Better keep a tight grip on that wallet—the tail end of 2023 is seeing the launch of a flurry of anticipated games for Meta Quest 2 and Quest 3 (and a few which are also coming to PSVR 2 and PC VR). Here’s what should be on your radar.

Updated – November 21st, 2023

If you’ve been looking for something new to play, you’re about to have some decisions to make. Here’s a chronological breakdown of new Quest games coming before the end of 2023, starting with those that have recently launched but shouldn’t be missed!

Dungeons of Eternity – Available Now ($30)

From the Developer:

Hack-n-slash takes on a new meaning in VR: swing swords, throw axes, use bows, wield magic staffs, and more to make it out alive. With the power of VR, you will be immersed in a fantasy adventure like no other.

COOP OR SOLO PLAY Band together for an unforgettable cooperative experience with up to 3 players, or delve into the dungeons yourself.

EVER-CHANGING DUNGEONS Explore randomly-generated dungeons across multiple game modes and realms – no dungeon run is the same. A vast array of chambers await, from combat arenas, puzzle, and trap rooms, secret chambers, and more.

FEEL THE DUNGEONS Hack-n-slash like never before with a visceral physics-based combat system and realistic interactions with the game world.

ENDLESS ARSENAL Every weapon is randomly generated, offering nearly endless loot within the dungeons. You will discover many weapon types, including swords, bows, magic staffs, and more.

PLAY YOUR WAY Craft your playstyle and appearance through loadouts, upgrades, and a diverse set of character customization options.

The 7th Guest VR – Available Now ($30)

Also on PSVR 2 and PC VR
From the Developer:

The classic game that chilled you to the bone in the 90s has been brought back to life, with cutting-edge VR technology that delivers an atmospheric story like no other.

Six guests have been welcomed to the foreboding mansion. But something sinister is at play. The wealthy recluse and toymaker, Henry Stauf, hides in the shadows, and there is a dark power here, shrouded in mysteries. Who is the 7th Guest? What does Henry want with them? And who will live to tell the tale?

As you explore the eerie mansion, the puzzles become increasingly challenging, and there are dangers lurking around every corner, with every shadow, creak, and flicker of light adding to the haunting tension.

Unlock new rooms and uncover hidden secrets, all while trying to keep your wits about you against the eerie horrors. The 7th Guest VR is the ultimate adventure for fans of mystery-puzzle games and those seeking a new and terrifying VR experience.

Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord – Available Now ($35)

Also on PSVR 2

From the Developer:

Team up with friends and become a Ghostbuster in this made-for-VR adventure.

Immerse yourself in the thrills and fun of bustin’ ghosts like never before on the Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest 3. Quash a Mini-Pufts invasion in your own home in the exclusive game mode, Mini-Puft Mayhem – featuring the Meta Quest 3’s unique mixed reality capabilities.

Out of Scale: A Kurzgesagt Adventure – Available Now ($15)

JourneyFrom the Developer:

In this VR app, you explore the worlds within worlds around you from inside your mobile scale lab as you travel to five levels of scale – molecular, bacterial, insect, human, and mountain. You’re joined by STEVE, the lab’s AI assistant, who shows you the different effects of biology, physics, and chemistry in each realm. Together you’ll scan objects, find hidden ducks, and observe science in action. You will complete four missions around giant ants, a tardigrade, a protist, and giant fungi that have accidentally been scaled up by using scientific concepts and scaling objects up and down yourself.

In addition to the base game, there is a Multiplayer Theater where players can invite their friends and watch Kurzgesagt videos together in VR. There’s also a Mixed Reality Sandbox where players can bring objects and creatures they’ve unlocked in the game into their home.

Journey to Foundation – Available Now ($40)

Also on PSVR 2

From the Developer:

It’s been almost two centuries since Hari Seldon predicted the fall of the Galactic Empire and forged a Foundation to mitigate the chaos and destruction that would come.

You are an agent with the Commission of Public Safety, a shadowy organization that maintains order in the Galactic Empire. What begins as a mission to investigate deserters in the Periphery quickly becomes a battle for control of all humanity. With your superior officer in your ear, and the esteemed governor’s daughter at your side, you must journey to Foundation.

In this immersive roleplaying adventure, you decide who will rise and what is lost to the fires of anarchy. Disguise, hack, and blast your way through Asimov’s groundbreaking sci-fi universe using the most advanced tools the Galactic Empire has to offer.

The Foglands – Available Now ($25)

Also on PSVR 2 and PC VR

From the Developer:

The Foglands is an atmospheric 3D roguelike shooter where you’ll discover new paths, and uncover old secrets. Run into the unknown, fight monsters, scavenge loot, and try to make it back before you are swallowed by the Fog.

EXPLORE THE FOGLANDS – Play as a Runner, heroes of a sparse community living underground. Adventure from the wrecks of long-dead technology to the undiscovered depths where you’ll run, jump, sneak, and fight your way through the Fog.

