With Sony’s PlayStation event taking place later today, PlayStation hype has reached fever pitch around the world. With the Japanese video game giant set to unveil their newest console upgrade, the PlayStation Neo, the event will most certainly be centered around it. Additionally, the company is planning to unveil the PlayStation 4 Slim and talk a bit more about the PlayStation VR.
Sony’s virtual reality headset is almost here, and today’s event is one of the last chances the company has to drum up interest before the device launches on October 13th. Considering the virtual reality headset costs about as much as the required PlayStation 4 does, it would be the smart move for Sony to spend some stage time getting fans pumped up for it. What Sony has done to get fans excited, however, is include a Blu-Ray with eight separate demos with the purchase of a PlayStation VR headset.
Sony to include eight great demos with PlayStation VR
PlayStation VR is expensive enough by itself, so gamers are most likely not relishing in the fact that they will have to spend more than the base price in order to get a taste of what the PlayStation headset is like. Thankfully, we will not have to. Sony has revealed that the virtual reality headset will be accompanied by a demo disc which will include samples of eight games. A handful are definitely lighter releases that serve more as showcases, however there are also small tastes of games that one might purchase in the future.
The demo disc will include a taste of Driveclub VR, a “high-octane” vehicle racing game. While the original Driveclub was considered a flop, hopefully Sony has put in enough work on this title to satisfy even the most diehard racing fans.
PlayStation VR Worlds will also be included on the disc, an underwater virtual reality experience designed to highlight all of the next-generation virtual reality technologies the virtual reality headset has to offer. In this demo players will “get to make a splash in the perilous waters of Ocean decent, one of five PS VR experiences available in the full game. Amazing sights, a lost secret and extreme danger all await,” reads the PlayStation blog.
The disc will also include a demo of RIGS Mechanized Combat League, a futuristic fighting game developed by Guerilla Games. “Master some of the most sophisticated and athletic fighting machinery ever created, in fast-paced arena combat,” reads the blog. “[This} is the future of sport.”
Tumble VR, developed by Supermassive Games, will also be an addition to the demo disc, a classic block stacking game. Players will be able to enjoy the game in a brand-new, fully 3D environment, utilizing the virtual reality headset to its full potential.
Another exciting inclusion on the disc is Battlezone, developed by Rebellion Studios. A futuristic tank battle game, players will be able to “[experience] tomorrow’s battlefield today in the powerful Cobra tank, and demolish all that trundles in your path.”
One of the highlights of the PS VR demo disc is the addition of a taste of EVE: Valkyrie, a futuristic space fighting simulator. Valkyrie is one of the most anticipated PS VR titles yet, so players will no doubt be excited to “[take] to the stars and blast [their] way through swarms of enemy fighters in nerve-shredding space bound battles.”
Wayward Sky, developed by Uber Entertainment, is another exciting demo included on the disc. A massive, virtual reality world awaits players, where they will “[soar] among the beauty of the clouds in search of your father, in a crumbling airborne fortress.”
Finally, the demo disc will come with a taste of the game Headmaster, developed by Frame Interactive. A soccer simulator, players will be able to use the VR headset to simulate some soccer drills. “Have a little kick around (erm… with your head) over at the wonderful Football Improvement Centre, which is most certainly not a prison of any kind whatsoever,” reads the PlayStation blog.
Demo disc harkens back to gaming glory days
These eight games are hopefully enough to get the average gamer through a few sessions of gaming before buying new titles. If players are worried about a lack of upcoming VR content, they need not. 230 separate developers are currently working on PlayStation VR, there are currently 160 titles currently in development, and 50 new PS VR titles are scheduled to launch by the end of 2016, so, needless to say, some games are on their way.
A demo disc is a nostalgic throwback to the ‘90s and early ‘00s when internet speeds weren’t sufficient enough and trying a game before buying it was standard practice. At this point it isn’t clear whether Sony will have these demos available for download without the disc, but it could be a sign that Sony thinks its network won’t be up to supporting VR game downloads on launch day.
Either way, Sony has one job on October 13th, and that is to make using the PlayStation VR as painless and foolproof as possible. The inclusion of a demo disc allows people to jump right in to the headset right away, with minimal wait time and ambiguity about what they should be downloading or playing. We’ll most likely know more about the virtual reality headset’s launch lineup later today at Sony’s event.
