EXOSHOCK is a Halo-inspired co-op shooter for up to four players that we’ve been waiting on since it was announced last year. Now, you can find it on Quest and PC VR headsets.
Last we heard, Exoshock was initially targeting a Fall 2025 launch, although developer POLARITYONE was admittedly only a two-person team at the time. It’s had a number of open betas and playable demos, which has helped shape the game to what it is today.
Exoshock is a hybrid game, where VR and PC players are able to play together in the same game, offering up firefights in a gritty sci-fi universe. Here’s how the studio describes it:
You are a Division 9 operative, owned by the Basilisk Group. Board starships in transit, sabotage systems, steal data, and eliminate targets. Gear up, complete your Contract, get out, and return for another.
Enemies flank, suppress, and push your squad. Reload under fire, strike with melee, and cover your teammates. Find an opening and turn a desperate fight around.
The action is set across three starships of varying sizes, including “some of the largest maps ever built for VR,” the studio says. That includes semi-procedural objectives, six Resistance levels, and Contract Complications, meaning no two runs are the same.
The studio says its road to 1.0 is currently focused on making the initial experience deeper, richer and more replayable, with plans to expand the game through Weapons 2.0, deeper Characters and VR Embodiment, expanded environments, additional enemy factions, an evolved Combat Director, new cooperative objectives, expanded progression, and further improvements to audio and world building.
Estimated to be in early access for 12 months, the studio says it additionally plans to continue improving multiplayer, performance, stability, quality of life and overall polish throughout development.
You can find Exoshock in early access over on Steam for PC and PC VR headsets and on the Horizon Store for Quest 3/3S, priced at $20.
Legendary movement shooter Titanfall 2 (2016) has been available in VR for almost a month now thanks to CircuitLord’s unofficial VR mod. With a recent update, you’ll also now be able to go head-to-head with other hardcore VR fans in online multiplayer too.
Created by mod maker CircuitLord, the Titanfall 2 VR mod already included a list of near-VR-native tweaks for its single player campaign when it released late last month. Pretty impressive for a free VR mod—available through CircuitLord’s mod installer.
Now, CircuitLord’s Titanfall 2 VR mod is running an open multiplayer beta, which includes both NA and EU servers. You can check it out in action below:
The Titanfall 2 VR mod has already received high praise for its comprehensive reworking of game’s controls for VR, including interactive weapon reloading for every gun in the game, a gesture-based reload for weapons like the Wingman, and a good translation of its admittedly intense locomotion, which lets you wall-run, dash-slide, and swing your way around the map with a grappling gun.
What’s more, the Titanfall 2 VR mod is free: just bring your own copy of the game, make sure your have a VR-ready PC in addition to basically any PC VR headset that supports OpenXR.
A new emulator may finally make it easy to not only play Quest exclusives on PC for better performance, but on any PC VR headset out there.
The News
Called Venture, the Quest emulator is designed to be easy, which means no mucking with GitHub repos like with Android XR Bridge or Refract, two similar projects that have been in the wild for about a month now.
With Venture, users can download an executable for Windows, sign into their Meta account, download games to a local PC, and play with any OpenXR supported PC VR headset.
Behind the scenes, Venture says it’s using OpenGL ES through Google’s an open-source graphics abstraction library (ANGLE), allowing games to render on your PC’s GPU.
Older Oculus VR games work without modifying the games themselves, as Venture supports games built on the legacy Oculus VrApi, allowing them to run through OpenXR. That includes older 32-bit ARM titles too, not just newer 64-bit games.
There’s no recommended specs available for PCs yet, although Venture says using an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K and Nvidia RTX 5090, rendering at 2,800 × 2,856 per eye, it’s capable of beating the competition by a fair margin across a number of games.
If you’re interested in learning more before downloading, Venture also runs a Discord channel (invite link).
My Take
Meta’s walled garden doesn’t seem to have much of a gardener anymore now that the company is basically no longer funding big games, so why does it need a wall at all? That’s one question you might ask yourself.
That said, I’m not advocating you download Venture right now because I am not entirely certain that 1) this won’t completely bork your computer, 2) it won’t break Meta’s ToS, or 3) won’t expose your personal information in some unintended way.
The fact remains you that Venture asks you to sign into your personal Meta, which could expose your account to security risks; there’s no guarantee that Meta won’t ban your Quest account either, which essentially puts all of the games you bought down the drain. So emulate at your own risk.
It’s not very often we get insight into Valve’s thought process, as the company tends to let actions speak for themselves. But at a ‘Steam Indie Connect’ event in Korea, the company says it still believes in VR, and outlined some of the challenges ahead.
The News
As reported by Korean tech outlet Inven, Tom Giardino and Marc Wilkinson from Valve’s Steam business team mostly spoke to the small crowd of eventgoers about AI, and how the company has acknowledged the influx of low-effort, AI-driven content on Steam and how developers can navigate the changing landscape. You can read the full report in English here.
Giardino, who has been with Steam’s business team since 2012, also fielded questions from VR developers, who wanted to know what the company is doing about curation, visibility, and policies for VR games, given the company has just releases its first standalone VR headset, Steam Frame.
