Since its launch last year, PlayStation VR has become a vital part of Sony’s gaming ecosystem – a point emphasised by the host of new games the firm announced at E3.
Dedicating a large portion of its E3 showcase to virtual reality, six new games were unveiled across a range of genres.
The first saw The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim make the jump to another new platform.
The fantasy game now undoubtedly has cult status and the jump to VR is a big moment for the platform, however a sense of gamer fatigue over another release of the game – it’s coming to the Nintendo Switch too – was noticeable.
preach https://t.co/R8WXRAicHj
— Nick Summers @ E3 (@nisummers) June 13, 2017
YOU ARE GONNA BUY EVERY SINGLE SKYRIM GAME pic.twitter.com/0PkDfffBfL
— ????? (@YuriMaker) June 13, 2017
"Please play skyrim. Please." #E32017 pic.twitter.com/77yukROXBF
— STUPIDDEAD?SKULLHEAD (@MikeLuckas) June 13, 2017
I honestly wonder how many different iterations of Skyrim it is possible to make before they come out with a new Elder Scrolls.
— MonteCristo (@MonteCristo) June 13, 2017
2017 and there's still Skyrim every where. #SonyE3
— Wykrhm Reddy (@wykrhm) June 13, 2017
Another very well known franchise, Final Fantasy, also made the jump to PSVR – but not in the way you might imagine.
Yes, Final Fantasy XV fishing is an actual thing coming to PlayStation VR. Who says there’s no new ideas in gaming?These two tweets probably sum up the reaction to the announcement.
That's it, shut it down. Nothing at E3 is going to top Final Fantasy Fishteen.
— Justin Wong (@JustinWong) June 13, 2017
Us:
Can we see a trailer for The Last of Us 2 or the Final Fantasy 7 remake?Sony:
VIRTUAL REALITY FFXV FISHING IS COMING SEPTEMBER 2017 pic.twitter.com/FwYvMzJd2q— SYE|Blizz (@uncleancasuals) June 13, 2017
Still on the wildlife theme and Moss, a platform with a mouse as the hero, charmed many in the crowd at Sony’s event.
Many of the best virtual reality experiences seen so far however have tended to be more intense, emotive games – Resident Evil 7 and Batman: Arkham VR being perfect examples. Perhaps that’s why new announcement The Inpatient caught the eye during Sony’s event.
Another platform game in Sony’s offering was Star Child, a colourful space-based explorer.
Completing the tour of genres was Bravo Team, a new VR shooter where players must work with their teammates to infiltrate hostile environments.
There’s no doubt that VR gaming is still in its infancy, and the titles being produced are not yet at the cutting edge of what the technology can do.But Sony’s level of dedication to the platform at E3 this year suggests it’s something the company sees as a vital component in its line-up of products. Checking the size of the queues for PSVR experiences once the E3 convention opens might give an idea as to whether the gaming public feels the same.
