PlayStation VR games releasing in July 2021 and beyond

PlayStation VR is increasingly becoming a larger platform, especially with the impending PS5 VR release. But no matter where you play your VR games, whether they be on PS4 or PS5, you’re in for an incredible experience. With PlayStation unleashing new games almost every month, it’s hard not to be overwhelmed by what’s out there. Here are some of the unreleased VR games slated to hit PSVR in the coming months. We look forward to adding some titles to our best PlayStation VR games list, and we hope some of these catch your eye too.

Sniper Elite VR

The Sniper Elite series has become one of the most popular first-person shooter series around, and now players can get the chance to experience the game in VR. Completely re-designed from the ground up, Sniper Elite VR aims to retain its authenticity and deliver a brand new perspective on sniping and stealth mechanics.

Sniper Elite VR lets you take on a more realistic sniper experience with the compatible PlayStation VR Aim Controller,. Reloading, aiming, and making sure you line up the shot are all huge aspects of the game, and will be even more so in virtual reality. Along with the free movement aspect of Sniper Elite, you’ll be able to set up camp anywhere and take down enemies at your leisure.

Release date: July 8, 2021

Winds and Leaves

Anybody looking for a relaxing experience should keep an eye on Winds and Leaves. Your entire goal in the game is to grow vegetation. Explore the environment and you’ll unlock new types of flora and equipment upgrades that can help you grow plants even faster. Your main means of movement is a pair of stilts, which players will be able to feel through the PS Move controllers.

The developer said that Winds and Leaves was influenced by The Man Who Planted Trees, an old French-Canadian animated short from the 1980s. Based on an even older short story, it focuses on a man who spends his entire life reforesting a valley, completely isolated from other people.

Release date: July 27, 2021

After the Fall

Have enough post-apocalyptic experiences? Well, you’re in for another one. Developer Vertigo Games (creators of Arizona Sunshine) is bringing After the Fall to PlayStation VR. Set 20 years after a viral outbreak caused by designer drugs, Los Angeles is infested with these so-called Snowbreed. As a survivor who’s seemingly immune, you’ll be tasked with helping humanity take back what was lost.

After the Fall features a shared world with seamless, cooperative gameplay, though you can play it as a lone wolf if you’d like. Players will explore ruins from the 1980s, craft and mod your gear, and take on feral hordes of enemies. Be careful when you encounter a boss, though, because these behemoths are extremely deadly.

Release date: Summer 2021

Fracked

High-octane, explosive action awaits you in Fracked, a first-person VR title built exclusively for Sony’s headset. Fracked touts “relentless ‘run-and-cover’ gunfights with free and fluid skiing and climbing,” according to its developer. You’re stuck inside of a fracking facility on a remote mountain and need to use all of your wits and reflexes to escape some interdimensional enemies. This title takes full advantage of the PS Move controllers, putting you into the reluctant shoes of the hero.

While it’s releasing for PSVR on PS4, it will also receive some PS5 enhancements, though those have yet to be fully detailed. All we know is that players can expect improved framerates, loading times, and resolution. And if that isn’t enough to get you interested, developer nDreams describes Fracked as “a 2021 version of Die Hard or Cliffhanger” with some RoboCop satire thrown in for good measure.

Release date: Summer 2021

Arashi: Castles of Sin

Arashi: Castles of Sin is an upcoming stealth-action sandbox game that puts players in the shoes of Kenshiro, an elite shinobi and the last surviving son of the noble House Arashi. In your adventures through feudal Japan, players will travel with their wolf companion Haru as you exact revenge for their merciless destruction and reclaim the castles that have been taken from you for good.

As you make your way through the game, players will also be able to make use of the environment. Every decision you make has power behind it; you can choose to take enemies out stealthily or via head-on confrontation.

Release date: Summer 2021

Puzzling Places

Puzzling Places is a 3D jigsaw puzzle game coming to PSVR. If you thought regular 2D puzzles could be challenging, wait until you look at Puzzling Places. It looks to feature a lot of environments and buildings, and that’s because the developer was actually founded “with the goal to make real-world places explorable through VR.” An error in its 3D scanning Photogrammetry caused some pieces to be jumbled up and the idea for Puzzling Places was born.

