There’s never been a better time to be a VR gamer.
Meta just wrapped its 2023 Quest Showcase, during which the company revealed a number of exciting announcements regarding its lineup of VR games and apps for the Quest platform. This year the company teased everything from an official VR game based on the critically-acclaimed Assassin’s Creed series to major updates coming soon to existing games.
The following is a full breakdown of every announcement and reveal from today’s show (as provided by Meta) according to the order in which they were revealed:
Pre-Show
- PowerWash Simulator VR – “PowerWash Simulator has been a major hit with players since it first launched in Early Access on Steam in 2021. With it finally coming to VR, get ready to experience satisfaction in a whole new dimension. Grab that high-pressure hose and start blasting dirt off cars, playgrounds, ferris wheels, and…well, we won’t spoil the rest. Oh, and keep an eye out for the mayor’s cat, Ulysses! He has to be around here somewhere. PowerWash Simulator VR is coming to Meta Quest 2 + Pro this year—wishlist it today.”
- We Are One – “The only person you need watching your back is…yourself. That’s the idea behind We Are One, a “time-bending shooter” from Flat Head Studio. Use time loops to pull off incredibly complex feats of daring with your own past self. Each loop, you create a clone of yourself that does the same action loop after loop—allowing you to go from taking down one evil robot (and then dying) to taking down an army of robots at the same time and making it out alive. Or making it out alive, times six. We Are One is out today on Meta Quest 2 + Pro.”
- Demeo Battles – “Build your army, hone your tactics, and rise to the top in Demeo Battles, an all-new game of speedy, competitive, PvP strategy from Resolution Games. Demeo Battles pits players against each other in 1v1 or 2v2 turn-based bouts. Choose your champion, build a brigade of monstrous minions, and enter the fantasy fight for survival in the arena. Just be sure you don’t get caught in the burn! The next game for the Demeo Action Role Playing System, Demeo Battles is available for wishlisting today in the Meta Quest Store.”
- Onward – Update 1.11 – “Tactical shooter Onward is due for another update this summer. Downpour Interactive showed off some of what we can expect today, including two new weapons—the M240L high caliber heavy machine gun and the drum-fed Ultimax 100 light machine gun. Update 1.11 also improves fidelity in several key places, including more realistic movement animations and a more detailed tent environment. And for those who need to get in some practice, both the killhouse and the shooting range will be revamped, with the latter extending out to 600 meters if you want to finesse your long-distance game.”
- Walkabout Mini Golf – “Last year, Mighty Coconut released the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea course for Walkabout Mini Golf, promising that it was just the first of three Jules Verne adaptations the studio had in development. Today we got a brief glimpse at number two, Journey to the Center of the Earth, which features giant dinosaurs and a new flashlight mechanic. And the best news? It’s out next week, June 8. They also revealed a new “Evil Lairs” series, which will kick off with Laser Lair in July, featuring a bonus Exploding Kittens-themed foxhunt by Elan Lee, co-creator of the hit card game. And if you want to get in some time on the green outside your headset, they also showed off the Pocket Edition coming to iOS later this summer, which features crossplay with Meta Quest.”
- Ghost Signal: A Stellaris Game – Fleet Expansion – “Today Fast Travel Games revealed the free Fleet Expansion update, which will give players more options as they explore the universe. Two new ships, Iris and Pandora, will open up new tactics in battle—with Pandora’s “ramming speed” charge attack looking especially entertaining. There are also myriad smaller changes arriving in this update, including autosave functionality, the ability to run multiple save files, and Relaxed Mode for when you just want to explore the universe in peace. The free Fleet Expansion update is out now.”
- Death Game Hotel – “Play through an intense story mode that will require you to literally gamble with your life, betting not just chips but your actual limbs—with potentially deadly consequences. You’ll also be able to take your skills online, playing Goblet of the Reaper and Death Poker with up to five other people from around the world. Keep an eye on your opponents! Their movements might give something away. Death Game Hotel is available now to wishlist on the Meta Quest Store.”
- Little Cities – Sandbox Update – “Today nDreams and Purple Yonder gave us a peek at what’s next [for Little Cities]. The Sandbox Update, coming June 2023, will give you the freedom to create the island(s) of your dreams, ready to host your wildest city creations. Want an archipelago with a bunch of small villages? An island shaped like a thumbs-up? A weird spiral-shaped island where people living on the outer edge need to travel for hours to get to the center? Whatever cozy (or not-so-cozy!) ideas you can come up with, the Little Cities Sandbox Update is there to help.”
- No More Rainbows – “An App Lab hit, Squido Studio’s No More Rainbows makes you Warden of the Underworld. Charged with protecting your grim realm, you awake to find it’s being invaded—desecrated!—by an army of cute and cheerful beings. You must battle back these intruders. Tear them in half! Throw them off a cliff! Hold them over a grill until they roast like a forgotten marshmallow! (That last one is pretty metal.) Explore and reclaim four unique worlds over the course of the campaign, and make sure everyone knows the underworld is not to be trifled with. No More Rainbows moves from App Lab to the Meta Quest Store today.”
Main Show
- Samba de Amigo – “Colorful and cute, SEGA’s original Samba de Amigo rhythm game became a phenomenon when it hit arcades in 1999—and became one of the best reasons to own a Sega Dreamcast a year later. Now, more than two decades later, an all-new entry in the Samba de Amigo series feels like a natural fit for VR. Dance along to hit songs from the world’s top genres with your monkey-friend Amigo, strike a pose or two, and make your day a little brighter.”
