Krafton and PUBG Studios have officially revealed PUBG: Black Budget, a new tactical extraction shooter that is moving the franchise beyond the classic battle royale format. The game will be a PvPvE extraction shooter built around tension, survival, and a unique supernatural premise.
Players will take on the role of a contractor sent to a remote 2.5×2.5 km island to recover top-secret technology. The twist is that the island is trapped in a time loop and is being consumed by a supernatural phenomenon known as the Anomaly. The longer a player stays in a session, the more unpredictable and difficult extraction becomes.
PUBG: Black Budget supports up to 45 players per session in three-player squads, featuring dynamic PvPvE encounters against both other Contractors and hostile entities. Unlike traditional battle royales, the focus is on extracting valuable artifacts and uncovering the truth behind the black-budget initiative named Sapiens, with progression tied to expanding a personal base, crafting new equipment, and improving character skills.
The system requirements have also been published. The minimum requirements are reasonably accessible, comprising an Intel Core i5-8400 CPU (or AMD Ryzen 5 2600), 16 GB of RAM, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 or AMD Radeon RX 6600 graphics card. As for the recommended specs, it includes an Intel Core i5-12400 CPU (or AMD Ryzen 5 5600) and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 or AMD Radeon RX 6800, along with 16 GB of RAM. The game will require 30 GB of storage space. You can find the detailed specifications below:
MINIMUM:
OS: Windows 11
Processor: Intel Core i5-8400, AMD Ryzen 5 2600
Memory: 16GB RAM
Graphics: Nvidia RTX 2060 8GB, AMD Radeon RX 6600
DirectX: Version 12
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 30GB available space
Sound Card: No Recommendation
RECOMMENDED:
OS: Windows 11
Processor: Intel Core i5-12400, AMD Ryzen 5 5600
Memory: 16GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA RTX 3070, AMD Radeon RX 6800
DirectX: Version 12
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 30GB available space
Sound Card: No Recommendation
Krafton will launch a Closed Alpha Test next month, running over two weekends: December 12th–14th and December 19th–21st. PC players interested in participating can request access via the game's Steam page.
KitGuru says: Did you play the original PUBG? Will you register for PUBG: Black Budget's closed alpha?
Coelcanth's Dream has shared a list of changes for most Nova Lake device IDs, including the low-power U-series, desktop-class S-series, and the standard H-series. These IDs were mapped to GMD 30.4.4 and 30.5.4, which referred to the Xe3-LPG architecture, the same one confirmed for Panther Lake. No mention of Xe3P (GMD 35.11.0) was present in this patch, suggesting Nova Lake iGPUs would be based on Xe3 instead. Still, Coelcanth's Dream believes Nova Lake's iGPU will have more advanced display and media engines than those of Panther Lake and Wildcat Lake, as the initial Linux kernel patches imply.
However, VideoCardz cited its own sources stating that Nova Lake will use a mixed GPU architecture across its product stack. Apparently, a small number of top-tier mobile parts, specifically the high-end Nova Lake-H chips, will feature the true Xe3P graphics tile. This top configuration will reportedly use 12 Xe3P cores and is slated to succeed the highest-end 12 Xe3 setup found in Panther Lake.
This dual-architecture strategy means that the Nova Lake lineup will likely see a split in branding. Given that the current Xe3 iGPUs are launching under the Arc B-series moniker, and Xe3P is confirmed to use the high-performance Arc C-series branding, the overall family could feature a mix of both Arc B and Arc C integrated graphics solutions, depending on the specific SKU.
KitGuru says: Even if some Nova Lake SKUs use Xe3P GPU cores, do you think the difference over standard Xe3 GPU cores will be significant or just a slight improvement?
Sony has been selling its games on PC for a few years now and at this point, many are expecting more and more PlayStation-published titles to release day-one on PC alongside consoles. How much money has Sony made by opening up its games to the PC market? Well according to new analysis, the number should be over $1.5 billion.
Alinea Analytics has published its research on PlayStation games sold via Steam, the biggest PC games store. Judging by the numbers, Helldivers 2 is far and away the biggest PlayStation-published game on Steam, having sold just shy of 13 million copies.
Sony's single-player games have achieved muted numbers by comparison, but the top-sellers are all in a pretty close range. Horizon Zero Dawn has reportedly sold 4.5M copies on Steam, while God of War (2018) is just behind at 4.2M. After that, Days Gone is the fourth bestselling game at 3.4M copies, which must have people at that studio scratching their heads after Sony cancelled all plans for a sequel. Marvel's Spider-Man is the 5th bestselling game at 2.7M copies sold.
