IRIS VR, the studio behind TECHNOLUST (2016), announced that its long-awaited open world cyberpunk adventure LOW-FI is slated to launch sometime this year on PlayStation 5, PSVR 2, and PC VR headsets via Steam and the Meta PC platform.

Update (March 10th, 2023): It’s been nearly two years since IRIS VR announced a PS5 version was coming, which initially was set to arrive sometime in 2021. Now studio head Blair Renaud says in a tweet that LOW-FI is officially coming to PS5 and PSVR 2 this year. You can wishlist it on the PlayStation Store here.

The still in-development game has been available for purchase on PC and PC VR headsets for some time via the game’s itch.io, however Renaud also says we should expect to see it on Steam and the Meta PC platform in 2023 as well. You can wishlist it on Steam here.

If you haven’t followed along with the project, here’s a description courtesy of IRIS VR:

As the player, you are “low-fi”, the street name given to those who cannot merge with the platform, a ubiquitous virtual reality simulation where most of the population now live their lives. You are a police officer and have been transferred to a particularly crime ridden section of city-block 303. The only inhabitants of note in your jurisdiction are other low-fi, and the human intelligence (or lower) artificial life forms who have remained among the citizens after the AI singularity.

The original article announcing LOW-FI’s PS5 availability follows below. We’ve also included the latest trailer below this update:

Original Article (June 12th, 2020): A successful Kickstarter campaign late last year helped get LOW-FI off the ground, having garnered IRIS VR over $80,000 USD. At the time, it was pitched as a VR-native game intentionally built from the ground-up for PC VR headsets and “next-gen PSVR.”

The game’s developer, Blair Renaud, says that anyone can pre-order the PC version now, which gives you early access on SteamVR headsets. At the time of this writing the pre-release PC VR version costs $35 USD.

SEE ALSO
The Best Shotguns in VR (and what makes them feel great) – Inside XR Design

And it’s certainly an ambitious undertaking, boasting a massive, non-linear open world, “hundreds” of crimes and stories to solve and explore, branching narratives, and dialogue from what the studio says will be “photo-realistic NPCs.”

While the game’s creator seems fairly certain of LOW-FI’s 2021 launch window (see update), Sony hasn’t actually released word on when a next-gen follow-up to the PSVR is set to arrive.

We do however know that the current PSVR will be compatible with PS5 when the console launches holiday 2020, so upcoming VR releases for PS5 don’t necessarily indicate any implied time frame for a prospective PSVR 2.

Newsletter graphic

This article may contain affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product we may receive a small commission which helps support the publication. More information.


Scott Hayden
Well before the first modern XR products hit the market, Scott recognized the potential of the technology and set out to understand and document its growth. He has been professionally reporting on the space for nearly a decade as Editor at Road to VR, authoring more than 4,000 articles on the topic. Scott brings that seasoned insight to his reporting from major industry events across the globe.
  • MountainK1ng

    Exciting.

  • Michael Lupton

    Yay, Blair is still alive… he went super dark a while ago.

  • Mucker2002

    Let’s hope PSVR 2 has decent tracking capability. PSVR tracking is a car crash.

    • Adam Broadhurst

      Inside out tracking on a par with the Quest will be a huge improvement

  • Bumpy

    This is my most anticipated game on PC atm.
    I know you can buy into the early access alpha play but that ruins the game imo.
    Looking forward to the final product.

    • Arno van Wingerde

      Well buying into the early access allows you to follow the game as it grows up… different from seeing a completed game.

  • gothicvillas

    I really liked their previous game in Dk2, and immediately jumped in to support this too. While the downloaded demo is interesting, it is complete bare bones which makes me worried about their ambitions for 2021

    • Gonzax

      Same here, I loved Technolust and was a Day1 supporter of Low-Fi but 3 years after and judging by the last demo I tried I’ve lost my passion for the project. I’ll play it whenever it’s out and still hope it will be good but I’m not looking forward to it the way I was before anymore.

    • gothicvillas

      3yrs later I think this game will never be what we envisioned. It takes too long and the end result is not going to wow us im afraid. I feel bad for the devs who poured all these years into game which after all these years still feels barebones. They should have made some smaller game like Technolust which till this day is an outstanding app.

  • Bart Grudzien

    Hopefully he got some Sony money to finish the game.

  • Cienna Tower

    I don’t see it available to pre-order on steam?

    • Gonzax

      It is on Steam but not for pre-order yet.

  • Gabriel Cash

    Loving the Blade Runner visuals.

  • ray manta

    It’s been coming for 3 or 4 years.
    Shocking visuals, but any gameplay
    it’s going to be a flop when it comes out in 2024 or 2025 or … never

  • Tommy

    The visuals are amazing and the gameplay is different from what most are expecting. When standing on the street looking up watching the flying cars, there is nothing else in VR that I’ve seen that’s more impressive. Won’t be for everyone though.

    • Nevets

      In what sense won’t it be, out of interest?

      • Tommy

        It’s pretty but not a whole lot to do. Flying around in your car is very reminiscent of Air Car, if you’ve ever tried it. The gameplay consists more of being a detective and lots of questioning over a standard shooter model. It’s not bad but I expect many will be thinking it’s a different kind of game.
        With that said, I recommend it for the visuals and environments themselves, even more so if you played and liked Technolust.