- I Expect You To Die 3: Cog in the Machine – “How did you survive the events of I Expect You To Die 2, Agent? Unclear, at the moment. But the evil Dr. Zor has a dastardly new scheme, and it’s up to you and your incredible (or not-so-incredible) espionage skills to stop him. Worse, there’s a new villain to contend with—one who’s more clever than you can imagine.”
- Silent Slayer: Vault of the Vampire – “Stealth is key to survival here—or as Schell Games puts it, “Silence is golden. Sound is death.” Come face to face with vampires in this scary single-player horror game, and try to stake them before they wake. Don’t be gentle!”
- Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord – “Who is the Ghost Lord? Why is he in San Francisco? Why is he obsessed with the Ghostbusters? With this new story trailer for Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord, Sony Pictures VR, and nDreams took us on a journey into the mind of a madman. Witness the descent of Gustav Hookfaber—once a promising young scientist, now a supervillain driven to unleash the true potential of untapped spectral energy.”
- UNDERDOGS – “UNDERDOGS is a futuristic physics-based brawler set in the 22nd-century mech-fighting capital of the world, New Brakka. Enter the notorious New Brakka fighting pits in your five-ton Gorilla Mech and prepare to smash, punch, and tear your way through whatever foes the pitmasters throw your way. Win, and you can upgrade your mech to be even more fearsome—gear up with 100+ items including power tools like chainsaws and wrecking balls.”
- What’s Next for NFL PRO ERA – “StatusPRO President and Co-founder and former NFL wide receiver Andrew “Hawk” Hawkins showed up at this year’s Meta Quest Gaming Showcase to talk about the next evolution of NFL PRO ERA. This year’s game is more than just a roster update—expect an expanded focus on multiplayer, new modes, new features, and more.”
- Racket Club – “Racket Club features a brand-new, built-for-VR racket sport. Perfect your skills in single-player mode, or hop online and play pickup games with people around the world. And when you need a break? Hang out and socialize courtside in between matches at this one-of-a-kind sports complex. When you’re all warmed up and ready to hit the court, you’ll find Racket Club available for wishlisting in the Meta Quest Store today.”
- Vampire: The Masquerade – Justice – “In Vampire: The Masquerade – Justice you’ll explore Venice—but not the Venice you see on postcards. You’re a vampire, at home in the shadows. Pass judgment on the guilty in a gritty narrative that will show you the dark side of Venice’s picturesque canals and Renaissance-era buildings. Take advantage of superhuman abilities to help you take down targets, drinking the blood of both mortals and other vampires.”
- Dungeons of Eternity – “Explore ominous crypts, crumbling castles, dark caverns, and more, either solo or with friends (up to three players total). Overcome enemies, puzzles, and traps as you delve deeper, grabbing as much treasure and gear as you can while still escaping with your life. A wide variety of weapons gives you and your crew plenty of options for dealing with skeletons, scorpions, and more, using realistic physics-based combat that should make you feel every sword swing and desperate parry.”
- The 7th Guest – “Spooky but never gory, The 7th Guest is like a thrilling amusement park ride you can experience at home, packed with puzzles that pay homage to the original point-and-click adventure while taking full advantage of VR. Add it to your wishlist today and get ready to step back into the past.”
- Arizona Sunshine 2 – “Today, Vertigo revealed that the wastes will be a little less lonely this time around. Yes, post-apocalyptic Arizona is still post-apocalyptic Arizona. It’s dusty and it’s full of zombies. But you’ll be fighting through it side-by-side with your new friend Buddy, your canine companion who will have your back even when “freddies” (the zombies) are trying to take a bite out of it.”
- Stranger Things VR – “Last November, Netflix and Tender Claws revealed that they were bringing hit series Stranger Things to VR. They also revealed that you’d be playing as Vecna. Yes, Vecna, the embodiment of evil… Today’s trailer shows off some of the surreal (and spooky) scenes you can expect when the game releases this winter—though you can preorder Stranger Things VR today over on the Meta Quest Store, if you’re feeling brave (or villainous).”
- Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable – “Teased late last year, today we got our first look at Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable. Strap into your ODM (omnidirectional mobility) gear and prepare to protect your homeland. Use your wits and your reflexes to take down killer titans many times your size, with dynamic combat that’s like nothing you’ve ever played in VR. The more you take down, the harder the battles will become. Will you make it to the final battle?”
- Bulletstorm – “Today, People Can Fly and Incuvo (developer of Green Hell VR) announced they’re bringing Bulletstorm to the Meta Quest Store. Skillshots new and old, as well as the action-packed story—all of it recreated from the ground up to take advantage of VR. Book your ticket to the planet Stygia and get ready to mow down hordes of mutated enemies later this year—but not in the boring ol’ “pump ‘em full of bullets” way. It’s Bulletstorm! In VR! Get creative with those kills!”
- Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR – “Last but certainly not least, Ubisoft announced during today’s Showcase that it’s bringing Assassin’s Creed Nexus to the Meta Quest Store later this year. You’ll have to wait just a bit longer for details, though. Tune in to Ubisoft Forward on June 12 to catch the full reveal of Assassin’s Creed Nexus.”
For more information on all of today’s announcements check out Meta’s official blog. It’s also worth noting that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg this morning unveiled Meta Quest 3, the company’s latest addition to its lineup of mainstream VR devices. No doubt we’ll be seeing many of today’s titles on Meta’s new hardware.
Feature Image Credit: Meta