According to the studio, each puzzle will have multiple difficulty variants, ranging from 50 pieces to hundreds of pieces that could take you a few days to put together. Traditional fans of puzzle boards should definitely check this out.

Release date: Winter 2021

I Expect You To Die 2

Puzzle game fans have something to look forward to in I Expect You To Die 2. Get ready for a top-secret assignment and use all of the espionage tactics in your belt in this James Bond-esque thriller. And did I mention you also have telekinetic powers at your disposal? Do whatever it takes to collect the intelligence you need; just try not to die while doing it.

I Expect You To Die 2 features a classic spy story along with an immersive environment for you to explore. The first game was generally well-received among reviewers and fans, so this sequel has a lot going for it. As far as I’m concerned, there’s always room for more puzzle games on the market.

Release date: 2021

Song in the Smoke

After watching the trailer for Song in the Smoke, we were reminded heavily of Far Cry Primal. The prehistoric wilderness on display here is all about survival, forcing you to battle deadly predators for precious resources that might just keep you alive. Craft weapons, set up camp, and go out hunting for your next meal.

Song in the Smoke appears to have some mystical elements as well. Its announcement post on the PlayStation Blog mentioned a mysterious giant tree that you’re compelled to go to by visions of a shaman who doesn’t seem to be of this world. There are definitely some mysteries beneath its surface here, and they should be interesting to uncover.

Release date: 2021

Stride

Ever wonder what Mirror’s Edge would look like in virtual reality? Well, this is the closest thing you might get. Since you probably can’t do parkour in real life, do it in the safety of VR with Stride. It’s not exclusively about parkour either since you’ll have to fight enemies on rooftops of the metropolis you’re turning into a jungle gym. Stride will feature an Arena mode, Time Run mode, and an Endless mode with infinite level generation.

If you’re prone to motion sickness or vertigo, this might not be the best game for you to play in VR. However, if you’re looking for a rush and want to play a quick action game, Stride seems to be a good fit.

Release date: 2021

Zenith

JRPG fans can look forward to Zenith coming to PSVR. This MMO features a colorful open world full of gorgeous environments, futuristic cities, and intimidating beasts. The developer describes its first-person combat as “hyper-immersive,” and makes it easy for anyone to pick it up.

Some of Zenith’s multiplayer content includes world bosses, public events, and dungeons where you’ll need to be on your very best if you want to beat the challenges ahead. In a cool move that I’m sure players will appreciate, classes don’t define your role in the game. You can “Tank as an Essence Mage or heal as a Blade Master.” This being an RPG, the choice is yours.

Release date: 2021

Wanderer

Wanderer is a recently announced action-adventure game set in an alternate timeline where nature has taken over and everything about the world has been flipped. The game drops you right into the middle of some of history’s biggest and most important moments. Players can embody an infamous cast of characters, including visiting Tesla’ lab to help him prepare his power machine or even going back to 1969 and reliving the day humans set foot on the moon.

The moments in Wanderer pay homage to real events, and the themes in the game set to explore historical, futuristic, and even post-apocalyptic settings while also visiting various moments of history all the way back from the 1960s.

Release date: 2021

Puzzle Bobble 3D: Vacation Odyssey

From the developers of Creed: Rise to Glory and The Walking Dead Onslaught comes a very different game called Puzzle Bobble 3D: Vacation Odyssey. Made in collaboration with Taito and in celebration of Bub’s 35th Anniversary, the upcoming Puzzle Bobble game will launch later this year, and features some of the bright, vibrant design and adorable characters the series is known for.

This time around, players will be solving Puzzle Bobble puzzles against various gorgeous backdrops, ranging from scenic beaches to large valleys teeming with trees and flowers. You’ll be able to twist and aim your bobbles with exact precision thanks to the PSVR, and can even load up some special bobbles to help earn some game-changing power-ups.

Release date: 2021

Which VR game are you looking forward to?

Though releases have slowed down with the pandemic, there are still several exciting games in our future, like After the Fall and Song in the Smoke. After the Fall is one of those games that promises to push the VR genre forward and show us what is possible in a VR world, and with a very unique take on the post-apocalyptic world, too. These still have a general release date of 2021, but we’ll keep you updated if that changes.

While we’re all excited for any of these titles to release, it may be time to check out the upcoming PS4 and PS5 games while you wait for more games to hit your headset.