Note: The information in this article, including direct quotes, are machine translated from Korean. No video of the event appears to be available at this time, however we’ll update when/if that changes.
There doesn’t appear to be many concrete answers to those questions, although one such developer echoed anxiety among VR fans that Valve might be abandoning VR.
“We still believe in virtual reality,” Giardino said. That said, Giardino noted Steam Frame users are mostly now playing standard flatscreen games rather than VR titles.
Courtesy Busan Indie Connect Festival
One of VR’s biggest challenges is a ‘chicken-and-egg’ dilemma, Giardino said: developers wait for the VR market to expand, while players wait for more VR games. Meanwhile, flatscreen games continue to grow more diverse and compelling, making it more difficult to justify making VR games. That, and expensive, popular flatscreen games launch every week, which is the biggest hurdle facing VR developers, Giardino said.
Valve sees Steam Frame as just one piece of the VR ecosystem; the company has put significant effort into the Steam Link app for Meta Quest, as well as support for the OpenXR standard so users of any headset can play games via SteamVR.
The component crisis is still a factor though, Giardino said, noting that rising prices for RAM and memory ultimately led to Steam Frame being more expensive than the company initially hoped. This, in turn, made it less attractive to new users.
“Moments where we could have welcomed many new customers became reasons to hesitate or wait on VR,” he said, adding, “We feel sorry to VR developers.”
My Take
As many have speculated, it seems Valve is hoping to sustain the VR market by framing Steam Frame as a non-VR device, which just so happens to be able to play VR games.
Ostensibly, the hope is if enough people buy Steam Frame, or standalone SteamVR-supported devices like it in the future, then is may seem more prudent for developers to target VR headsets, since the install base will naturally be much higher than if the device were solely aimed at VR fans.
That said, Valve isn’t making it any easier on the content side. The company developed Half-Life: Alyx (2020), which is still one of the best AAA VR games out there, released shortly after its PC VR headset, Valve Index. And although we got a standalone version of HLA with Frame last month, it’s not doing very much for people who’ve already played, and want something else equally compelling to go along with their new Steam Frame.
Fallout: Factions is a physical 1v1 tabletop game that launched in 2024, and now it’s getting an XR version next month.
Fallout: Factions is a turn-based skirmish warfare game set in the Fallout universe, which, much like its physical counterpart, combines squad-level tactics and strategy.
The XR game, which is set to launch on Xreal Aura next month, also includes immersive 3D maps and gesture controls so you can roll dice, move characters, and select attacks. Check it out in action below:
Here’s how creators Mirrorscape and Modiphius Entertainment describe the game:
Compete with friends around the table or around the world as you play as one of three Factions seeking to dominate the devastated landscape of Nuka-World. Each Faction has a unique set of weapons and abilities, creating nearly endless replay-ability. War never changes, but now it’s in your hands!
While the game is slated to launch on Xreal Aura in time for its first wave shipments, set to start sometime in mid-November, it will also be available on Android XR, which ostensibly means it will also support Samsung Galaxy XR.
Additionally, the studio says a Steam version is “coming soon” as well, although it’s unclear if this is a VR-supported version, or solely a traditional flatscreen release.
In the meantime, you can follow along and learn more on the game’s website.
Super Mario 64 (1996) was a seminal platformer that, for many, was also the first true 3D game they ever played. Now, with the help of AI vibecoding and a decompiled version of the game, you might be able reexperience the magic in mixed reality.
XR creative technologist and developer Lucas Martinic released a video of Super Mario 64 working on a Pico headset, essentially making for a floating 3D ‘magic window’ of sorts. It’s a cool effect we’ve seen in a number of other VR vibecoded projects recently.
But then the user actually picks up Mario by the scruff of his collar, plucking him out of the Mushroom Kingdom and placing him onto his table. Check it out in the video below, courtesy Martinic:
Work was initially started a few months ago based on Jonas Jakobi’s SM64 implementation on Quest 3, which was initially released in 2023.
Martinic, also behind 3D asset library Polyfork, decided to start fresh with a decompiled version version of the game however, using Claude’s Opus 5.5 model and PICO CLI, a command-line development toolkit that connects AI coding assistants to Pico’s spatial-computing and XR development tools.
As it is, Martinic says the mod doesn’t use any “stereoscopic crap,” which we take to mean it doesn’t use any of the more familiar porting hacks, such as alternate frame rendering, or extrapolating a second eye view from the depth buffer, which doesn’t always deliver the best results.
Since the modder is working from a decompiled version of Super Mario 64, it likely allows for true stereoscopic rendering. Notably, Martinic says it runs at 90fps natively.
There’s no telling when the mod will be made available. We’re keeping an eye on Martinic’s wesbite, where he says more info on the mod is “coming soon,” and also his personal GitHub.
Spooky season is upon us, which means only one thing: time to play some of the most horrifying games VR has to offer.
We’ve got something for you no matter what headset you own, be it Quest 3, PSVR 2, or a PC VR headset. So lock the door behind you and let everybody know to not call the cops when they hear you screaming for your life.
