There are some who have become discouraged when it comes to the rollout of virtual reality headsets. These devices have been trickling out over the course of 2016, and there’s now a mainstream understanding of some of the perks and thrills offered by VR gaming. However, sales aren’t quite what those in the industry were expecting. Business Insider did an analysis of some of the sales forecasts for major VR headgear following the Thanksgiving holiday and concluded that there hasn’t been a boost in momentum. We may still see a higher volume of sales as we get closer to the holidays, but it doesn’t look as if a great boom is coming—yet.
However, that doesn’t mean that the VR wave is going to slow down or fail. In all likelihood it’s still just getting started. Lottoland, which usually tries to help people understand the lottery while providing potential number predictions for those looking to strike it big, emphasized this point by taking the opportunity to examine the growth of video games and explore how it has all lead us to virtual reality. In an infographic on the evolution of video games that started with the original Atari back in 1972 the chart covers the stepping stones that have brought us to where we are today. It wasn’t the PS4 Plus, the Xbox One S, or even then Nintendo Switch that occupied the 2017 slot, but a PlayStation VR headset. This is merely one analysis, but it speaks to the idea that 2017, not 2016, could be the so-called “Year of VR.”
Given that idea, now seems like a good time to look ahead to the coming year and consider what games might be on the way, as VR developers grow more used to the new medium, and more capable of delivering quality experiences. These are four games to keep an eye out for.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
This game is expected to come out in late January, and will bring one of the most popular franchises in gaming to VR for the first time. Fans of the Resident Evil series are used to third person action, but will be able to strap into PlayStation VR and enjoy this new installment in its entirety, from a first-person perspective. That would be exciting for most any established console game, but for one based on creepy atmospheres and horrifying surprises, it’s pretty tantalizing.
Fallout 4
For HTC Vive users Fallout 4 will be coming to VR as well. According to PC Advisor, which did a write-up of some of the most exciting VR releases for this year and next, the game will utilize a teleportation system as an alternative to actually traversing the map. It remains to be seen if that will work particularly well, but this is still a major title making the leap to VR.
Artika.1
This is a brand new title, and another first person shooter. Developed by 4A Games (creators of Metro Last Light), the Oculus Rift exclusive takes place in a post-apocalyptic ice age and looks absolutely gorgeous. This game will also use a teleportation system to solve the movement issue of VR, but the shooting mechanics are thought to be quite advanced and will take advantage of the new Oculus Touch controllers. It looks like a pretty wild ride.
Golem
This is an original title from Highwire Games, and it showcases exactly the sort of creativity a lot of people have been wanting to see from VR developers. The premise is that you control an injured and lonely child who gains the ability to create and control massive stone characters, almost like avatars of himself exploring an abandoned city. It looks positively dreamlike, and if it works well one could imagine it becoming a leading title for VR systems.