As far as overall revenue goes, PlayStation Studios is said to have brought in as much as $1.5B through the Steam platform, across 43M games sold. Valve does take a cut of Steam revenue but given that most PlayStation titles have accrued more than $50M, the cut will be a minimal 20%, rather than the full 30% cut Valve typically takes from Steam sales. Ultimately, that means Sony's take-home pay was around $1.2B overall, while Valve received over $300M for providing the platform.
KitGuru Says: I am surprised that Spider-Man isn't a bit higher. Interestingly, Helldivers 2 is the only current-gen game in the top 5, but that could be in part due to the higher prices for titles like God of War: Ragnarok, Horizon Forbidden West and Spider-Man 2. This shows that PC gamers are typically more patient and willing to wait for deep discounts before buying a game.
Despite debuting with a $499 price tag in 2020, an Xbox Series X now costs as much as $650 when bought new at retail thanks to multiple price hikes. It turns out, there could be another major price increase coming, as Microsoft didn't plan ahead for the current RAM shortage.
The current AI boom has seen large companies like Microsoft partner, OpenAI, buying up much of the global memory supply, leaving just a sliver of the supply chain for consumer electronics. According to Moore's Law is Dead, this will soon lead to global shortages in the consumer market, which could send Xbox Series X prices skyrocketing even higher.
The video claims that Microsoft “didn't plan ahead at all” and failed to acquire plentiful stocks of GDDR6 memory ahead of time, despite being well aware of the moves in the AI space, being partnered with OpenAI, amongst other companies. Apparently, Microsoft sales reps are already warning that this memory market squeeze will soon impact consumer pricing for Xbox Series consoles.
The video also claims that Sony did plan ahead and currently has plentiful memory resources to avoid raising the price of PlayStation 5 consoles. This is what is enabling the company to offer Black Friday discounts this year, while Xbox consoles may not see a discount at all.
KitGuru Says: Microsoft is well aware of what's happening in the AI world, so the lack of foresight here seems like a major blunder, assuming the report is accurate.
Just ahead of this weekend, a rumour began doing the rounds claiming that Naughty Dog's next game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, would release in 2026. As is often the case, a quote was taken out of context, causing many insiders to jump in and state that the game definitely won't be coming out next year.
On a recent podcast, Colin Moriarty speculated that Naughty Dog's new IP may release in 2026. Unfortunately, redditors took this quote out of context and what was presented as speculation suddenly became a reported rumour. After the news began doing the rounds, Moriarty wrote on his X account to clarify that he has not heard some any sources that the game would be coming out next year.
Jason Schreier, perhaps the most credible industry insider, also commented on the viral Reddit thread to say “I can assure you that Intergalactic is not coming out in 2026”. Jeff Grubb, another games reporter, said something similar (via IG), saying that after seeing the rumour, people reached out to him to say that the game would not be ready for a 2026 release.
Naughty Dog hasn't released a new game since The Last of Us Part 2 back in 2020, so fans are eager to see their next work. Unfortunately, the situation at Naughty Dog has been a little complicated in recent years. The studio spent much time working on ‘remasters' for both The Last of Us and The Last of Us 2 and wasted several years working on The Last of Us Online, only for the game to be cancelled after a Bungie-led review of live-service projects.
With that in mind, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet likely hasn't been in full production for very long, meaning it could easily be another two or three years before the game is ready to release. If that is accurate, then the game could very well end up being a cross-generation release for PS5 and PS6.
KitGuru Says: It will be a long time before we see Naughty Dog's next game first-hand. Even if the game had been planned for a Holiday 2026 release, the recent delay of Grand Theft Auto 6 to November next year would have likely blown those plans up.
