I have a Q3 and I’m also feeling that right now. Most of the games for VR aren’t even really games. They’re “experiences;” Interactive movies where the only interaction is that you can move around the scene. The other biggest type are practically mobile games. Alyx was great. But it’s been long enough that it needs something to surpass it or at least learn from it.
Alyx was great. But it’s been long enough that it needs something to surpass it or at least learn from it.
Hmm. Yeah, that’s a thought too. To put some numbers on that, if I go to Steam and do a search for VR-only games and rank by User Rating, I get:
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Half-Life: Alyx, 2020 release
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VTOL VR, 2017
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COMPOUND, 2022
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UNDERDOGS, 2024
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Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, 2016
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Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes, 2015
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Half-Life 2: VR Mod, 2022
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The Room VR: A Dark Matter, 2020
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Walkabout Mini Golf VR, 2021
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fpsVR, 2018
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The Last Clockwinder, 2022
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Blade and Sorcery, 2018
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Vertigo 2, 2023
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I Expect You to Die 2: The Spy and the Liar, 2021
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Vermillion - VR Painting, 2021
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Beat Saber, 2019
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The Lab, 2016
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The Thrill of the Fight - VR Boxing, 2019
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OVR Advanced Settings, 2020
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I Expect You To Die, 2017
So of the best-of-the-best out there as of this writing, we have in releases-per-year:
2024: 1 (understandable, year is only about three months in)
2023: 1
2022: 3
2021: 3
2020: 3
2019: 2
2018: 2
2017: 2
2016: 2
2015: 1
I mean, that’s just not really an exponential explosion.
Some of those aren’t even games in any sense of the word. fpsVR and OVR are both just utilities for overlaying things while playing games (and there are free options).
It’s also the most expensive way to play a game, so I do understand the lack of demand compared to the normal gaming space, but there seems to be plenty of people in VR to sustain a good market. So where is it?
Check out Arizona Sunshine. It’s a post apocalypse zombie shooter that I really enjoyed. They just released the sequel a couple months back too, so if you enjoy the first you’ll have another to follow up with. It was the first, and honestly only, VR game that I really enjoyed that wasn’t beat saber or a sim.