ROWDY BAR-FIGHT ACTION – In a mysterious, fog-infested world, dangerous forces lurk in the shadows. Punch, throw, shoot, and smash through each run as you go toe-to-toe with strange, malevolent monsters and vicious, roving factions.

A MYSTERIOUS TALE – A great creature reawakens in the Fog. With the survival of your community in peril, you must strike a deal with a mysterious stranger in this sci-fi-western-horror story. Follow the network of tunnels to learn the long-buried truth and remember, sometimes the best way to move forward… is to look back.

SCAVENGE AND GROW – Scavenge precious items, unearth hidden secrets, and collect powerful abilities that can mean the difference between victory and death

Vampire: The Masquerade – Justice – Available Now ($30)

Also on PSVR 2

From the Developer:

Become a vampire. Strike from the darkness and drink the blood of your prey. Use stealth, persuasion, and an arsenal of upgradable abilities to sneak past enemies undetected or punish the guilty in the seedy backstreets of Venice.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Justice is an open-ended, narrative Adventure RPG set in the World of Darkness universe. You have the power to strike fear into the hearts of criminals as an untraceable shadow, picking off targets one-by-one.

STEALTH IS YOUR WEAPON
Shadows are your ally. Take to the rooftops and seek new paths away from enemy eyes. Use Shadow Traps to snatch up unsuspecting prey and drag them into Oblivion. Activate Cloak of Shadows and slip unseen through enemy defenses. In Vampire: The Masquerade – Justice, stealth is your weapon.

BECOME A POWERFUL VAMPIRE
Punish the guilty with brutal abilities. Launch yourself towards opponents with immense force or boil their insides with Cauldron of Blood. Sink your fangs into their necks to stock up on blood. Load your crossbow with special bolts to kill, distract or knock out guards from afar. Dish out Justice with a vengeance

LEVEL UP AND EXPLORE
The dark skies of Venice provide ample opportunity to level up powers and build a character suited to your playstyle. Tackle side-missions to earn more experience. Convince NPCs to aid your quest, solve puzzles, uncover collectibles and test yourself with optional tasks in each mission.

Stride Fates – Available Now ($30)

Also on PC VR

From the Developer:

Enhancing everything players love about the freerunning nature of STRIDE, the full-fledged sequel ‘Fates’ pushes the parkour action formula even further with new gameplay and a story-driven campaign.

MEET YOUR FATE

Raised in the slums of dystopian Airon City, at the very bottom of the food chain, you got a golden ticket out.

To survive and climb the ladder in elite police forces of SkyChase, you will have to deal with power shifts in gangs, dirty family feuds, corporate secrets, forbidden tech and much more. Your fate is bound with other motley characters in this story. Will you accept the destiny or fight against it?

FEEL LIKE A PARKOUR SPEC-OPS OFFICER

  • Climb buildings, vault through windows, and slide down cables with lightning speed.
  • Explore open-world locations under the watch of snipers and drones.
  • Feel the thrill of close-quarters combat with tactical shooter gameplay.
  • Use your gadgets and hacking skills to outwit thugs and corporates.

Demeo Battles – Available Now ($20)

Also on PC VR

From the Developer:

Welcome to the arena! Demeo Battles is a competitive turn-based strategy game for 1-4 players, featuring:

Turn-based Tactics – Battle your opponents in dungeons, forests and more as you square off against your enemies in grid-based action combat across 10 maps tailored for intense PvP competition — but don’t fall victim to “The Burn”

Monstrous Minions – Assemble an army of chaotic critters to fight alongside you — from rats and goblins to cave trolls to giant slimes — a rotating cast of 37 creatures to pick from at launch, all with a mind of their own!

Heroic Teamwork – Bring two champions to the battle in every match and leverage their synergies; control both heroes directly or partner up with another player to defeat competitors cooperatively

Play Your Way – Choose a champion to match your play style from 7 classes — hunter, sorcerer, assassin, guardian, bard, warlock or barbarian — to unleash magic, melee mayhem and more, with 89 possible cards to pick from when raining fury down on your opponents

Bespoke Builds – Spend your coins wisely when you enter the arena to build a unique loadout in every game, choosing from a randomized selection of action cards and monsters

Speedy Strategy – Challenge yourself to battle after battle with average matches lasting just under 20 minutes

Cross-Play – Play with your friends across all supported devices

Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR – Available Now ($40)

From the Developer:

Embody three legendary Assassins in this all-new full-length Assassin’s Creed action-adventure game. Experience firsthand the thrill of parkour, the rush of combat, and the tension of stealth as you become the Assassin like never before. Uncover new memories from Ezio Auditore, Kassandra, and Connor as you work to stop Abstergo from gaining the power to manipulate people’s beliefs.

PARKOUR: Feel the exhilaration of parkouring freely across expansive open maps. Explore Renaissance Italy, Ancient Greece, and Colonial America. Immerse yourself in history as you engage with NPCs and interact with historical figures like Leonardo Da Vinci.