We're all back for this night! AMD brings the FSR Redstone, Nvidia essentially has all the money, DDR and especially the "5" will bleed your wallet dry, and Zoomers turn out to…
Benchmarks of an Intel Panther Lake-H engineering sample have leaked on X/Twitter, and the results have spurred some interesting debate. Before proceeding, though, it's important to clarify the nature of engineering sample hardware and how it usually does not reflect the performance of final hardware. This is especially apparent with the ES
As Amazon kicks off its extended Black Friday Week, a wave of smart entertainment gear is showing off just how far home technology has come in 2025. Screens are bigger, audio is sharper, connectivity is faster, and even the lighting behind your TV can react dynamically to whatever you're watching. Whether you're trying to streamline your daily
One of these days, Apple will finally get around to releasing a MacBook with a touchscreen display. Today is not that day, and barring a surprise late release, 2025 is not the year it will happen (rumor has it, a MacBook with a touchscreen OLED won't come out until 2027). So if you need touch support in Apple's ecosystem, the iPad Pro is still
Do you find yourself squinting to see your TV, either because it's too small or because the image quality stinks? Well, good news—Black Friday deals are live for big screen TVs, and we're seeing discounts across a wide variety models, including premium OLED and mini LED models. So if you want to treat yourself to a high-end model, you can
This is one of the best times of the year to buy console gaming hardware because manufacturers and retailers tend to be more aggressive with their discounts during the holiday shopping season. And to that end, we're heading into Black Friday week. If you're a PlayStation gamer, there are some enticing discounts right now, including savings
The holiday shopping season is upon us, especially at retailers ramp up their Black Friday bargains. This also means you'll need to be extra vigilant about porch pirates. A great way to do that is by investing in a Ring Doorbell. It's not a cure all against thieves, but it is a possible deterrent, and a few of Amazon's models are deeply discounted
Aoostar released an updated teaser image of its AMD Ryzen Strix Halo-powered mini PC, the Aoostar Nex395, with a much different design than the original. The new design looks much smoother and more streamlined, whereas the former had sharper edges and a darker color scheme.
The new teaser image (originally spotted by @realVictor_M on X/Twitter),
The proliferation of digital game libraries and cloud streaming services has raised concerns about game preservation. Some publishers, such as EA, have stepped up in a big way by open sourcing older titles in their back catalogs. Now, Microsoft is adding its own contribution by open sourcing the classic Zork trilogy.
Microsoft will be releasing
Intel has already established that the graphics parts of Panther Lake are using the Xe3 architecture, but that they will be branded as part of the Arc B-series. The given rationale is that the first-generation Xe3 graphics products utilizing the "Xe3-LPG" architecture will be something more like an evolution of the Xe2 architecture used in
The XMG 14 Evo (Е25) can be described as a compact and light workstation if you configure it with more RAM and a Ryzen 9 CPU. The cooling is capable, and it allows impressively high clocks even in 3D rendering. The perfect upgradability and the surprisingly solid port selection make this compact laptop easy to recommend.
Roboquest VR takes an already exhilarating FPS roguelite to deliver a near-flawless adaptation, becoming one of my new favorite games to experience in a VR headset.
VR is no stranger to flatscreen conversions, and Flat2VR Studios quickly made a name for itself doing exactly that. Roboquest VR is the latest example, taking RyseUp Studios' 2023 roguelite FPS and thoroughly overhauling it. You control a Guardian robot taking down waves of hostile enemy machines, blazing a path for your human companion Max towards Haven 8 - an oasis in the desert that makes up most of this post-apocalyptic Earth.
The Facts
What is it?: An FPS roguelite trek towards humanity's lost haven where you play as a Guardian robot. Platforms: Quest (Coming Soon), Steam, PS VR2 (Reviewed on PC VR) Release Date: Out Now Developer: Flat2VR Studios, RyseUp Studios Publisher: Flat2VR Studios Price: $29.99
During a run, players can find any number of weapons with Borderlands-esque modifiers from chests, dropped from enemies, found as rewards from challenge rooms, and offered for sale at rest points. The variety on display here is impressive, and that's not even accounting for the different variables weapons can be rolled with. They range from standard rifles and shotguns to energy weapons, joined by handheld fare such as tomahawks, kunai, boomerangs, bows, and more.
This is where Roboquest VR first differentiates itself from the original release. With a keyboard and mouse, range, rate of fire, and such were different - actually controlling each weapon feels much the same. In VR, that's not quite the case.
Bows need you to manually notch an arrow much like other VR experiences; for throwable weapons, instead of merely aiming and holding down the trigger, you instead hold down the trigger, aim a swing, and then let go once you've achieved your desired arc. You can reload weapons with a button click, though Flat2VR has pleasingly added a manual reload function where you actively eject and load magazines. It feels incredible in action, especially with the optional laser sight enabled.
