During yesterday’s press event for the Oculus Rift, the creative team behind the VR device finally unveiled the consumer-ready hardware for the first time, but the showcase itself also boasted plenty of room for software, too.
Though we already knew that CCP Games’ defining EVE: Valkyrie would whizz onto the new-fangled platform as a launch title next year, both Gunfire and Sunset Overdrive dev Insomniac had their own projects to reveal: Chronos and the intriguing Edge of Nowhere, respectively. Each of these new IPs received trailers to boot, and you can glimpse them down below.
The third-party support didn’t end there, though, with the likes of Square Enix, Harmonix, Ready at Dawn, and British porting dev Climax Studios all backing the device and ensuring would-be consumers that there are plenty of projects in the works. For Square, it’s likely we’ll see that partnership come to fruition during the publisher’s E3 showcase, while Harmonix may incorporate VR with Rock Band 4 to get a leg up on the competition. Read: Guitar Hero Live.
But the biggest supporter of Oculus Rift came in the form of Microsoft. Not content with just its own augmented HoloLens hardware, the Redmond-based company is looking to take the fight to the likes of Sony et al. by including an Xbox One controller in every bundle of the Rift sold, not to mention fully integration with Windows 10 when it launches later this year. Speaking during yesterday’s showcase, here’s what Head of Xbox Phil Spencer had to say about the partnership.
“We’re thrilled to be working closely with the team at Oculus. Their groundbreaking work in virtual reality is inspiring, and the Oculus Rift delivers a truly next-generation VR experience,” said Spencer. “We at Xbox are passionate about giving gamers the opportunity to play when and where they want. I can’t wait to see the incredible games created for the Rift, and we are proud to be part of the experience.”
Oculus Rift is expected to land in Q1 2016. For now, be sure to check out the kind of launch titles you can expect via the trailers below.