Ah, the good old days of the demo disc.
For those that may not remember, console manufacturers used to pump out free demo discs on a regular basis to show off the latest games currently available or coming out soon.
Alas, since the advent of the Internet, those days are pretty much long gone.
Not the demos, the discs.
Well, Sony hasn’t forgotten those halcyon days and, in an effort to promote their VR headset, have released a 12GB “demo disc” of PlayStation VR games for users to sample.
Available as a free download on the PlayStation Network, this demo disc is going to contain a smattering of titles that show off the PSVR’s capabilities and best games.
It’s the perfect first download for people who just jumped into the PSVR segment and we think Sony should be applauded for it, After all, people who have never played VR before don’t know what they will enjoy and what they won’t. This demo disc will help clarify things a bit – as well as show off some really cool games.
Games included on the “demo disc” are: Superhot VR, Astro Bot Rescue Mission, Battlezone, Headmaster, Job Simulator, Moss, Kitchen, The Persistence, and Thumper according to Polygon.
Superhot VR is basically a first-person shooter in VR that emphasizes headshots and quick reactions to take down enemies. Lauded for its immersion and seamless gameplay, Superhot VR has made an appearance on multiple VR headsets. Its appearance on this demo disc is not really surprising, but the game isn’t something exclusive to PSVR.
Astro Bot Rescue Mission, on the other hand, is described by many as a piece of killer IP for the PSVR. Cast as a kind of Super Mario Galaxy for virtual reality, Astro Bot Rescue Mission combines the best of traditional platformers with the new gameplay mechanics afforded developers by the virtual reality medium.
On interesting inclusion on this list of games is a title that helped pioneer VR in many ways: Battlezone.
Originally published in 1980 by Atari, Battlezone was a first-person tank shooter that used wire-frame vector graphics to simulate 3D. A classic of the arcade, Battlezone is apparently still spawning home ports even today.
One title that stands out on the list, even though it isn’t a PSVR exclusive, is the sleeper-hit Job Simulator. As the title suggests, this game puts you in one of a couple of occupations you can choose from and then lets you experience it from a VR perspective. Beloved by critics and fans alike, Job Simulator is that strange game that works despite its somewhat mundane-sounding concept.
Meanwhile, The Persistence is some pretty heavy fare for a demo disc that is otherwise filled with light experiences. A sci-fi survival horror with Rogue-like elements, The Persistence operates on multiple levels to deliver an experience that could never be had in the traditional method.
The collection is, overall, a pretty solid one and should do a good job of giving people an overview of some of the best VR titles currently available.
