I feel like I’ve been in denial about the PSVR 2 for a while now. Back in March, I pondered if the PS5 virtual reality headset was the next PS Vita before declaring two months later my fears had been assuaged, but after playing Batman: Arkham Shadow on Meta Quest 3 that looks like a false dawn. It’s become increasingly clear that the VR war has been won, but not by Sony.
Batman: Arkham Shadow is the exact gaming experience I want from a VR headset. It takes an existing property that I love, in this case, the Batman: Arkham series, and allows me to step into that world, fully immersing myself and becoming the Dark Knight in my own living room. Plus, it has me flailing my arms around wildly as I punch virtual thugs, which makes me look like a complete dork, and I’m pretty sure my partner has greatly enjoyed that aspect.
But playing Arkham Shadow also has me reflecting on the state of the VR gaming space, and especially the PSVR 2's position in the market. As a day one adopter of Sony's second-generation VR peripheral it’s sad that while my Meta Quest 3 is getting plenty of use, my PlayStation headset is collecting dust as Sony refuses to give me a reason to regularly strap it to my face. Instead, Meta is the one working hard to earn my VR playtime.
Batman: Arkham Shadow is seriously special
Sorry in advance for using the most predictable cliche imaginable when discussing this superhero VR game, but I’ve just got to say it: Batman: Arkham Shadow really does make you feel like Batman.
The first moment I stepped into the iconic Batsuit and saw my pointy-eared shadow cast onto the floor, I was practically grinning to myself like the Joker. And that was before I got access to my gadget belt and could start throwing Batarangs at crooks with reckless abandon. At that point, I genuinely did start laughing out loud with sheer glee. It's childhood wish-fulfillment stuff.
I started throwing Batarangs at crooks with reckless abandon. At that point, I genuinely started laughing out loud with sheer glee. It's childhood wish-fulfillment stuff.
If you’re unaware, Batman: Arkham Shadow is a Meta Quest 3 exclusive developed by VR veterans Camouflaj (they also made the very fun Iron Man VR), and set within the world of Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham games. It tells an original story set shortly after Batman: Origins, as the Caped Crusader takes on a new villain known as the Rat King who is terrorizing Gotham City and promising an impending Day of Reckoning.
Unlike some VR adaptations of existing games (for example, PSVR 2 exclusive Horizon Call of the Mountain), Batman: Arkham Shadow doesn’t shrink down, or strip away key elements, of the traditional Arkham experience, it’s all here. You can brawl with enemies in intense fist-to-fist combat (yes, the trademark counter system has been retained too), skulk through the shadows and swing between rooftop vantage points all while dispatching enemies in Silent Predator sections, and you'll spend 80% of the time looking at everything through Detective Vision.
This is a full-fat Arkham game completed with all the loving nods to Bat’s storied history you’d expect. While the narrative writing isn’t as slick as what Rocksteady managed in the main trilogy, the voice acting is strong featuring the likes of Roger Craig Smith (as Batman), Mark Rolston (as Jim Gordon), Elijah Wood (as Dr. Jonathan Crane) and Troy Baker (as Harvey Dent and the Rat King). These recognizable voices bring a pleasing cinematic quality to Arkham Shadow even when the writing is stiff. Plus, the production values are remarkably high.
With its clever adaptation of the classic Batman: Arkham formula — everything has been retained just remixed to suit VR where needed — its blockbuster production values, and its largely enjoyable story (despite some weak writing), Batman: Arkham Shadow isn’t just the very best VR game I’ve played in 2024 it’s one of the most impressive virtual reality experiences I’ve had. Period.
Meta Quest 3 is delivering what PSVR 2 doesn't
As I’ve been greatly enjoying my time with Batman: Arkham Shadow it also has me lamenting that Sony is seemingly uninterested in giving one of its numerous beloved IPs the same VR treatment. Imagine a VR game of similar quality set in the world of God of War or The Last of Us or Uncharted. That could be a true system-seller for PSVR 2, and boy does it need one at the 18-month mark.
Since the PSVR 2 launched with the aforementioned Horizon VR game in tow, exclusives have been almost nonexistent. Aside from the fun (but disposable) Synapse, and the Dark Pictures: Switchback, alongside VR modes for Gran Turismo 7, Resident Evil Village and Resident Evil 4, PSVR 2 owners have had to exist on a diet of third-party titles that can also be played on the Quest platform. And while some of these multiplatform titles are excellent, a system's true lifeblood is exclusives and PSVR 2 has seemingly given up in this key area.
Meanwhile, over on Meta Quest 3, you can enjoy the likes of Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR, Asgard’s Wrath 2, and now Batman: Arkham Shadow. These are blockbuster VR titles that don’t feel limited by the platform they’re housed on, instead, they have been carefully crafted to take full advantage of VR gaming's biggest strengths. The PSVR 2 just doesn’t stack up in comparison.
The PSVR 2 certainly isn’t a dead platform. It’s still well-supported with third-party releases such as the upcoming Alien: Rogue Incursion, but that’s also on the Quest 3. And a Quest 3 is not only cheaper than the PSVR 2 ($499 vs $549) but it doesn’t require a $499 console to function (and it’s also wireless to boot). The support level from Sony just isn’t there to sell the PlayStation device when you consider that you can buy a Quest 3 and enjoy top-tier exclusives and the vast majority of the PSVR 2’s library too. Yes, Resi VR is good, but not that good.
I prefer the hardware of the PSVR 2 (even with its wire), but even so, I just can't advise anybody curious about stepping into the virtual world to opt for anything but a Meta Quest 3 at this point in time. Missing out on a game like Batman: Arkham Shadow would be too great an injustice to recommend PSVR 2.
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