Superhot VR Grossed More Than $2 Million Over Christmas Week

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One of VR’s most popular games — Superhot VR — grossed more than $2 million across all platforms in the week around Christmas.

The popular VR title has been available on Oculus Rift since late 2016 and released on Oculus Quest when the new standalone headset launched in May 2019. Taking full advantage of the completely wireless all-in-one system, we called the Quest version “the best version of a genuine classic” and it tops our list of the 25 best Oculus Quest games. Notably, Superhot VR was one of the few titles which did not support cross-buy with Oculus Rift meaning if a Rift owner bought a Quest and wanted the game again they needed to purchase it separately.

Superhot VR is a game in which time moves and enemies come toward you only when your body moves. It is also available on Steam for other PC VR headsets and on PlayStation VR as well. There’s also a different non-VR game with the same name available for traditional gaming platforms.

SUPERHOT VR has grossed over 2 million dollars on all platforms in the past 7 days alone. Thank you players!! 🎂🥳 pic.twitter.com/jkTINcGH4f

— Callum rawr x3 nuzzles, pounces on you, uwu (@DevRelCallum) December 29, 2019

The $2 million figure, grossed over the week around Christmas, refers exclusively to the sales performance of the VR version — Superhot VR — across all platforms. I reached out to Callum Underwood, Director of Special Projects for Superhot, and asked him if he had any detail he could provide beyond the tweet.

Underwood sent the following:

“We’re releasing these sales numbers not to brag, but to provide insight into what a successful game can bring in VR. We tend not to involve ourselves in ‘VR is dead’ or ‘year of VR?’ conversations, as we mostly just enjoy making games… and then working on making those games make money! Thanks to all the new, existing, and returning players.. we hope your holiday period is as good as ours! I can point to holiday sales of hardware, smart discounts we applied on various platforms based on IndieBI data, and the fact that we’re consistently listed in ‘top games’… but I also have to point to the designers and developers of SUPERHOT VR for making our (the biz team) job easy. The success of SUPERHOT VR is due to them.”

Underwood added that Superhot’s IndieBI tool helps track historical sales data and helped inform decisions like what kind of discounts to offer and on which platforms to offer them. For example, Superhot VR is sold at full price, $25, on Quest at the time of this writing but discounted to $17 on Steam. The game also deployed other discounts and bundles during the holiday season. IndieBI is in a testing phase right now and not available generally yet, but developers can request a beta invite.

The post Superhot VR Grossed More Than $2 Million Over Christmas Week appeared first on UploadVR.

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Inside ‘The Circle,’ Reality TV Gets a Social Media Filter

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I fell out of love with VR, but the Vive Wireless rekindled the flame

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Virtual reality isn't cheap, but upgrading what you have can be more economical than buying new. While my HTC Vive has languished on the floor for months at a time, perhaps some accessories can teach me to love VR once again.

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Teslasuit Introduces Pulse-Tracking VR Gloves With Exoskeletal Design

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Force feedback technology and an array of electrodes allow users to ‘feel’ objects in VR.

Teslasuit today announced the latest addition to its growing line-up of VR-focused haptic accessories, the Teslasuit Glove.

Available to demo next month during CES 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada, these advanced VR gloves allow users to “feel” digital objects in VR thanks to a combination of haptic and force feedback technology. But with numerous VR gloves already on the market, what exactly does the Teslasuit Glove bring to the table that products such as ManusVR haven’t already? 

Image Credit: Teslasuit

Well, for one thing, the Teslasuit Glove features a plastic exoskeleton that extends from the back of the hand to the tip of each finger, creating a realistic sense of resistance when handling objects in VR. For example, when grasping a digital object in a VR space, the gloves will prevent the user from completely closing their fist, creating the sensation of holding a physical object. Meanwhile, nine different electrodes placed on each fingertip simulate the sensation of touching different textures and materials. Similar to existing VR gloves, the Teslasuit Glove also features motion capture technology and is able to track the position of each individual finger as well as the wrist. 

Perhaps most interesting, however, are the biometric capabilities of the VR glove. Similar to the full-body Teslasuit, the Teslasuit Glove records and monitors a user’s biometric data using a pulse oximeter. This allows companies to track a user’s heart rate, excitement level, and overall stress.

Image Credit: Teslasuit

Much like the Teslasuit, the Teslasuit Glove is aimed primarily at businesses looking to enhance their training or rehabilitation programs. Since its initial introduction as a consumer-focused Kickstarter project back in 2016, the Teslasuit has proven itself a useful tool in a variety of fields, from industrial training to medical rehabilitation. For the ultimate VR experience, the Teslasuit Glove can be paired to the full-body Teslasuit via WiFi.

