When Sony released thePlayStation VR2earlier this year two of the games that drew some of the most critical praise were Polyphony Digital’sGran Turismo 7and Capcom’sResident Evil Village. Both were lauded for making excellent use of the headset’s advanced features, like foveated rendering that uses the PS VR2’s eye-tracking to determine where players are looking and render that area in the highest detail, and for serving as showpieces of what’s possible with the hardware. What makes this all the more impressive is that bothGran Turismo 7andCapcom’s PS VR2 port ofResident Evil Villagebegan life as flatscreen games.
While both are incredible games in their own right, the fact thatGran Turismo 7andResident Evil Villageare full-featured, complete experiences whether gamers play them on a regular display or the PS VR2 sets an example that other developers could learn from. By encouraging developers to create games that work equally well in either mode, rather than just VR-only titles likeGuerilla Games’Horizon Call of the Mountain, Sony could play to the strengths of its flatscreen roots while still being home to exciting, innovative VR experiences. This desire to have high-quality games that can be enjoyed in both formats is nothing new for Sony, though.
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PlayStation VR Has a Long History With Hybrid Games
Even on the original PlayStation VR Sony had a wide number of games available that were designed to be enjoyed by both VR fans and flatscreen players. Some of these early hybrid games were a result of developers rushing to shoehorn VR into existing titles in order to eke out a few more sales, but other studios dedicated themselves to really taking advantage of the new medium. Years beforeHitman 3was rebranded asHitman: World of Assassinationdeveloper IO Interactive had already added support for the original PlayStation VR to the title, allowing players to step into the first-person shoes of contract killer Agent 47 in all of the game’s single-player levels.
Another developer that used the PlayStation VR to add value to an existing game rather than designing a VR-only experience was Capcom. Much like it would do withResident Evil Villageon PS VR2 years later,Capcom included PlayStation VR support inResident Evil 7: Biohazard, which lets gamers experience every terrifying moment of the first-person horror game from inside the headset. Well-executed experiences like the ones provided byHitman 3andResident Evil 7not only gave PlayStation VR owners a new way to enjoy their favorite titles but also helped get more PS4 gamers interested in VR, and this strategy can work equally well for PS VR2.
Some of the Best PS VR2 Games Already Work on Flatscreen
AlthoughResident Evil VillageandGran Turismo 7may be the most high-profile PS VR2 games that give players the full experience no matter which mode they play them in, they’re far from the only ones. In addition to older hybrid releases that received updates to work with Sony’s new hardware, like psychedelic classicRez Infiniteanddeveloper Hello Games’No Man’s Sky, even some PlayStation 5 games designed with VR in the forefront can be played on a traditional screen.
One great example of this isResolution Games’ card-based tabletop RPGDemeo, which lets players explore the game’s monster-filled dungeons with friends in either PS VR2 or flatscreen mode. Several other studios are also following this playbook for their upcoming PS5 releases, creating games designed to be enjoyed equally by PS VR2 owners and those who have yet to pick up the headset.
Enhance Games’Pikmin-like puzzlerHumanityis another game taking this approach, withHumanity’s recently concluded demo period letting players herd humans both on the PS VR2 and regular screens. Capcom also appears to be continuing its embrace of the hybrid strategy, with the developer including an as-yet unspecified PS VR2 mode in the upcomingResident Evil 4remake on PS5.
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Playing Nice with Flatscreen Titles Benefits PS VR2 Gamers
Hardcore PS VR2 gamers would likely prefer to see developers devoting all their resources to creating the sorts of immersive experiences seen in titles likeHorizon Call of the Mountain, but the reality is that these sorts of VR-only games still have a relatively small audience. While racing fans may delight in sitting behind the virtual wheel of one ofGran Turismo 7’s incredibly detailed cars, the expense of designing those hyperrealistic recreations would be hard to justify if the game were meant for a VR-only release. Knowing that its potential audience can also include flatscreen gamers gives developers the freedom to go bigger with PS VR2 releases than would be possible otherwise.
While it may seem counterintuitive that designing PS VR2 games with a flatscreen audience in mind could lead to better games for everyone, based on some of the headset’s most successful titles so far this is clearly the case. That’s not to say that there’s no room for experiences designed solely for VR, though. The thrill of stealthily sneaking past a pack of Watchers inHorizon Call of the Mountainand the Zen-like serenity ofpaddling inKayak VR: Miragewould be impossible to replicate on a normal screen.
But the success ofGran Turismo 7andResident Evil VillageonPlayStation VR2illustrates that designing games for the headset doesn’t have to be an either-or proposition where players on one format feel they’re not getting the full experience. These two titles show that developers can create games that push the boundaries of what’s possible on PS VR2 while still delivering an enjoyable time for players not quite ready to make the leap into virtual reality. And if Sony can continue to deliver these sorts of impressive, full-featured experiences that appeal to gamers no matter how they choose to play, thePS VR2should be in for a very bright future.
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