Other retooled elements relate to the user interface; while by default there's a floating health bar for your convenience, you can check your left wrist for more granular information on your status, including HP and how close you are to leveling up. The right wrist can showcase a minimap when raised and can be expanded by holding down the right grip button. Upon level-up, the perks you're offered are portrayed as physical cards that you must grab and then confirm your choice by holding down the trigger while the perk card is in your hand. All very welcome changes, and these go a long way towards grounding the VR experience.
Many of your various Guardian classes' unique abilities have also been retooled to better suit VR gameplay. The default class has a recharging shield tied to pushing in the right analog stick, while holding down the right grip and trigger lets you use a melee attack with the thrust of your arm. That can even be upgraded into a sledgehammer through the selection of random level-up perks, and of course a slightly different focus on swings rather than thrusts. Other classes provide functions like summonable drones that distract and attack enemies, an explosive laser charge, and more. If you didn't know any better, you'd struggle to tell that Roboquest wasn't a VR native release to begin with.
PC Specs Used
While we had no noticeable performance issues, it's worth noting that I was using top-of-the-line hardware with a Ryzen 7 9800x3D and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090.
This was good for 90FPS on a Quest 3 via Godlike Virtual Desktop settings and maxed out in-game - albeit with Temporal Antialiasing rather than MSAA. We even tested it at 120 FPS, thanks to the recent Virtual Desktop 2-pass encoding update, and it holds up brilliantly for me.
You can find the minimum requirements and recommended specs on the Steam page.
Still, Roboquest was already a fairly brutal experience, and its VR conversion makes it even more difficult. Once you get to grips with the controls, however, it's an exhilarating experience unlike anything else - Roboquest isn't just a fast-paced game, but verticality is a core element of its gameplay loop. Jumping onto grind rails and rocketing yourself across the map with a double jump while peppering bullets on the enemies below isn't just a possibility; it's basically expected when you near a run's end game. Some bosses even outright depend on it! It's one thing when all that aiming only requires a mouse, but when you get your whole body in the equation, what was already a taxing experience feels like it asks even more from you. Even if in return is a far more memorable experience.
There are, of course, additional difficulty options (four in total) for players looking for them. Easy mode offers a slightly less oppressive difficulty curve while still maintaining most of the friction that makes the game shine; a sensible choice as you accustom yourself to Roboquest VR and its controls. Levels are randomly generated, though it's best to think of it like Risk of Rain's procedural generation; the bulk of each level's layout remains the same, so you can quickly learn the best way to beeline from point A to point B.
Comfort
Roboquest VR is not a game I would recommend to anyone but the most seasoned VR veterans. By its very nature, the comfort options at your disposal are fairly limited.
You can use smooth and snap camera turning, there's an option to enable a motion vignette, and there's the ability to choose either standing and seated play. Movement direction can be based on your head's position or your hand, using artificial stick-based locomotion. Roboquest also features heavy use of high-speed, verticality-focused gameplay.
Adaptive triggers on PS VR2 can be switched off alongside controller vibration, you can select your dominant hand, and a motion vignette is also available. Lastly, you can select to automatically face the movement direction when using a bounce pad.
Considering that some of the game's branching paths are locked behind fairly strict time requirements - many of which eventually lead to crystals that, once activated, make the final level less difficult - it's all well and good that's the case. It's a good enough hook to keep playing, even though the story is by no means the game's focus. There's worldbuilding for players to look out for if that's their fancy, however - and some of that does tie into some of the game's optional objectives.
Sometimes one path provides a quest item to hand over to an NPC found on an entirely different route from the one you took; maybe you'll be rewarded the passcode or ticket to access an area you couldn't reach the first time. Individual locations don't change much beyond the enemies you find there, yet there's still plenty of strategy to be had with each run and deciding what your ultimate goal is. These feel like the perfect length for VR; not accounting for moments where the timer is paused while in camps, a successful run typically lasts between 30-45 minutes.
Upon ending your run, you can spend resources accrued within to upgrade your base. These include upgrading the amount of HP you gain from a level-up or increasing the rarity of weapons you might find in chests, alongside spawning NPCs that can reroll or add new abilities to your weapons. You can even increase their rarity when using Powercells gained during a run.
How Does It Compare On PlayStation VR2?
While James reviewed the PC VR edition, Roboquest VR has some subtle differences on PlayStation VR2 worth mentioning. Performance runs at 60Hz reprojected to 120Hz, which you naturally won't find on Steam. Flat2VR Studios is working to patch in native 90Hz support, though the fast-paced, colorful visuals means reprojection is sometimes noticeable.