COMBAT: Deploy your Hidden Blade with a flick of your wrist. Use your hands to block, parry, counterattack, and duel a variety of enemies. Immerse yourself in the action with weapons including bow and arrows, swords, throwing knives, the tomahawk, the crossbow, the Hidden Blade, and bombs, all of which attach to your full-body avatar.

STEALTH: Sneak up on a target from behind or surprise them with an air assassination. Evade enemies by blending into a crowd or distract them with objects in the environment.

Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR features all of the iconic gameplay from the series, including the dazzling Leap of Faith. You will become the Assassin, choosing how to achieve your missions as you sneak, traverse, and fight your way through open maps in an unforgettable campaign.

Ironstrike – Available Now ($20)

From the Developer:

Ironstrike is a co-op VR fantasy roguelike combat game developed by E McNeill. Players can go at it alone or party up with friends with a wide array of character classes to choose from to dispatch waves of challenging enemies. Utilize a wide array of weapons as a ranger or become an arcane mage to use magical spells to buff teammates or compromise opponents.

Stranger Things VR – November 30th ($30)

From the Developer:

Experience the world of Stranger Things from the never-before-seen perspective of Vecna as he explores unknown realities, forms the hive mind, and enacts his plan for revenge against Eleven and Hawkins.

Players will invade the dreams and memories of fan-favorite characters and harness telekinetic powers to possess minds and battle creatures, as Henry Creel’s transformation into Vecna and his influence on the events of prior seasons is revealed.

  • Grab, crush and throw your opponents using telekinesis
  • Relive memories from Henry’s time at Hawkins Lab with Dr. Brenner as you explore an otherworldly, interconnected hive mind
  • Inhabit the dreams and memories of fan-favorite characters like Will Byers and Billy Hargrove as you manipulate them to do your bidding
  • Open and close portals between worlds and realities… at your peril

Sniper Elite VR: Winter Warrior – November 30th ($15)

From the Developer:

Grab your rifle and make your way behind enemy lines with Sniper Elite VR: Winter Warrior.

You play as ‘The Partisan’, an Italian resistance soldier during World War II with a mission to banish the Nazi forces from his homeland once and for all. As you fight your way through the campaign you will uncover new Nazi ‘wonder-weapons’ that must be destroyed along with those behind the plans.

VR takes gunplay and handling to a whole new level. Hold your sniper rifle with both hands, bring the scope to your eye and hold your breath as you prepare to take the perfect shot.

Also includes ‘Sniper Hunt’, an intense game of cat and mouse that pits you against expert Nazi snipers. Take out a patrol of enemy soldiers to lure out the snipers before relocating to take on the next opponent.

Another new game mode, ‘Last Stand’, sees you digging in against waves of enemies. Think and act fast to gather weapons and ammunition, and set traps, before finding the ideal location to fight the oncoming forces.

Arashi: Castles of Sin – Final Cut – December 5th ($30)

Also on PSVR 2 and PC VR

From the Developer:

Take on the role of the deadly assassin Kenshiro as you travel across feudal Japan to defeat the Six Oni of Iga, a bandit group spreading chaos across the land. Through a wide variety of weapons, tools, and techniques, you’ll infiltrate conquered castles and outwit your enemies as you hunt down each Oni.

With the innovations of Next-Gen VR hardware, immerse yourself in the ultimate shinobi fantasy. Leap from rooftop to rooftop, hide in shadows and perform lethal sneak attacks, survive impossible odds in sword combat, and vanish from the scene just as quickly as you arrived. Heightened graphical fidelity and carefully tuned controls make each new battle more engaging than the last.

Each castle you conquer is capped off with an exciting battle against one of the Six Oni. Each bandit leader is a unique combatant both in style, personality, and abilities, putting your mastery of the sword to the test. Prove yourself against these fearsome foes as you hone your skills with each new encounter.

Your mission for justice is not one you take alone. With your canine companion Haru by your side, praised for her advanced AI and usefulness, Arashi brings a unique sense of companionship not found in other VR titles.

Customize your arsenal as you see fit before each mission with blades, grenades, mines, arrows, blowguns, pistols, and more! Whether you want to make it through unscathed and unseen, or want to face your enemies head-on with style, your choices are always supported.

Arizona Sunshine 2 – December 7th ($50)

Also on PSVR 2 and PC VR

From the Developer:

Sharpen your machete and load your shotgun: It’s time to say hello to your old pal, Fred. Arizona Sunshine 2, the next-gen sequel to the fan-favorite VR apocalypse, packs even more gore-geous zombie action! Narrated by the unmistakable quips of our dark-humored protagonist, Arizona Sunshine 2 sets you on an all-new limb-strewn adventure in search of answers. In a post-apocalyptic world where every bullet counts, experience the thrill of realistic combat as you wield all-new and fan-favorite weapons–from shotguns to machetes and flamethrowers. And what’s better than braving the end of the f*cking world? Surviving it with your new best friend–Buddy. That’s not all, as co-op mode makes its return.

