fit in a modern horror title like Amnesia or Outlast, rather than Resident Evil's universe of Raccoon City and the Umbrella Corporation.
PlayStation VR now supports 360-degree YouTube videos
PSVR is still a young whippersnapper in the virtual reality world, striving for parity -- and in games, superiority -- with the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. Today it's taken another step forward with support for 360-degree videos on YouTube. That means you can boot up anything on the platform, including a New York Times 'Daily 360' video, and move your head to change the perspective. You're stuck in one place, of course, but the experience is still fairly immersive, especially in comparison to the desktop YouTube experience (dragging around with your cursor isn't much fun).
PSVR mech battler 'Rigs' won't get any new content
Sony today confirmed that there will be no more DLC coming to multiplayer PSVR launch title Rigs. Following the recent closure of developer Guerilla Cambridge, it seems Sony has opted to cut short its initial plan for additional Rigs content. While the ambitious mech-based multiplayer shooter won itself a loyal fan base amongst early PSVR adopters, Sony's decision to close Guerilla Cambridge suggests that the game's sales weren't quite up to expectations. Despite the closure, Sony told Eurogamer that Rigs' online servers will be unaffected, with the game still scheduled to receive patches and other "community support".
Sony's new PlayStation headset is premium in name alone
There's no shortage of gaming headsets on the market, and in an effort to distinguish themselves, manufacturers are turning to gimmicks to stand out from the competition. Sony, for example, has several PlayStation-branded pairs, and now it's adding another to the mix, in hopes that 3D audio will be enough to earn your $150. After spending some time with the new PlayStation Platinum Wireless Headset, though, I'm not sure it deserves its asking price.
PlayStation 4's YouTube app is slowly gaining PSVR support
We're over two months out from the PlayStation VR's launch and, well, new stuff is a bit sparse at this point. But hey, an update is rolling out that'll put 360 degree YouTube videos on Sony's headset. Before you get too excited, though, Reddit users (spotted by UploadVR) are commenting that the quality isn't so hot. That's likely due to the videos capping out at 1080p resolution, and how it has to stretch across a 100 degree field of view, at 360 degrees. By user morphinapg's calculations, resolution equals out to around 354p.
'Battlezone' Classic Mode fulfills the promise of '80s VR
It's been 36 years since Atari released Battlezone and effectively created the first-person shooter in the process. The game's immersive periscope viewer and vector graphics influenced decades of game design and provided arcade goers with an early glimpse of what a virtual reality world could look like. While we've argued here that Battlezone's PSVR reboot is the ultimate fan service and a great first leap into VR gaming, it was still missing one key thing: the old-school, glowing green cathode-ray tube vibe of the original. That'll change next week, when Rebellion Studios adds a free Classic Mode update as their "faithful homage" to the title that arguably started it all.
Biggest names in VR band together to create industry standards
The world's most popular virtual reality headset makers have assembled. Google, Oculus, Sony, HTC, Samsung and Acer have come together to create a non-profit organization called the Global Virtual Reality Association (or the far snappier GVRA, for short). The association's goal is to "promote responsible development and adoption of VR globally," according to its website, and members will do so by researching, developing and sharing what it believes to be industry best practices.
New in our buyer's guide: the Pixel and Pixel XL, and more!
Nope, we're not done adding phones to our buyer's guide. Hot on the heels of inducting the new iPhones (and before that, the Galaxy S7 and HTC 10), we're tossing in both of the new Google phones, the Pixel and Pixel XL. While we're at it, we decided the PlayStation VR deserved a spot in our gaming section right alongside other premium virtual reality headsets like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. At the opposite end of the price spectrum, the $50 Amazon Echo Dot is a great value at that price. Lastly, GoPro -- a staple company in this list -- earns a spot for its newest flagship action camera, the Hero5 Black. Find all that in more in our buyer's guide, and stay tuned for our next round of additions, likely sometime after CES.
Watch the PlayStation Experience keynote right here!
PlayStation Experience kicks off today in Anaheim, California, offering a weekend of gaming, Capcom and Call of Duty eSports tournaments, and plenty of news for fans of Sony's wares. The keynote starts at 10AM PT / 1PM ET and it's poised to feature a handful of game announcements and information about the PlayStation 4, PS4 Pro and PS VR as we head into 2017. Catch it all live right here, regardless of your proximity to Anaheim. Sometimes, the internet truly is incredible.
Why are dinosaurs everywhere in VR?
There's a key scene early in Jurassic Park when the visiting scientists see their first dinosaur in person. Paleontologist Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and paleobotanist Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) clamber out of their Jeep as they stare at the majestic brachiosaur looming above them. "It's a dinosaur," Grant stammers in disbelief. His reaction matches the audience's: After a lifetime of looking at fossils and picture books, here, in the flesh, is a real, live dinosaur. We'll never experience this ourselves, but virtual reality can convincingly take us face to face with these extinct creatures.