Beyond this, Roboquest VR makes great use of haptic feedback across the headset and controllers. Adaptive trigger support feels nice, and its using dynamic foveated rendering. Cutscenes can be skipped by pressing buttons, and my only major complaint right now is how sensitive this is. I accidentally skipped cutscenes on several occasions.
If you're sensitive to reprojection, it may be worth waiting slightly longer for that 90Hz patch. Generally speaking though, it's a solid option for PS VR2 owners right now and I encountered no framerate drops on PS5 Pro.
This section was written by the Senior Editor, Henry Stockdale.
Completing NPC quests rewards you with gadgets, permanent toggleable modifiers that apply from the outset of a run. Some quests, beyond simply requiring items from other branching paths, might require specific actions. You may need to bring a specific weapon to show an NPC, save up on Powercells to open a door, or use a specific Guardian class to get past a wall of lasers. Some of these are pure upgrades - one will net you a free Powercell upon level-up, for example - while others offer trade-offs, like the Shades which increase your base damage but limit your starting health. They're still well worth seeking out regardless, as toggling them on and off back at your basecamp can radically change how runs play out in some cases.
Like any good roguelite, Roboquest VR delivers a satisfying loop that both complements the moment-to-moment gameplay and actively pushes you outside of your comfort zone. Exploring these zones and figuring out where to find these hidden areas or logs detailing some of the game's lore also benefits from the transition to VR. Looking out for level geometry you can use as a makeshift parkour track to reach somewhere out of reach feels all the more engaging when it feels like you're the one making those jumps, and finding these hidden areas.
Roboquest VR - Final Verdict
Roboquest VR takes what was already a great flatscreen roguelite experience and transforms it into a new VR classic. Moment-to-moment gameplay feels fantastic, and the game is right at home on the platform. Flat2VR Studios should take pride in the work they've accomplished, as it feels like an essential experience for hardcore VR players without being revolutionary. I just wish that co-op was available at launch; I'd like any reason to hop back in for another round.
UploadVR uses a 5-Star rating system for our game reviews – you can read a breakdown of each star rating in our review guidelines.
Intel has somewhat confirmed the unveiling of its highly anticipated Panther Lake CPU family, scheduled for the first week of January to coincide with CES 2026. The launch event is officially slated for January 5th, signaling a broad, mainstream introduction for the new processors.
Spotted by @momomo_us (via Wccftech), Intel is planning to reveal the new Intel Core Ultra Series 3 Processors on January 5th. Seeing there's a literal panther in the imagery for the event, it seems pretty clear that we're talking about Panther Lake.
This architecture is set to be one of the most important consumer launches of next year, as it will be the first CPU family to adopt Intel's cutting-edge 18A manufacturing process, which incorporates innovations such as RibbonFET and PowerVia. The new lineup is expected to deliver significant architectural advancements, including new P/E-core designs, the ‘Celestial' Xe3 iGPU architecture with up to 12 cores, and a 5th-generation NPU designed to push edge AI capabilities.
Intel will be using a slightly modified naming strategy this time, introducing the ‘Core Ultra X' branding. This designation is reportedly reserved for SKUs that feature the full 12-core Xe3 iGPU. These models will range from Core Ultra 9 down to Core Ultra 5 SKUs.
KitGuru says: What are your expectations for Panther Lake? Do you think it will help Intel turn the tide back in its favour?
You check into a hotel, but no one’s there. Not even at the reception desk. You sign your name, but then the paper disappears. Things only make less sense from there.
The entire structure of the hotel makes no sense. Turn a corner, and suddenly you can see where you were before at the other side of the room, or an impossible corridor that turns in on itself. And what’s that oozing red substance that seems to be everywhere?
Hotel Infinity is a geometrically impossible labyrinth of an escape room, and that’s precisely what makes it one of the best VR experiences I’ve ever had in the medium.
The Facts
What is it?: An impossible space puzzler through a mysterious hotel. Platforms: PS VR2, Quest (reviewed on Quest 3S) Release Date: Out now Developer/Publisher: Studio Chyr Price: $19.99
The brainchild of Manifold Garden developer William Chyr and his team at Studio Chyr, Hotel Infinity takes the abstract puzzle exploration of his previous work and implants it into a roomscale VR experience like few others. Indeed, it builds on many of those ideas of impossible spaces and portals to new areas that the game deployed to allow that unique puzzle title to thrive, naturally translating the idea to this very different medium.
