Like many abase technical school writer , I have been guilty of writing those seven little words that can haunt you for the rest of your life history : “ This was the year VR took off . ”
Yes , a lot of us wide - eyed armchair analysts have fallen dupe to this optimism sand trap over VR ’s foresighted lifespan . Half - life-time : Alyxfinally brings a complete gaming experience to a headset ? VR has accept off . PlayStation introduce its own plug - and - play gimmick ? We ’re off to the airstream . Meta endow hard in games and releases a wireless gimmick that makes them gentle to wreak ? It ’s all happening ! Of of course , all of those gallant prognostication tend to look like deflated balloons six months afterwards .
So this year , I ’m not going to give in . I am not here to tell you that 2024 was the year that VR gaming finally position itself for mainstream success . Ialready kind of did that in 2023when I wrote about how much developers reinvigorate the tech at the buttocks end of a rocky year . So or else , I ’m going to throw a X of Bob Hope out the window and be pragmatic with you : 2024 was a fantastical year forVR games , and the fact that it still was n’t enough to gain over sceptic means that nothing will .
2024 in VR gaming
The expectation for VR play expect fantastic get out of 2023 ’s holiday season , which completely upped the ante for platform like the Meta Quest 3.Asgard ’s Wrath 2andAssassin ’s Creed Nexus VRwere both standout form of address that record how far the tech had come . While Sony had already seemingly given up on the PSVR2 by then , there was a sense that Meta ’s investments would continue to give off when it came to land great games .
That ’s on the nose what fall out over the last 12 months . This year , I have more VR games in my personal top 20 games of the year than ever before . That leaning starts withBatman : Arkham Shadow , which has unseatedHalf - lifespan : Alyxas the technical school ’s crown jewel . The full - fledged Batman plot adapts just about every feature of Rocksteady ’s Arkham serial to VR to make the series ’ best title sinceBatman : Arkham Asylum . It is leagues above Rocksteady ’s own cabinet release this year , the critically pannedSuicide Squad : Kill the Justice League , testify that a big VR game can even surpass a console table one .
That ’s only one highlight , though . My personal deary this year isThrasher , a VR follow - up to rhythm cult classicThumper . It ’s a phenomenal heir , create a psychedelic euphony biz that calls back to colonnade classic likeTempest 2000 . It ’s one of the skilful experience I had in gaming this twelvemonth . Similarly , I was blown away by Cyan Worlds ’ astonishingRivenremake . The projection attractively adjust a point - and - click classic to VR in a way that feels natural . It ’s a couple made in heaven , as VR form the off - kelter weirdness of the humankind that much more enveloping .
That momentum carried all the way into December . This calendar month , VR users have gotten admittance to two major release inBehemothandAlien : Rogue Incursion . The former is an impressive action RPG that has the tone ofSkyrimand the scale ofShadow of the Colossus , while the latter is a convinced shooter that efficaciously brings the action of Aliens to VR .
That ’s already a solid chunk of secret plan , but it only scratches the surface of what ’s been a great year for headset owner . Metro Awakening , Human Fall Flat VR , Metal : Hellsinger VR , Triangle Strategy VR , Trombone Champ : Unflattened , andArizona Sunshine Remakeare just a few examples of high - character game that could footslog out any backlist for a few months . Heck , I even got some playfulness cardio out ofJust Dance VR .
There ’s a sensory faculty that the technical school is evolving , and its games along with it . This twelvemonth view the sack of the Apple Vision Pro , which opened the threshold for new experience with mixed reality . Games likeSuper Fruit NinjaandSynth Ridersoffered basic play , but they hark back to the exciting early days of modest - scale VR experimentation . That momentum is already do to continue in 2025 starting with Resolution Games’Gears & Goo , a tower demurrer game that lets players blame units up with a childlike gesture and plop them on a field of battle . It ’s a amazingly responsive game that ’s fun to fiddle with ( in the uncommon illustration that you in reality have a Vision Pro ) .
Won’t get fooled again
With all of that , you might think I ’d be tempted to once again laud that 2024 was the scratch of a novel earned run average for VR . Well sorry , but fritter me eight times , ignominy on me . In fact , I ’m coming out of 2024 more pessimistic than ever about VR ’s staying power . That feeling , ironically , add up fromBatman . When it was announced in May , the reception toArkham Shadowwasn’t sort . Fans bemoaned the series ’ turn to VR , evidence that even a freehanded franchise would n’t be enough to win fans . With each new press musical rhythm , Arkham Shadowlooked more bright , but the sentiment persist unchanged . Even once it launch to critical praise , that did n’t wait on as a tipping point — nor did bundling it with the more cost - effective , lightweightMeta Quest 3S.
How many times can a VR game profit worldwide praise and still struggle to make converts?Asgard ’s Wrath 2ended 2023 as one of the yr ’s comfortably - reviewed plot , rubbing shoulder with the likes ofDiablo 4 . Batman is in a exchangeable spot this year ( ironically decent next toDiablo 4’sVessel of Hatredexpansion , per Metacritic ) . When the tech is flash and more comfortable than ever , and the secret plan are as good as they are on any traditional weapons platform , what more can a company like Meta do ?
The Sojourner Truth may just be that VR has hit its cap . When instrumentalist say they do n’t want to wear out a headset to play a game , they are n’t bluffing . Year after yr , they ’ve prove that no headset , big franchise , or well - have game is go to change their judgement . PlayStation could n’t do it , Apple is struggling to do it , and judging from the fact that itshut down one of its biggest studio apartment this summer , Meta ca n’t seem to in full do it either .
So , I do n’t hope that VR takes off , maturate publishers ’ ambitions to unrealistic degrees . Instead , I desire that companies discover to enjoy where they ’re at now . Design great games around the player base that exists , not the theoretical one that ’s yet to be won . If Meta can keep doing that instead of dabbling in the murky waters of infinite growth , VR gaming could comfortably continue in a happy niche for a while longer . As long as it ’s there , I ’ll keep coming back to it . I do n’t care if anyone else join me any longer .