The Teslasuit Glove will begin shipping late 2020 for an estimated $5,000; as I said, these gloves are designed primarily for industrial use.

Feature Image Credit: Teslasuit

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Oculus Quest, Oculus Link, And Valve Index Are Bringing VR Into The Mainstream

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Oculus Quest continues to sell out, backorders pushed to mid-February.

VR technology has absolutely dominated the 2019 holiday season as numerous major retailers—both physical and online—have been selling out of 64GB and 128GB Oculus Quest headsets. 

At the time of this writing, Amazon, Best Buy, B&H, Gamestop, MicroCenter, NewEgg, and Walmart are fresh out of both models. While there is the option of picking one up through one of Amazon’s third-party sellers, expect to pay a considerably higher price than the listed MSRP; the 64GB Quest, normally $399, is currently going for $650, with the 128GB—usually $499—now commanding a jaw-dropping $750.

Image Credit: Oculus

If you were thinking of bypassing the holiday rush and ordering straight for Oculus.com, Oculus is now reporting that backorders have been pushed to mid-February. According to the company, 128GB Oculus Quest headsets are now expected to begin shipping on February 18th, followed by the 64GB model on February 20th. It also appears as though the companies PC VR alternative, the Oculus Rift S, is also back-ordered to early January.

This rapid increase demand, no doubt kickstarted by the holiday season, received an additional boost thanks to the release of the Oculus Link, new software that allows Oculus Quest owners to plug their headsets into a VR-ready PC to access both Rift/Rift S and SteamVR games and experiences, essentially turning the standalone device into a PC VR headset. While the software works with multiple USB 3.0 cables, Oculus this month released its own 15-foot $80 cable that they promise will provide the ideal PC VR streaming experience on Quest. This cable has also been selling out since launch, with new orders expected to arrive near the tail-end of January. 

Image Credit: Valve Corp.

Of course, it’s not just Oculus that’s feeling the love this holiday season; the Valve Index headset has also been back-ordered to February. Despite its $1,000 price tag and Steam Store exclusivity, Valve’s advanced PC VR headsets have risen in popularity over the past few weeks, due in large part to the reveal of Half-Life: Alyx, a new Half-Life VR game that promises to usher in a new era in VR gaming.

With VR sales through the roof and the new year just around the corner, it appears as though VR technology is finally finding its footing among mainstream audiences. The convenience of the Oculus Quest combined with the PC VR capabilities offered by the Oculus Link makes this headset the perfect option for both new and seasoned users looking for an all-in-one solution. Meanwhile, the Valve Index—with its finger-tracking ‘Knuckles’ controllers, offers a top-of-the-line immersive experience unlike anything else on the market. Through in the first Half-Life game in 13 years as an official exclusive, and you have a guaranteed hit on your hands.

No doubt 2020 is shaping up to be one of the biggest years for VR so far.

Feature Image Credit: Oculus

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The First $100 You Should Spend on Oculus Quest Games

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So uou’ve just got a new Oculus Quest in hand, and you’re wondering what to buy after you’ve exhausted all of the best free games and experiences available on the standalone headset. We’re here to help you settle into your new Quest with a few games that should keep you playing for tens of hours yet to come.

Note: Don’t forget that you can also play Rift games with an Oculus Link-compatible USB cable and a VR-ready PC. Find out if your PC is ready for Link. There’s plenty of fresh Rift games from 2019 that are just waiting to be played through Link.

This list below is a great starting point if you’re looking to burn a single Benjamin, although you should definitely check out our list of the best and most rated Oculus Quest games now available, which also includes prices to help you whittle away your hard-earned cash.

If you didn’t already get the Star Wars Vader Immortal series for free with your Quest (seriously, check right now to see), you should definitely consider it too as you head into paid app territory.

Now, for our top picks to help you burn your first $100 on Quest games:

Beat Saber – $30

If you swear you don’t have any rhythm, maybe you’ve never had the chance to slash a pair of light sabers at flying directional blocks before. Rest assured, you’ll find yourself honing your new Jedi skills to heady EDM beats and plenty of tracks from bands such as Green Day, Panic at the Disco!, and Imagine Dragons.

First released on PC VR and PSVR in 2018, Beat Saber has proven to be a key addition to any Quester’s game library thanks to the expert port that feels just as good as (or better than) playing on any other headset platform out there.

This is also one of those easy party games to get you passing around the headset. Just make sure to cast your view to a Chromecast-enabled TV or monitor so others can watch you grove.

