PlayStation’s State of Play stream reveals significant VR push

In a very Nintendo Direct-like way, Sony took to showcasing its new PlayStation line-up through a livestream earlier this week. Dubbed ‘State of Play’, the presentation reinforced that Sony is still the front-runner of virtual reality games, showcasing a slew of big names on their way.

Marvel’s Iron Man VR

Sony is once again partnering up with Marvel following the critical acclaim of Insomniac’s take on Spider-Man, soon allowing players to don billionaire Tony Stark’s famous Iron Man suit in a new PlayStation VR title. Developer Camouflaj is fresh off last year’s République VR, and is keen to set its sights on one of Marvel’s biggest properties.

“We wanted to tell more than just an origin story,” explains Camouflaj director, Ryan Peyton. “In Marvel’s Iron Man VR the player, who plays as the genius inventor Tony Stark, confronts ghosts from his past—powerful forces who seek to ruin him and everything he stands for. By fully embracing the magic of PlayStation VR, players will come face-to-face with iconic allies and Super Villains as they jet around the globe on a heroic mission to save not only Stark Industries, but the world itself” in a “deeply personal, and appropriately funny narrative.”

No more details have been shared, but the teaser trailer states that Camouflaj is aiming for a 2019 release.

No Man’s Sky VR

Hello Games has been hard at work to transform No Man’s Sky from overwhelming disappointment into the space exploration game that was promised, and then some. Now, the team is looking to bring the experience to VR in its upcoming Beyond update – free of charge to players that already own the game. This is a complete conversion of the current game into PlayStation VR, meaning everything you can do in the original, you can do in virtual reality.

No Man's Sky Virtual Reality is not a separate mode. Anything that is possible in NEXT or any other update is ready and waiting in VR. pic.twitter.com/zSMSCaz4es

— Sean Murray (@NoMansSky) March 25, 2019

“I guess it's not a huge surprise, but all of the team here is in love with everything sci-fi. Virtual reality feels like a little science fiction become real, and has always seemed like a perfect fit for this futuristic game of ours,” Hello Games' Sean Murray told GamesRadar. “It’s completely unique to land on a world that no-one has ever seen before and to really feel as if you’re there, and the team has worked so hard to make this a true VR experience rather than a port.”

No release date has been explicitly stated, but the Beyond update should arrive at some point during this summer.

Five Nights at Freddy's VR: Help Wanted

Propelling to stardom in 2014 with Five Nights at Freddy’s, independent developer Scott Cawthon is set to turn the popular horror series into VR with help from Steel Wool Games. This is set to bring back many of the creepy animatronics and scenarios seen in previous games, alongside a number of new ones.

“We are huge fans of Five Nights at Freddy’s and also recognize the original games’ design is perfectly suited for virtual reality. The title is an impeccable piece of video game mastery,” said creative director and co-founder of developer Steel Wool Games. “We’re thrilled Scottgames and Lionsgate chose us to lead the development of this project as it’s a game we’ve idolized.”

Five Nights at Freddy’s VR: Help Wanted will be headed to PlayStation VR, Steam, Oculus and HTC Vive at some point this spring.

Blood & Truth

Blood & Truth is unique to the VR world, marketed as a “hard-hitting and gritty” action-adventure game set in the London underworld. Alongside the detailed British backdrop, the game is set to feature immerse gun gameplay thanks to the PlayStation Move motion controllers and a number of dialogue choices for players to craft their own story. Of course, just how much choices will affect outcomes remains to be seen.

The game is set to be one of PlayStation VR’s biggest releases of the year when it lands on May 28.

Observation

A science-fiction thriller set in space, Observation tasks the player to uncover what happened to the now-vanished Dr. Emma Fisher and her crew through the eyes of the station’s artificial intelligence S.A.M.

Not much else is known about the game beyond the trailer and short synopsis, although players will soon be able to find out when it releases 21 May.

KitGuru Says: I’ve always found VR a little too expensive for what’s out there, but Sony’s effort is slowly changing my mind. There are certainly some big names here, but only time will tell whether they’re worth the investment. Do any catch your eye?

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