We’ve been waiting a long time for a fully fledged Batman VR game, and now Meta announced we’re getting one later this year, exclusive to Quest 3.
Developed by Meta’s Camouflaj and Oculus Studios, and created in partnership with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC, Batman: Arkham Shadow is little more than a teaser trailer for now, appended with a “late 2024” release date.
That said, it’s likely we’re in for a Batman vs. Ratcatcher saga, as hordes of rats stream in from the streets of Gotham. The Ratcatcher, aka Otis Flannegan, was an Easter egg character in console and PC title Batman: Arkham City (2011), but has made no appreciable appearance in a Batman video game since release of the console title Batman: Dark Tomorrow (2003).
A nametag is also seen in the trailer, reading Dr. Harleen Quinzel, aka Harley Quinn.
Acquired by Meta in 2022, Camouflaj is most recently known for having developed Marvel’s Iron Man VR (2020). The PSVR timed exclusive eventually made it to the Quest platform nearly two years after its initial release, spurred by the studio’s acquisition and incorporation into Oculus Studios.
When it launched on PSVR in July 2020, Road to VR gave Iron Man VR a rating of ‘Great’ in our full review, calling it VR’s “first great superhero game,” later awarding it our PSVR Game of the Year in 2020. To say we’re expecting big things from Camouflaj is a bit of an understatement.
Batman: Arkham Shadow promises to be the first full Batman VR game, which follows the PSVR action-puzzle game Batman: Arkham VR (2016), which includes about an hour of gameplay. We’ll be tuning into Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest on June 7 at 2:00 PM PT (local time here) to learn more, as Meta promises more details will be revealed there.
Batman: Arkham Shadow isn’t the first big budget VR game targeting Quest 3 exclusivity later this year. Earlier this week VR veteran studio Survios revealed its single-player horror game Alien: Rogue Incursion is also skipping Quest 2 and Quest Pro support when it launches “holiday 2024,” something that may signal the beginning of the end for Quest 2 and Quest Pro.