LEGO Bricktales – December 7th ($30)

From the Developer:

In LEGO Bricktales, discover an innovative brick-by-brick building mechanic to design puzzle solutions from your own imagination. See your creations brought to life in a beautiful LEGO world where every problem has a constructive resolution.

Embark on an epic adventure across a world of beautiful LEGO diorama biomes crafted brick by brick as you search for inspiration to help your grandfather reinvigorate his rundown amusement park with your little robot buddy in tow. Your journey will take you to the deepest jungle, sun-drenched deserts, a bustling city corner, a towering medieval castle, and tropical Caribbean islands. Help the minifigures of these worlds by solving puzzles and unlock new skills throughout the story to further explore these worlds and uncover the many secrets and mysteries they contain.

From purely aesthetic creations, such as a market stand or music box, up to functional physics-based puzzles like building a crane or gyrocopter – each diorama offers a variety of construction spots with the freedom of intuitive brick-by-brick building. In each spot you are given a set of bricks and it’s up to you to figure out a unique build that will work. On top of specific puzzles and quests, there are additional builds in the amusement park so you can customize the rides to make them your own!

Asgard’s Wrath 2 – December 15th ($60)

From the Developer:

Awaken, Cosmic Guardian – The fate of reality lies in your hands. Travel across vast realms inhabited by the gods in pursuit of the Trickster God Loki, who threatens to undo the threads of the universe. It’s up to you to battle gods and monsters alike as you take on one of the biggest and most epic scale Action RPGs ever experienced in VR.

Alongside legendary Egyptian gods, you’ll fight deadly warriors and awe-inspiring mythical creatures through physics-based, visceral combat with unique weapons and playstyles. Possess unique mortal heroes and convert loyal animals into your own warrior followers as you explore a massive, free-roaming and living world and solve mind-bending god-scale puzzles.

Wallace & Gromit in The Grand Getaway – Winter 2023

From the Developer:

Wallace and Gromit are preparing for a well-earned golfing getaway. They’ve even created a new Auto-Caddy contraption to join them!

But Wallace soon discovers he has his dates mixed up, and they need a quick solution to make up time! There’s only one option…they’ll have to take the Rocket and hope nothing goes wrong along the way… 🚀!

Before long, mishaps and mayhem send the team hurtling into deep space on an epic new adventure.

Will this be a holiday to remember? Or one they’d rather forget…

Step into their world and play your part to find out!

What Didn’t Make it in 2023

While that’s a solid lineup before the end of the year, two big Quest games that we hoped to see this year won’t be out before the New Year.

SEE ALSO
Refurbished Quest 3 on Amazon is the Headset's Best Deal Yet
Image courtesy Skydance Interactive

First is the highly anticipated Behemoth from Skydance Interactive, the developer behind the Walking Dead VR games. Original slated for a 2023 release date, the studio recently announced a major delay for the game until 2024. Also coming to PSVR 2 and PC VR.

There’s also Bulletstorm VR which was supposed to launch on December 14th, but got a last minute delay until January 18th. It’s also coming to PSVR 2 and PC VR.

Image courtesy Rockstar Games

And last but not least is GTA: San Andreas VR. Announced way back in 2021, we figured the game would be set for release not later than the launch of Quest 3… but with no release date set, it’s almost certainly not going to land in 2023. And with no recent updates on the game, we might not ever see it.

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Ben Lang
Ben is the world's most senior professional analyst solely dedicated to the XR industry, having founded Road to VR in 2011—a year before the Oculus Kickstarter sparked a resurgence that led to the modern XR landscape. He has authored more than 3,000 articles chronicling the evolution of the XR industry over more than a decade. With that unique perspective, Ben has been consistently recognized as one of the most influential voices in XR, giving keynotes and joining panel and podcast discussions at key industry events. He is a self-described "journalist and analyst, not evangelist."
  • Christian Schildwaechter

    The average price of these is 25% higher than the long term trend of best selling apps. They are not necessarily representative, and more factors apply, but I am wondering if we now a) see a trend towards higher prices that may be b) due to increasing production values/costs and c) how customers will react.

    It could go both ways. Quest users may be happy to pay (a little) more for better titles, making more expensive games more attractive to produce. Or they may perceive the increased prices as not justified and buy less. Most buyers will still own the Quest 2 and would not benefit from costly improvements the developers made for Quest 3. PS5 gamers were annoyed by AAA titles going to USD 70, so charging USD 60 for Asgard’s Wrath 2 is a risky move. That’s 20% of what most payed for Quest 2.

    Stats: the average price of the new games is USD ~32 (USD ~30 without Asgard’s Wrath 2). Looking at the monthly Top 20 most new ratings/sales Quest games, average was ~USD 26 +-2, higher around Christmas with an influx of new users, and then dropping to the lowest USD 24 in August [Oct 22-Aug 23: 25.50, 25.00, 26.25, 27.50, 26.75, 27.75, 26.75, 25.75, ?, 25.75, 24.00]

    • Dragon Marble

      Yep. Let’s see if the players put their money where their mouths are.

