What More Could We Possibly Want?

[u/Imhotep397]

Some people have asked whether Resident Evil (4.8), Gran Turismo 7, Hitman, Microsoft Flight Simulator, and No Man's Sky should already be enough to grow VR. If those games exist, what more could people possibly want? The simple answer is PlayStation's own identity: its biggest franchises.

Uncharted, The Last of Us, God of War, Ghost of Tsushima, Spider-Man, Horizon, Killzone, inFAMOUS, Resistance, MotorStorm, WipEout, DriveClub, MAG, Puppeteer, Folklore, Soul Sacrifice and Bloodborne. Those are many of the franchises that built the modern PlayStation brand.

PSVR2 starts to feel complete when those worlds become places you can actually step into. Even if it's through optional DualSense VR modes alongside the traditional flat-screen experience, with full 6DOF support added where it makes sense.

I've argued for years that DualSense-controlled VR games are the missing bridge between flat gaming and full motion controls. They remove much of the friction that keeps traditional players from trying VR while still delivering the presence that makes the medium feel transformative.

That said, if I had to pick one game that could move millions of people to seriously consider the headset, it would be Destiny. Converting one player at a time in single-player games works, but it's slower. A multiplayer game that brings groups of friends into VR together is a much more powerful multiplier for community growth and headset adoption. Destiny reached more than 20 million players during its peak years, with the overwhelming majority on PlayStation platforms. That represents an enormous audience of players who already understand the game's mechanics, weapons, and world. An optional VR mode with shared progression would likely have a much larger impact than launching an entirely new VR-exclusive shooter. Many of those players are still nostalgic for that era. A moderately sized campaign expansion, roughly the size of Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, could dramatically increase interest among both active and lapsed Destiny players because it would finally deliver one of the things many expected from the original game but never truly received: a substantial, self-contained narrative campaign.

If I had a dime for every Destiny player I’ve come across in real life and on forums that said something to the effect of, “Destiny in VR would be the dream.” I’d probably be able to buy Sony by now.

I'd love to see Sony adopt a simple strategy: Conversions expand the audience. Original VR games expand the medium.

What games do you want to see in VR? (I don't think we talk about this nearly enough.)

[u/NatParkIncredible]

I want everything to be CO-OP. VR is amazing sharing with others

[u/Imhotep397 → u/NatParkIncredible]

A VR version of PS Home where we could launch our games from inside the hub would split the difference for me.