Basic techniques that Hotel Infinity employs to make its physically 2×2 meter space feel much larger are not itself new, and you may have experienced the idea before in Tea For God. But how it combines the approach with interesting puzzles makes for a unique experience.
Your reasons for arriving at the hotel are unexplained, but the point once inside is to reach your room, then find a way out. Which, when no corner or object in this space obeys the laws of physics and order you’re used to, is more difficult than it sounds. It’s also incredibly unnerving to never know where you’re going next, witnessing everything from dense corridors to sights of massive hedge mazes and the ever-present glowing neon sign of Hotel Infinity. There’s no dialogue, and there’s barely any music bar the occasional riff and subtle audio cues during puzzles to guide your way. But that doesn’t mean that the game doesn’t raise your heartbeat for its unique atmosphere and the uncertainty over what’s to come.
It's split into five chapters, each taking you through a set route through the hotel before warping you back to your hotel room and venturing deeper. There are puzzles that must be cleared along the way but beyond some basic math and spatial awareness, these are hardly challenging for anyone with even a base intelligence for these sorts of titles. That’s not the point when taking in this space and discovering (or interpreting in your own terms) the secrets are more important.
For those who lack a 2×2 meter physical space, there is a stationary mode, but I strongly recommend finding the space to play Hotel Infinity how it's designed to be played. Trust me, as someone living in a Japanese apartment that, while not small, did require a bit of reorganization to make work, I know how challenging this can be if you don’t live in a large place. But it's worth it. Hotel Infinity is so clearly designed around having the space to make it work that without it, it feels lacking in the spark necessary to get into its many joys under the surface.
If you can find the space, the experience that Hotel Infinity delivers is magical. It's like a bridge between home VR and the location-based spaces that take advantage of huge, expansive locations to offer a free-roaming experience enhanced by VR. Having experienced many of these in Japan, it’s hard not to see the wonders of being fully transported into a haunted house or location using the tech as you physically, carefully wander the eerie corridors one step at a time. There are many great at-home VR horror experiences or titles in other genres that can transport you to new worlds with more depth. Still, I won’t lie about occasionally wishing I could take that next step myself, and not with a thumbstick.
Hotel Infinity manages to find that happy medium by using impossible space to create the immersive exploratory feel of these commercial VR attractions with a longer adventure, puzzles, and greater possibilities than ever. It’s precisely what makes the roomscale mode of this game such a wonder. Within this 2×2 meter space, corridors are designed in such a way that you can fully walk and duck your way through every area in the game without needing the controllers for anything other than gripping, holding, and interacting with objects or levers in the environment. Walking through this hotel and turning each corridor not knowing what you’ll see next brings an added layer of fear and excitement, and before long you forget where you are. Sure, you don’t need to step over that gap or duck to get through the door; it doesn’t exist, but I bet you will anyhow.
It makes Hotel Infinity one of the most immersive VR games on the market, and a showcase of the technology that should become the standard for showing newcomers what’s possible in VR moving forward. This can also have the opposite effect, though, where every exciting and mind-blowing effect is coupled with moments of genuine terror that feel so much more real when you have to take a step towards them. For that reason, I can’t recommend the later moments of this game to anyone with a major fear of heights. I have a partial and circumstantial fear that manifests when I feel directly in control of whether I can fall from such a height, leaving me genuinely worried traversing some of these later areas.
But isn’t that a testament to just how well this game can transport you by virtue of its free-standing 360-degree movement? The core design of moving within this contained and transforming space is its biggest asset, making this idea possible and bringing the immersive free-roaming VR into the home in a way often impossible for setpiece-driven narrative works.
Sure, some of its puzzles can feel overly simplistic, and it's a very short adventure that can be cleared in about 2 hours in a single sitting before the battery notification of your headset even buzzes. But when it’s this much of a wonder to explore, that hardly matters.
Hotel Infinity - Final Verdict
Hotel Infinity is a standout example of true room-scale VR, and a must-own for anyone interested in understanding the potential of this medium. Notably, the potential is not merely to be a new way to experience familiar ideas, but to offer experiences only possible in VR. What a revelation of a game this is.
UploadVR uses a 5-Star rating system for our game reviews – you can read a breakdown of each star rating in our review guidelines.
Tracked: Shoot to Survive released its first patch with visual upgrades and new features.