‘Beat Saber’ on Quest

SUPERHOT VR – $25

The hype is real. Superhot VR, a PC VR and PSVR classic, has come to Quest to awesome effect.

If you’ve never had a chance to play either the VR version or the original Superhot on PC, it works like this: every time you move, time moves forward. Stand still, and the world stops. You’d think it would be easy to win against the evil red crystal dudes that run at you, but each movement is death sentence waiting to happen if you’re not careful. Catch guns, shoot, punch, die, repeat until you feel like Neo from The Matrix or John Wick from … John Wick. You’re bound to feel like some version of Keanu Reeves in Superhot VR.

Although not a super long game, it’s super replayable—not to mention another easy party game to toss your unsuspecting friends into.

‘Superhot VR’ on Quest

I Expect You to Die – $25

Bond fans, look no further. You’ve found the game that puts you in a literal hot seat that tasks you with making a frantic escape from certain doom, orchestrated by the very Bond-esque villain Dr. Zor.

This is a real headscratcher of a puzzle game that puts a big emphasis on object interaction (defuse the bomb, unscrew the panel to turn off the laser) and absolutely zero on locomotion, making it ideal for anyone who may be wary of motion-induced nausea.

Thanks to Schell Games’ constant free DLC updates, I Expect You to Die has not only become a well-rounded title, but also a fairly long one too, as you play from each exciting scenario to another. It also looks and runs pretty much the same as it does on other platforms, making it an easy buy if you’re looking for a dedicated puzzle game for your Quest library.

‘I Expect You to Die’ on Quest

Moss – $30

This plucky little platformer will have you awwwing over little Quill for a few solid hours, as you control your mouse-pal through a world fraught with puzzles, danger, and an environment that literally leaps out of the pages of a story book.

It isn’t just a standard platformer though, where you control Quill with thumbstick and a smattering of buttons, rather you use your own to hands to interact with puzzle pieces throughout the environment to keep little Quill on here merry way.

This makes for a great first longer format game that really highlights Quest’s ability to render beautiful visuals that are pretty on-par with its bigger brothers. Younger kids will definitely vibe with Moss.

‘Moss’ on Quest

– – — – –

At the time of this writing, those games actually add up to $100 thanks to the Oculus Quest Winter game sale going on currently. That said, the full $110 asking price is definitely fair for what we rate as some of the best games on the platform.

Let us know in the comments below what your favorite Quest game is, and what you would include on the list.

The post The First $100 You Should Spend on Oculus Quest Games appeared first on Road to VR.

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‘Beat Saber’ Ranks Among Steam’s Top Sellers in 2019

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Beat Saber had an awesome year in 2019, launching out of Early Access on the platform in May with multiple music packs following behind it, which featured bands such as Green Day, Imagine Dragons, and Panic at the Disco. It seems the Prague-based studio has done well to bring the flair of name brand music to the game, as it officially ranked as a Steam top seller this year.

Last year didn’t feature any VR games in Steam’s generalized list; this year Beat Saber has broken through to the ‘bronze’ level, which is based on gross revenue for this year.

Although this doesn’t specify sales numbers, it does put it in company with titles such as Far Cry 5, Tropico 6, Rimworld, and No Man’s Sky. That’s a pretty big feat considering the comparatively smaller install base of SteamVR headsets on the platform, which according to the latest Steam hardware survey accounts for only a little over one percent of total players using Steam.

Of course, this is only a single dimension of Beat Saber’s overall success this year, as it also sells on the PlayStation Store for PSVR, and the Oculus Store for both Oculus Rift and Oculus Quest.

While a bronze-level seller overall, in Steam’s 2019 list of VR Best Sellers Beat Saber ranks platinum, the highest level sitting above gold, silver, and bronze.

Take a look at the full of platinum-level VR top sellers below:

Platinum

• Arizona Sunshine (2016)
• Beat Saber (2018)
• Blade & Sorcery (2018)
• Boneworks (2019)
• Fallout 4 VR (2017)
• GORN (EA – 2017)
• Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades (EA – 2016)
• VR Kanojo / VRカノジョ(2018)
• Pavlov (EA – 2017)
• Superhot VR (2017)
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR (2018)
• Zero Caliber VR (2018)

You can check out the whole list here.

Valve also released a month-by-month breakdown of top new games based on gross revenue, which includes Beat Saber, Boneworks, Vacation Simulator, Five Nights at Freddy’s VR: Help Wanted, Trover Saves the Universe, GORN, Pistol Whip, and Nostos.

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