May 2017 Virtual Reality Game Releases
It can be daunting to keep up with the VR market. Almost every day, a new announcement comes our way about a new game or product. To make things easier for you, we compiled a list of all the VR games that are coming out in May and have public release dates.
You may be surprised to learn that there are more than 20 VR titles launching in May. We're not sure how many of these games are destined for the Oculus Store, but most of them support the Oculus Rift through Steam VR.
MORE: Tom's Hardware's GDC 2017 Highlights
MORE: Best Virtual Reality HMDs
Vector Wars
Vector Wars is a low-polygon space shooter that looks a lot like Geometry Wars. You take control of a two-dimensional space craft and must defend yourself from relentless waves of incoming attacks from alien ships.
Vector Wars started life as a mobile game made by Red Iron Labs. The developer reworked the mechanics of the 2D mobile game for virtual reality. The game supports the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and their respective motions controllers. Vector Wars also supports OSVR VR HMDs with gamepad input, and it’s also available for traditional 2D screens with keyboard and mouse support.
- Platforms: PC, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, OSVR
- Input: Motion Controllers, Keyboard/Mouse, Gamepad
- Release Date: May 1, 2017
- Publisher: Red Iron Labs
- Developer: Red Iron Labs
MORE: Tom's Hardware's GDC 2017 Highlights
MORE: Best Virtual Reality HMDs
Conductor
Overflow said that "Conductor takes place in a post-industrial apocalypse," but we’re not sure what that has to do with the game. In Conductor, you’re on the run from an evil corporation called Overcorp, and the only vehicle that can take you to safety is an old-fashioned coal-powered steam engine locomotive. You must take control of the locomotive and make your way down the track to safety.
Along the way, you’ll encounter a variety of obstacles, and you’ll be forced to deal with Overcorp’s surveillance drones.
- Platforms: HTC Vive
- Input: Motion Controllers
- Release Date: May 2, 2017
- Publisher: Overflow
- Developer: Overflow
MORE: Tom's Hardware's GDC 2017 Highlights
MORE: Best Virtual Reality HMDs
Séance: The Unquiet (Preview)
Holospark brings full immersion to the time-honored tradition of telling ghost stories in Séance: The Unquiet. The developer is still working on the full game, which is set for release later this year, but you can get a taste of its frights right now in Séance: The Unquiet (Preview). The preview release is a short five-minute introduction to wet your whistle and set the tone for the harrowing tale.
Holospark uses a combination of technology from the Unreal Engine and performance capture techniques derived from Hollywood to produce a “frightening and intriguing tale that blends cinematic storytelling with subtle interactivity”.
- Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, OSVR
- Input: Keyboard/Mouse
- Release Date: May 2, 2017
- Publisher: Holospark
- Developer: Holospark
MORE: Tom's Hardware's GDC 2017 Highlights
MORE: Best Virtual Reality HMDs
Elite Encounter
Elite Encounter puts a new spin on “god perspective” VR games while also introducing a new twist on the shoot-em-up genre of arcade-style games. Much like a traditional shoot-em-up game, you must shoot down as many enemies as possible while avoiding their constant barrage of firepower. But in Elite Encounter, you play as a giant armed with a pistol and a shield, attacking and defending against enemy spacecraft as they buzz around you like flies.
- Platform: HTC Vive
- Input: Motion Controllers
- Release Date: May 5, 2017
- Publisher: BubbleFish Entertainment
- Developer: Hin Lam
MORE: Tom's Hardware's GDC 2017 Highlights
MORE: Best Virtual Reality HMDs
Far Space
The lines between games and cinematic experiences are beginning to blur thanks to modern game engines and the advent of virtual reality. Far Space is an experience that attempts to blur those lines even further. Alexey Glinskly, the developer behind the Far Space VR experience, describes it as an "interactive movie with a gripping story and elements of a shooter."
In Far Space, you’ll experience what it’s like to be on a space station with a crew of people whose lives depend on your success. One wrong move could spell disaster for everyone around you. You’ll also experience some of the most visually stunning graphics to grace a VR game to date.