Dreadhalls (Quest, PC VR)
Despite now being older than a decade, Dreadhalls definitely still hasn’t aged out of relevance. Originally released on Samsung Gear VR in 2015, it’s still just as fresh as ever on Quest and PC VR headsets. Step inside a massive dungeon where you explore, survive, and find your way to the surface through the enemy-encrusted labyrinth. There’s no fighting, plenty of jumpscares, and only a little light to guide you.
Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes (Quest, PSVR 2, PC VR)
Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes is a dark atmospheric adventure‑puzzle game where you embody Dark Six, a mysterious figure with the shape of a little girl. Navigate in a disturbing world, solve intricate puzzles, and escape terrifying giant foes in a desperate search to become whole again. A few jumpscares and lots of oppressive atmosphere.
It’s sad we never got this one PSVR 2 (only on PSVR 1) although it’s still definitely worth your time on Quest, as you step back into the 1908 London as a police investigator tasked with figuring out some strange hubbub at The British Institute of Archaeology. Explore cryptic locations, examine fantastic gadgets and enter an otherworldly space which blurs the line between reality and illusion. Mostly atmospheric puzzle solving, but still pretty dang spooky.
Dread Meridian is a survival-horror adventure set in a frozen wasteland, inspired by Lovecraft’s ‘At the Mountains of Madness’. As a researcher who ventures to a remote arctic island, you desperately search for your missing twin sister, Isabella. Scavenge for resources, solve cryptic puzzles and battle unimaginable creatures while unraveling the mystery of her disappearance. Spooky vibes and mythic monsters.
POOLS is an all-atmosphere, no-monsters walking sim that lets you twist and turn through the wettest backrooms. There are very few things to solve, practically a few mazes. Sometimes the game can challenge your navigation skills. But mostly you’re just… there. Basically life. What can be more horrifying?
The 7th Guest VR is a remake of one of the most forward-thinking games from the early ’90s, reworked from the ground-up to be an atmospheric story-driven spookfest. Set in a foreboding mansion, you’ll solve mind-bending puzzles and uncover its dark secrets. Unlock new rooms and uncover hidden secrets, all while trying to keep your wits about you against the eerie horrors.
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted 2 (Quest, PSVR 2, PC VR)
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted 2 isn’t the most jumpscare-tastic entry from Steel Wool Studios, although it certainly excels in spooky atmosphere. As a brand new Fazbear employee you’ll have to prove you have what it takes to excel in all aspects of Pizzeria management and maintenance, which means a ton of mini games and puzzles to solve, but also the rando fright here and there too.
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners 1 & 2 (Quest, PSVR 2, PC VR)
The original single-player RPG and its sequel offer up heaps of zombie gore, but also random bits and bobs worth scrounging as you craft weapons and nab supplies to keep up with the daily hordes. Physics-based melee against walkers is tense, but like the TV series, the danger also lurks in the form of warring human factions. Shoot, stab, rest and survive for another day in a grey, terrifying world.
The Midnight Walk is like taking a stroll through Tim Burton’s mind. While gameplay isn’t the most engaging (or scary), its visuals are absolutely unique and darkly beautiful, creating an effective contrast between a Burtonesque ‘grotesque’ style and small moments of beauty thanks to strong lighting and composition. While it offers an optional VR mode, it’s just plain better in VR, if only to admire the game’s meticulous hand-made assets.
Star Trek: Infection is more body horror than a proper Star Trek game; if you’re looking for a fright, that’s less of an indictment of the game than you may think, as you take on the role of a Vulcan Starfleet officer who has to navigate the perils of an unknown entity which has infested the ship. It’s inside your body, physically mutating you, unlocking dangerous new abilities at the cost of your sanity.
Stranger Things VR is one fans of the show will surely appreciate, even if it’s not a solid 10/10. In this narrative-focused horror game, you wander through Eleven’s internal hellscape whilst navigating the real world. It can be a bit confusing at times, although Stranger Things VR is blissfully doing its own thing, which makes for an unpredictably wild ride.
This 20-year-old game is a blast from the past, offering a fresh chance to take on Resident Evil 4en realidad virtual. You’ll brave the mindless cult of Spanish villagers and step into the shoes of special agent Leon S. Kennedy on his mission to rescue the U.S. President’s daughter.
Note: We’ve included both Resident Evil 4 versions here: Resident Evil 4 VR for Quest, which is the uprezzed original with native VR controls, and Resident Evil 4 Remake with VR mode, which is exclusive to PSVR 2. If you own both headsets, definitely get it on PSVR 2.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard isn’t available for PSVR 2, although we can thank our lucky stars that Sony at least brought PSVR 2 support to Resident Evil Village. This survival-horror adventure is completely playable in the free VR mode, putting you in the boots of Ethan Winters as you navigate a culty, sinister town in Romania. And yes, Lady Dimitrescu really does show off her height in VR, as the aristocratic mutant stands at 9 feet 6 inches tall (2.9m), including her hat and high heels.