      • Tanix Tx3

        Thats a bit of a weird sentence. While anything getting more and more expensive a lot of people have to make tough decisions almost every day.
        This might not be in the focus of an average player, bu, vr games are really not that important.

        • Dragon Marble

          There are “schools of thoughts” in the VR community on why VR is not taking off. One popular theory is “content is the king”, and, in particular, “we need AAA games”. Those believe that cheap and shallow games on Quest platform lead to lo retention rate. They even blame Quest games for dragging PCVR and PSVR down (“we are getting the Quest ports”). This holiday season will provide us rare data points for or against that theory.

          • Okazuma

            It’s true that the Quest 2 is holding VR back. The developers of “Song in the Smoke” also said it openly. The SH develops taking into account the best-selling platform which is a smartphone of 2019/2020..

          • Dragon Marble

            No, Quest is holding VR up, not back. If Quest suddenly disappeared, instead of getting better versions of VR games, you would just not get them at all. Think about it, if the PC/PS player base was too small for devs like 17-bit to even bother to enhance an existing game, why would they make a game from the ground up for the same players? Don’t believe their excuses.

          • Okazuma

            If I have to choose between games that are technically limited in gameplay/graphics and not having any, I prefer the last option. You’re right, without Quest, VR would have already died but after years we are still dealing with games with big limitations and short longevity. I got so tired that I started playing Flat again after 6 years of VR

          • Dragon Marble

            Well, then it goes back to my original post. Finally these games are coming out. Will you put your money where you mouth is?

          • Christian Schildwaechter

            Imagine Carmack in control of Oculus, pushing practical solutions. He introduced VR at E3 with modded Doom 3, pushing for VR in flat games from 2012, not 2021 with Sony’s hybrid games and PCVR mods getting popular. More seated/controller based experiences would’ve made adding VR easier, sticking to phone displays (4K in 2015) hardware simpler. Reduced hardware and software complexity/cost lowers the entry bar for VR users, devs and manufacturers. Steam’s VR user share could be way bigger, and VR integration the norm.

            Carmack also pushed mobile VR and saw Go’s potential unfulfilled. Skyrim with gamepad/VD on Go was my first untethered VR. They could have positioned Go 2017 as a USD 200 1440p streaming PCVR HMD with casual native apps. Without an early focus on mobile and VR only titles, needing separate, expensive development, we could have cheaper/better hardware and more AAA due to higher user and developer interest. A healthier market wouldn’t burn billions, but enable competition. Meta may have hampered more organic development by pushing for room scale and standalone before the tech was ready. VR could be further at slower pace, first making it usable with existing games, only gradually moving to mobile. Quest led into a trap with high development costs, small user numbers and a lack of development, enforcing each other.

            This is speculation, not my believe. Neither Quest holding up nor back VR fits, and many problems Meta’s money and Quest solve, they also created.

          • Dragon Marble

            Those ideas have been tried, and basically failed. Even today, if anyone wants to build a cheaper and simpler headset, or add a rudimental VR mode to a flat game, the door is still wide open. Meta is not stopping anyone.

            The notion that Meta is dominating and crowding the market place is a fallacy, because it assumes a saturated market. We are far from that. There are 3 cavemen and one fish. Instead of fighting each other, the 3 of them should try to cooperate and catch more fish. Meta is the only one catching fish right now. The others are just waiting for it to be cooked.

            Any idea is welcome. Hybrids, mods, MR, fitness, media, whatever can bring more people to VR. Don’t just talk, make it happen. You can’t blame Meta for things the others are not doing. Meta has its right to choose its own path.

          • Christian Schildwaechter

            I led with pushing VR modes (not mods) for more AAA PCVR, as “cheaper and simpler” still requires way more content. And no, before Sony no VR platform owner pushed “hybrid” games, and PSVR2 now has the best chances for non-subsidized AAA. Oculus early on tried to get rid of Steam (with flat/hybrid games), and cut off PCVR many times, locking out HTC users, making titles exclusive, killing Rift 2, Rift S, then first prohibiting wireless, now cloud streaming.

            Meta stops competition by not allowing other stores, killing SideQuest’s revenue with crippled AppLab, acquiring the most profitable apps. A market isn’t open if the main player subsidizes hard- and software for decades, removing profitability. Quest sells at cost because selling below is predatory pricing, illegal for a market leader, while eating billions in research/operation cost is perfectly legal. Meta is going for market dominance, raising the entry bar with Facebook billions. So no, others can’t just create and then sell a cheaper headset, and their main market (US teens) was getting saturated by 2022 with 26% owning a HMD, 9% planing to get one, 32% not and 33% somewhat interested/unsure, but not buying.

            Meta does a lot of good for VR, but they aren’t “good guys” and have their own agendas. See Facebook/Instagram.