- Platforms: PC, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, OSVR
- Input: Motion Control, Gamepad
- Release Date: May 5, 2015
- Publisher: Alexey Glinskly
- Developer: Alexey Glinskly
MORE: Tom's Hardware's GDC 2017 Highlights
MORE: Best Virtual Reality HMDs
Drummer Talent VR
To clarify:Drummer Talent VR is a drumming simulation game, not a drum training program. Tungsten Games created Drummer Talent VR to simulate the experience of being onstage in front of a crowd. It features a variety of stage options, ranging from intimate venues like local bars to large outdoor concert locations. The initial release of the game includes a handful of pre-loaded tracks, and the developer plans to add more songs over the next few months. Tungsten Games is also building a song editor so you can create and share your own tracks.
- Platform: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive
- Input: Motion Controllers
- Release Date: May 5, 2017
- Publisher: Tungsten Games
- Developer: Tungsten Games
MORE: Tom's Hardware's GDC 2017 Highlights
MORE: Best Virtual Reality HMDs
Bounty Killer
Bounty Killer is a VR first-person survival game set in the Old West. The game features two modes: Survival Mode, which makes you fend for yourself and scavenge for equipment, and Score Mode, which rewards you with gear when you make a kill so that you can go on, er, killing. (Editor's note: Making a killing by killing, as it were.)
In Survival Mode, you must find water to survive and guns to protect yourself. You’ll have the choice of four professions by which you can earn money to pay for food and shelter. For example, you could be a farmer and earn an honest living tending to the crops, or you could be a cowboy and manage a herd of cattle. You could be a bandit and live life on the lawless side, or you could spend your time as a bounty killer and hunt down dangerous men for a price.
Score Mode is all about clearing out as many bandits as you can before you run out of bullets. Better aim means conserving more bullets, and thus a higher score.
- Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, OSVR
- Input: Motion Controllers, Keyboard/Mouse
- Release Date: May 9, 2017
- Publisher: Galaxy Game Studio
- Developer: Galaxy Game Studio
MORE: Tom's Hardware's GDC 2017 Highlights
MORE: Best Virtual Reality HMDs
Domain Defense VR
Inclusion Studios rebuilt its tower defense game Domain Defense into a virtual reality table top game. Domain Defense VR lets you walk around the table to get a better vantage point, and you can lean in to see the action up close. Domain Defense VR features dozens of abilities and buffs to unlock, helping you reinforce your defenses and protect your turf.
Inclusion Studios included several new levels for the VR adaptation of Domain Defense and also introduced the ability to place trees and animals in the path of enemy forces. The new version of the game also includes dynamic weather changes.
You can play Domain Defense VR in room scale with motion controllers if you have the space to walk around, although the game also supports gamepad input.
- Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, OSVR
- Input: Motion Controls, Gamepad
- Release Date: May 11, 2017
- Publisher: Inclusion Studios
- Developer: Inclusion Studios
MORE: Tom's Hardware's GDC 2017 Highlights
MORE: Best Virtual Reality HMDs
Blobby Tennis
Blobby Tennis isn’t really tennis; rather, it's a continuous volley challenge against a blob called...Blobby. The game takes place on a sandy beach, so unlike real tennis, you can’t let the ball hit the ground. As you pass the ball back and forth over the net, you can do tricks to spice things up and score points.
Blobby Tennis doesn’t appear to have any fixed rules; it’s just open-ended game meant to let you pass the time and relax.
- Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive
- Input: Motion Controllers
- Release Date: May 12, 2017
- Publisher: SlinDev
- Developer: SlinDev
MORE: Tom's Hardware's GDC 2017 Highlights
MORE: Best Virtual Reality HMDs
Master Shot VR
Take to the virtual firing range in Master Shot VR. The game features a wide range of realistic guns to play with--dual-wield pistols or play around with submachine guns, or what have you. The guns in Master Shot VR are designed to be realistic and lifelike. When you want to reload, you’ll have to reload it like a real gun by releasing the clip with the proper action and placing a new magazine into the appropriate slot.
However, Master Shot VR isn’t just a basic shooting range. To put your skills to the test, the game features flying drone targets and enemy attackers. Master Shot VR also includes a variety of survival scenarios, such as fights in pitch black darkness.
- Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive
- Input: Motion Controllers
- Release Date: May 12, 2017
- Publisher: Puresurface Inc.
- Developer: Puresurface Inc.