        • Nevets

          Fair enough. Yeah, I liked Aircar, but it was a one dimensional tech demo. Hope this one has a bit more depth. Though I’m a sucker for pretty Sci fi visuals anyway

          • Tommy

            This isn’t too far from Air Car except this one does have guns on the car so you can take down the baddies.
            It’s as close as you can get to a true Blade Runner experience besides the actual Blade Runner 2049: Replicant Pursuit and Blade Runner 9732.

        • Arno van Wingerde

          Actually, I kind of like it if i get to admire a world without getting attacked every other second for a change … and these visuals look absolutely stunning!

        • If that’s all the game ends-up being,
          a lotta people are gonna be really mad at this guy.

        • kool

          Its it kinda like La noire?

          • Tommy

            Not as far as interviewing and watching for facial giveaways. More like a multiple choice of questions to ask. It does have other elements.
            This is from their site and explains better than I can:
            STORY
            As the player, you are “low-fi”, the street name given to those who cannot merge with the platform, a ubiquitous virtual reality simulation where most of the population now live their lives. You are a police officer and have been transferred to a particularly crime ridden section of city-block 303. The only inhabitants of note in your jurisdiction are other low-fi, and the human intelligence (or lower) artificial life forms who have remained among the citizens after the AI singularity.
            GAMEPLAY
            LOW-FI is a new kind of experience designed specifically for VR. More akin to a holodeck program than a traditional game. The massive open world has a lot to do, but it’s up to you as the player as to what you want to do. This is a completely non-linear world. You can patrol the skies handing out tickets, hang out in the arcade and play games, or try your luck at the casino. How you earn and spend your credits is entirely up to you.

            There are tons of upgrades to purchase, from weapon upgrades, to toys for your companions. We want you to roam the world and enjoy yourself the way you want to. We set the stage, but the story is in your hands.

          • Gonzax

            I wouldn’t call the world ‘massive’, in fact when flying it’s quite small, to be honest. I probably spent more time flying in Aircar than here and the city in Aircar is still way more impressive IMO.

            That said, as an early kickstarter supporter of Low-Fi and as a huge fan of their previous game Technolust I hope this will deliver even if the 3-year dealy is not helping much.

            Last demo I tried was quite empty but there’s been a few updates since then, I’ll give it a try one of these days to see how the game is progressing.

  • Paul Bellino

    I really hope he can pull it off.

  • Foreign Devil

    This is an indie developer . . mostly one guy. . making something that looks like a AAA production.

  • gothicvillas

    I feel this project might be a bit too ambitous for a “small team”… hope im wrong

  • Jonathan Winters III

    The dev promised a release date of 2020 to backers. The promised again and again. 3 years later, and still no game…so take this, on of several release date announcements, with a grain of salt.

    • Arno van Wingerde

      I certainly do, more important: is it ever coming to a full release or not and if it does, will the game be any good?

    • Gonzax

      Yeah, one of the reasons I’ll never support any Kickstarter project again. You give them money and all they do is spend it in different versions of the game instead of the one that was promised.

      • Roger Bentley

        Remember ossics x smh sadly I was a early backer of that scam and a early backer of low fi and believe lo-fi will deliver

        • Gonzax

          I think it will deliver too but 3+ years late.

  • Kenny Thompson

    1/2 the comments here are from 3 years ago. This is very much turning into the VR version of Duke Nukem Forever. Hope I am wrong but it’s been on the horizon so long that it may only sell if its really really good. The impulse buyers may be over the impulse.

  • low rez

    No chance this drops for ps5 it hasn’t even had early access on PC and it’s been over 2 years!

    • Tommy

      I’ve had this in early access for several years (2019, I think). There’s been plenty of testing. I’m surprised the game isn’t finished but also realize the size of the developer company making it.

      • low rez

        Ah I see they basically pulled off of steam where it was in my wishlist for 2 years before I dropped it.

        Also – use to literally have low-fi graphics, right?

        Kinda looks like they went full Cyberpunk which honestly I think is not ideal.

    • kool

      Anwanfw!

    • Gonzax

      More like 3+ years, actually

  • ApocalypseShadow

    Help them out Sony. We need some cyberpunk.

  • John Dagdelen

    I’ve been playing the demo since I preordered on itch and I’m so pumped for the full game. Just cruising around in a flying police cruiser through the city is worth the price of the game alone.

  • Jonathan Winters III

    Those crossed fingers must be getting real sore. I recall the 2020 promised release date in the kickstarter.

  • Jonathan Winters III

    I’m sure glad I didn’t get sucked into his Kickstarter!

  • Kenny Thompson

    This gives me a bit of “Under a Killing Moon” vibes. Sounds like the gameplay may be a bit similar too, with all the dialogue trees and detective work.

  • Gonzax

    This year…… we’ll see, I heard that about the PC version back in 2020, that’s a 3-year delay so far.

  • Gonzax

    Yeah, I have to agree with you on every point. Lesson learned.
    I wouldn’t complain for one or two delays, even 2021 instead of 2020, which to be honest, I never thought would happen judging by how early-stage the first demo was, but it’s three years now and I even doubt it will see the light of day this year.
    He should have made the announced PC version first and then the others, which was what was promised, but instead he decided to use our money for a flat version, some Quest experiments, ps5, etc etc