          • Dragon Marble

            All of those supposedly anti-competitive things Meta has done also brings more people to VR. Why do we have to always look at Meta through some bad lenses, and hold them to a different standard. Does PS5 supports Steam or allow some kind of sideloading? Does Apple?

            You are simultaneously claiming Meta is leaving a thirsty market underserved while also accusing them saturating the said market. Meta can’t do anything right.

            Meta is not fighting to keep that fish to themselves — because the fish is too small for its gigantic belly. They are trying to expand VR’s reach, which also benefits Steam VR and PSVR — just like Apple Vision Pro also benefits Quest 3. This world is not just about competition. Some conventional thinking from mature markets can’t be blindly applied to a nascent market like VR. For such a small, undeveloped market, synergy > competition.

          • Christian Schildwaechter

            Meta is fighting to keep that fish to themselves, because it’s the only one currently available, and sharing now may lead to others catching fish later, so it’s better to starve them now. And yes, they also cooperate with others, and switching to OpenXR allowed devs to easily port to their competitor Pico.

            The situation isn’t black or white, Meta not good or evil. It’s never that simple. Meta is good and evil, they grow VR and enable and stop others from growing VR. What they do is legal, makes business sense and users benefit from lower prices. But in the long run, lack of competition usually ends badly for consumers, and Meta has forced competitors into niches Meta doesn’t target, mostly low volume/high margin business and high end PCVR.

            The only remaining mass market competitors are companies with billions to burn like Apple and Bytedance/Pico, and potentially Google/Samsung. I don’t hold Meta by different standards than Google, Apple, Microsoft or IBM, all of which have used money, deals and licensing to shut out competitors. I’m aware that the Google/Apple duopoly in mobile is both bad and good, that open PCs and closed consoles have both advantages and disadvantages. There is never one “right” answer, but it’s important to look at all the possible answers and questions.

          • Dragon Marble

            It’s not that complicated either. If all the tech companies are the same in terms of how they practice capitalism, but Meta is doing the most good for VR, then they are the good guys.

          • ApocalypticSwampFunk

            They’re going on about Sony somehow creating hybrid VR gaming when in reality Sony have just replicated the same flat to VR ports that have been happening on PCVR for years. Pretty much all the racing and flying sims for example.

            Sony haven’t released a single brand new flat game in conjunction with a VR port.

            That would actually be promoting hybrid…

    • Ben Lang

      Interesting point. I think the production values are certainly going up, but as you say, whether or not that translates to better sales/satisfaction is another question.

    • Asdf

      Why even pay these companies for making all this sick, occult, violent, psychological poison? They should be charged for making it!

      • Nevets

        Eh? Explain yourself.

        • Asdf

          Maybe those companies should pay something like A 90% tax that goes to the families of the victims of shooters. Any games that make the shooting as many of anything as possible should pay for the mental illness they spread in this world!

          • Christian Schildwaechter

            This has been claimed for decades, and statistically disproven many times. A connection between exposure to/engaging in fictional violence and doing the same in real life may seem self-evident, but could never be established for either violent films or games. Whenever studied, even children show that they already clearly differentiate between fictional violence as entertainment and reality, with no habituation due to exposure.

            Opponents often point to attackers in mass shootings having played shooter games, but this turns out to be a correlation due to online shooters being very popular, not a causation. Social isolation and being victims of mobbing are much stronger indicators for future shooters, so teaching tolerance and inclusion of outsiders alongside limiting access to firearms are more likely to reduce such events. Attackers can simulate their plans with violent games, but then blaming video games as the trigger instead is often used as a scapegoat to avoid adressing misconduct like openly encouraged shunning of misfits, or considering gun restrictions.

            Everyone has to decide whether they like violence in fictional form (I don’t), but those interested in improving the situation should at least look at the scientific evidence. Virtual violence actually helps many players to vent off aggression from unresolved real world conflict.

          • Asdf

            Enormous funding of those studies by the entertainment industry are similar to those funded by the beverage industry. You should look up some studies on desensitization.

          • Christian Schildwaechter

            Yeah, why bother with inconvenient evidence, when it is so much easier to just declare everyone not supporting your world view as corrupt? Problem solved, ignorance saves the day.

          • Asdf

            ¿Everbody is killing civilians (real and virtual) so it be right? Is % terrorist = % collateral damage?

          • Christian Schildwaechter

            Real humans dying is a tragedy. The Vogons blowing up the earth with eight billion fictional humans to create a hyperspace bypass in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is funny entertainment. It’s not the same.

            It is very important to be able to differentiate between fiction and reality, and to understand the difference between correlation and causation, as otherwise both your statements and your decisions may end up being horribly wrong, and you may waste a lot of time with trying to fix problems that don’t exist, while the real issues remain unresolved.

          • Fdsa

            And you may also waste a lot of time creating problems that don’t exist. If you don’t understand forward and reverse correlation you are the cause of monkey see, monkey do! VR is blending fiction and reality in ways that may end up being horribly wrong.

