I've found it, VR Skater is the game to save PSVR 2 from its doldrums. The launch of PSVR 2 could have been better. The new VR headset looks to have sold only 270,000 units by the end of March. But don't let that put you off, as the team at Perpetual are about to deliver, what could be, a system-seller.
So PSVR 2 sales are slow, that 270,000 figure (as reported in Bloomberg (opens in new tab) via the research group IDC) is below where Sony would like its new tech to be. But VR game design continues to surprise and suggests PSVR 2 has legs, or wheels. Just when I think developers and artists have done it all, a new VR game teases a whole new way of gaming in virtual spaces.
The newly announced VR Skater (opens in new tab) from Perp Games is one of those games that just makes me smile. The UI is sparse and all you need to know is there's a board under your feet, rolling and ticking as you ride with an authentic click, click, click as its wheels brush over a pavement. Check out the video below.
While I have some concerns over VR Skater, mostly will I suffer from the kind of PSVR 2 motion sickness I've felt in other games, it sounds like this developer is making use of some intuitive UX to ensure the sense of skating and movement marry to avoid and problems.
The press statement details a new VR control system: "Moving your hands in the same motions you would follow with your feet gives a perspective and level of control never before seen," it reads. "The sense of fulfilment experienced upon perfectly executing even the most basic tricks is something that never leaves you!"
VR Skater promises to deliver all of the tricks and flips of skateboarding inside VR, including rail grinds, grabs and manuals. Embracing virtual reality it looks like we can find our own skating lines and the Mega Ramp will test your resolve – it's a leap across a deep, wide chasm.
VR game design is continually being rethought all then time, and the launch of PSVR 2 and its unique technology – read my feature PSVR2: everything you need to know – has got developers rethinking what can be done in VR. New horror shooter The release of Switchback VR revealed how eye-tracking is going to be huge for game designers, for example.
There's no release date as yet, but take a look at the official VR Skater PlayStation page (opens in new tab) for more updates and details. If VR Skater has inspired you, take a look at our Unity versus Unreal Engine comparison, both developer game engines are free to download and try out.
Read more:
- Best PSVR 2 games: what to play first
- PS5 review: two years on, it remains unmatched
- Unreal Engine 5 review