Recently launched on Quest 3 and 3S, we had mixed feelings in our Tracked: Shoot to Survive review. Though we considered it to be an engaging survival adventure with great VR-focused crafting mechanics, we had notable criticisms at launch for its presentation, enemy AI, and performance. Now, developer Incuvo has released its first big patch just over a week later.
TRACKED’s first BIG patch is here! 🔥 Bringing you visual improvements, new features, and tons of fixes. Huge thanks to everyone helping us shape the game. Keep on sending the feedback!
And if you're playing TRACKED, drop us a review. It helps more than you think. pic.twitter.com/UdFWbq8ot9
Most notable here is a series of visual upgrades, with Incuvo promising better resolution and improvements to lighting, tree shadows, and the skybox. Stealth grass is also visually thicker, and contaminated meat has been adjusted to be “visually more repulsive.”
Other new changes include a new sleeping feature, which allows you to rest at your Father's Cabin to recover HP and skip some time. UI adjustments have been made to the fast travel board “for easier identification,” new cooking icons have been introduced, and your notepad's interactivity has also been adjusted. You can find the full patch notes here.
Our reviewer, Luis Aviles, went hands-on directly with this update following its release. He informed me that loading times are noticeably reduced and textures appear more detailed, though he's still noticing performance stuttering and advised the sound effects are still “hit or miss.” However, he considers this a “step in the right direction” compared to the launch version.
Little Planet allows you to become a city planner and socialite on a world of your own making, and it recently went free-to-play on Quest.
In Little Planet, you become the architect of a world in almost every sense. You can shape it on a macro level, shifting rivers and cliffs to your liking. Then, roam around your curated space, chopping trees and crafting furniture, all while living among adorable anthropomorphic villagers. It's a comforting setup that's easy to get lost in, and after exploring and fine-tuning my digital home away from home, I'm impressed by how deep these systems can go.
Alas, an adorable utopia isn't built in a day, and your time with Little Planet begins with the basics. Taught through a series of approachable tutorials, you'll quickly learn how to collect materials, earn recipes to craft with, and interact with the all-important inventory system at the center of it all. Each aspect is introduced quickly, though given their practical nature, it doesn't take long to feel at home with these systems.
Similar to other sandbox experiences like Minecraft and Animal Crossing, much of Little Planet's world is engaged with through the moreish process of experimentation and exploration. What happens if I chop down this tree? Or if you're like me, how much random junk can I fit in my inventory before it's full? These questions create a sense of intrigue that's easy to invest in, further bolstered by Little Planet's Pedia, which serves as an enticing scavenger hunt list.
For our hands-on experience, the developers at VRWood provided UploadVR with a late-game account for Little Planet, which also allowed me to experience the simulator with all its systems unlocked. This gave me a brief taste of the expanded building types, such as the furniture shop and fashion house, as well as a full range of equipment, including the peashooter, fishing rod, gardening tools, axe, and a watering can.
When compared to the sparse planet you began with, it's impressive how much you can accomplish if you invest your time in its sizable open world. As someone who puts a lot of stock into customization, I'm particularly impressed by the range of dress-up and accessory options available to jazz up your avatar. That includes everything from glitzy star glasses to bucket hats and adorable coquette-collared tops.
Perhaps my favourite aspect of Little Planet was the fishing minigame, and I'm embarrassed to admit how much time I've spent happily staring at a bobber. Similar to real-world fishing, here you equip a rod and fling your arm back before casting your line out as if you're Indiana Jones cracking your whip. Then, once a fish has nibbled your bobber, you can use your free hand to grip the reel and hastily crank it backward. It's a simple yet surprisingly meditative process, made even better by the sloshing of the waves and the clicky reel sounds of the rod.
I would be remiss not to mention the residents of the world, dubbed Planet Pals, whose playful banter garnered a few giggles from me across my hands-on. It can be lonely working away on the planet by yourself, especially if you aren't keen on the game's social features, and I appreciated having someone to chat to besides myself. While their dialogue isn't overly complex or moving, at least in my experience, they do well to imbue the world with a sense of much-needed personality. Of the bunch, fishing fanatic Rusty is a particular standout, thanks to their pirate quips and comical seafaring attire.
One thing has become clear across my time with Little Planet so far, and it's that I'm only scratching the surface. Beyond the plethora of day-to-day activities to tackle, I didn't get a chance to test out the social features or travel to other worlds. Even so, Little Planet leaves a confident first impression, providing life sim players an opportunity to curate custom worlds in VR.
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