          • GRL GVNG

            Don’t you let these pretty faces fool you
            Savage underneath (Yeah, we’re so savage)
            There’s no limit, nothing that we can’t do
            Whatever the problem
            We know how to solve ’em (Yeah, yeah)

          • Jonathan Winters III

            Cause and effect trump “statistics”. Pro-gamers always deny it. Maybe go back and research a bit, for example, Columbine as a starting point.

          • Nevets

            Well, I guess I asked for an explanation and I got one. I didn’t ask for a logical explanation after all. Am I right in supposing that you support the right to bear arms?

      • Charles U. Farley

        “sick, occult, violent, psychological poison”? Are you fucked in the head or something?

    • Cl

      Bought a bunch of games during the sale. Hopefully that tells them something. Or maybe it tells them to charge higher and then when a sale comes it will be brought down to the normal price and people will think they are getting a deal…

    • kebo

      I have to disagree. AW2 is a 60 hour game so the high price of 60 Euro is totally justified (it’s free for Quest3 users anyway). You simply cannot compare it to previous games.

      AC Nexus however shows with 40 Euro that this is still the regular price for a VR campaign. Most games are still at 30 Euro so the big picture certainly hasn’t changed.

      Overall, getting new campaings is really what everyone was waiting for and what was clearly lacking on the VR side. So less drama please. This is good news.

      • Christian Schildwaechter

        To avoid “drama”, I deliberately made no statement whether AW2 is worth USD 60, and only referred to stats and negative reactions to PS5 price increases, despite valid arguments. The USD 60 AAA tier was established in the early PS3/Xbox 360 days and stuck for more than 15 years, while inflation would have increased it to USD 80.

        Game pricing isn’t about objective, but perceived value and expectations. If only playtime mattered, games like Beat Saber would cost huge sums, and one-time narratives very little. Replayability counts though: the three most popular Quest games for all but one of the months covered were Golf+, Blade & Sorcery: Nomad and BONELAB, while high production value/long campaign RE4 dropped out of the Top 20 (again) in August.

        Meta produced AW2 to show the platforms capabilities, like HL:A for Valve or HCotM for Sony. These titles are often loss leaders, as they’d need to sell at much higher prices than accepted to make back their way above average production costs. Meta asking for 50% more than all current Quest top tier games is risky, regardless of production cost and value. They could end up with less revenue than they might get from more sales at a lower price. Maybe the USD 60 is mostly to “reduce” the perceived Quest 3 price tag by bundling AW2, and they’ll later drop the price.

        • Hussain X

          Readily available 25% discount codes mean it’s just gonna cost $45 from Day 1.

          • Christian Schildwaechter

            But these discounts are available for all games, so AW2 will still be 50% more expensive than all other top tier Quest games. The problem is less the absolute price, and more the perceived significant increase.

          • Arno van Wingerde

            Well, after all the moaning about lack of good games, yours truly included, we are now finally getting the AAA games (we hope!) with matching price tags. Sounds like a win-win: who does not want to spent that much can get 4-5 games for the price of one real game, find out they are done rather quickly and put away their sets. Or spend more, even on a single game, that keeps them happy for weeks.

            I see another problem: the market is still not very big and I can see people buying more selectively than before, meaning that some of these AAA games get limited sales, even though they better than anything on Quest today. Are those developers going to stay into VR? Or is this the “moment” where VR starts to really take off? Most new users will probably not join the fry until the Q3 lite comes out, which is still half a year off. If the rumours are true they have no controllers, hampering their compatibility.

            But I am exited about the new dynamics in the market and eagerly anticipating my Q3!

          • Christian Schildwaechter

            It depends on how prices change over time. There is the Nintendo model, where titles keep their launch price forever, or the Steam model where AAA start at USD 60, get first minor sales after a few months, more over the next years and often a permanent cut after two years, with discounts going up to 75%. Even later they appear in bundles.

            It’s a cascade of price layers, allowing sales to a broad audience. From those that want it on launch over those that won’t/can’t pay full price and rather wait, to bargain hunters and finally digital hoarders lured by Steam sales to collect hundreds of titles they’ll never play. The market becomes layered by price or by time, with some people picking cheaper or older games.

            Meta now offers discounts of 50% and more during sales, while early on 20% was normal and 35% a lot. Bestsellers like Beat Saber or Job Simulator still get no or only rare discounts. They seem to be going for the Steam model, with a more flexible market ultimately providing more user choice. And more sales opportunities for developers, but also more competition with older, cheaper games.

    • Or you buy non-standalone games on SteamVR and enjoy better graphics at a lesser pricepoint. That doesn’t apply to AW2 and AC of course which are exclusives. But to Arizona Sunshine 2 and such.

      Also: With the inflation of 5 star / 25% code reviews on the quest store, its fair to say that the system is broken and users sadly can’t judge from those store reviews anymore and have to test-buy games and refund them.

      • ViRGiN

        why buy arizona sunshine 2 on steam when you can just pirate it and save 100%? noone is buying pcvr games anyway until they hit rock bottom -80%.
        besides, why did you take a break from vrchat?

        buying games and refunding them is always the way to go – steam reviews are just clowning and one-upping each other who can say something more ridicolous, to get e-gratifications with those stupid steam awards.

        • Maybe you pirate games – I don’t.

          • ViRGiN

            I’d rather pirate than support Valve monopoly. Besides that I don’t support companies operating under Communist regimes. Steam is doing business in China, following the Party narrative. Where money is, Valve follows. They just can’t wait to start accepting payments directly from Russian customers.

          • DoomDalek

            The usual clown show response from Zuck’s bootlicker in chief.

          • ViRGiN

            I buy all my games from VivePort you gayben.

          • dextrovix

            You don’t buy them though, do you, Blackbeard?

          • ViRGiN

            There is very little worth buying, and equally little actually worth playing. Shitty games downloaded for free aren’t suddenly good to actually play them cause it didn’t cost anything

          • dextrovix

            There are other stores than just Valve’s monopoly, perhaps you’re attributing their ‘monopoly’ to their domination.

            Regardless, I’m sure the developers who create the games will thank you for ripping them off, Blackbeard.

          • CrusaderCaracal

            Hope you know you dont get a medal for wasting money

          • At least I don’t commit a crime….

          • CrusaderCaracal

            You’re really fun arent you

          • ViRGiN

            Your avatar is a crime, and you made a mistake in your name, it’s VRCHAT4EVER

          • I‘m glad that you chose the right username for you.

      • Arno van Wingerde

        Well, for some people, including me, there is that 2000 initial costs (40 large stand alone games or so, that ought to keep me happy until I would have needed to upgrade), and more hassle in installation.

      • Snekertechie

        Personally I buy games like golf or table tennis for the headset itself, and games that keep me immersed for longer periods on the PC. For some things it is nice not to need a PC, like doing multiplayer locally with a friend.

    • namekuseijin

      most Quest audiences are monkebois who only play free shit, fitness nutjobs who don’t play games and pvp shooters who don’t play any other games

      these games are either trying to sell low to the very small audiences of actual core gamers with a Quest or to bring more of those to the platform. Good luck on that, given Sony’s monopoly in mainstream gaming perception…

  • Dragon Marble

    Need to add Arizona Sunshine 2.

    • Ben Lang

      Good one ty!

  • Converseman

    Bulletstorm on 12/14/23

    • Ben Lang

      Thanks, added!

  • Charles U. Farley

    You’re seriously complaining because the header image shows a Q2 rather than a Q3? Wow. Are you getting paid by Meta? I mean that’s really the only possible answer here unless you are just simping for Zuck. Is that it? Are you a Zuck Simp?

    • Christian Schildwaechter

      Never underestimate the emotional attachment of fanboys/fangirls/fanthings to brands, no payment or rational reasoning required. And never say anything negative about BTS in public with unknown teens present, if you want to live a long and prosper life.

  • Christian Schildwaechter

    It will most like stay like that for quite some time. And switching to the technically advanced Quest Pro after 2022-10 would probably have backfired, so displaying the most representative HMD seems like a wise choice.

  • Arno van Wingerde

    Ah, thanks for pointing that out: I was unaware the RoadtoVR is a promotional channel for Meta, I thought it was independent somehow…

    • ViRGiN

      They are also sponsored by Valve every time they mention PCVR and cover SteamVR updates, huh?

      • Arno van Wingerde

        I was being sarcastic, that is why I can see Ben’s point that the Quest 2 is the dominating headset, if as Carry points out, it is no longer the state-of-the-art.

  • Arno van Wingerde

    Aaaaaarrggghhh ! I would not buy it if it was the only game available … but to each their own.

    • Christian Schildwaechter

      The ratings and reviews are excellent. Visual novels have a huge fanbase, and so far that category hasn’t really been filled on Quest, the narrative experiences we got are often more 3D movie than interactive game. VNs are not my cup of tea either, but I appreciate Sushi Ben for making VR more attractive to another type of gamers, and trying to translate these experiences into another medium. And the creator already has a proven track record from writing the most popular pigeon dating simulator ever.

      • Arno van Wingerde

        Yeah, there is another one about Power washing, same thing… won’t be anywhere close to my shopping list!

  • Charles U. Farley

    Oh I think we all know who has proven themselves to be a fucking idiotic shill piece of shit on these sites. You and your butt-buddy VRgin need to just go get a room already.

  • Guest

    Wonder what Lego and Wallace feel about being surrounded in this ghetto of apps?

  • Ardra Diva

    “Drop Dead: The Cabin”‘s Home Invasion mode needs a mention here, the AR feature is really incredible. Seeing zombies come through your window or door of your actual living room, or a big rip in your wall that shows a portal into hell itself is truly next-gen kind of experience. Seeing AR done this well has really opened my eyes to how important it will be.