This month, I used VR to become an action movie star in Pistol Whip, explore the new Polus Point map in Among Us, and compete in a VR bowling tournament in ForeVR Bowl.
June has been a busy month for VR — Apple announced the new Apple Vision Pro at WWDC 2023, just days after Meta officially announced the Meta Quest 3. But when I’m not writing news and features about the hardware showcase, I found time to play a few VR games and apps with the Oculus Quest 2 and Meta Quest Pro headsets, three of which I want to highlight below.
For our pick of the greatest VR games of all time that you can play right now, check out our list of the best VR games, but read on for my list of the best VR games and apps to play in June 2023.
Among Us VR: Polus Point
Ahead of its release on July 27th, I tried out Polus Point, a new map for our VR that’s free to all players.
Polus is my favorite “Among Us” map, so at first I was disappointed to hear that “Polus Point” was just an homage to it, rather than a full remake in VR. Having tried the map myself, though, I think it’s an excellent stage in its own right, while still respecting what I love about the original.
Even though it can be a bit intimidating for new players, I firmly believe that Polus is the best map among us. Mira can feel a little claustrophobic with a lot of crew running around, and once some players are shot down, the airship can feel too big, and while I like Skeld, it’s a good idea for familiar map rooms and The vent layout is a bit too easy for someone to eliminate impostors.
Polus sits between these options. It’s large without feeling too big, and its more complex layout allows players to take multiple different paths between the same points. That means the crew can still wonder who might be responsible for the body. Still, imposters can retain some plausible denials of the lines they’re taking, making it possible for them to survive a few sessions even if they’re discovered.
Polus Point is not an exact replica of Polus, but it retains its spirit. The sprawling map is sort of like a maze, with branching paths that take you between different sections. This layout allows impostors to get away with murders they might not have committed in Skeld 2 (another arena in Among Us VR).
The new Polus Point map also borrows the aesthetic from the original, including iconic Polus decorations such as the bridge leading to nowhere over the lava pool, the crewed yeti (snow peas?), and the docked dropship. There are also new locations to explore, such as Crystal Mine, which features claw machine-like visual quests – meaning other players can see you complete it and know you’re not an imposter.
I had a lot of fun exploring Polus Point, and if you want to try it out early, there’s a beta available now from June 29th at 1PM ET to July 3rd at 1PM ET (GMT June 29th 5pm Standard Time / June 30th 3am AEST) to July 3rd 5pm GMT / July 4th 3am AEST
To participate, Meta Quest players will need to go to the “Among Us” VR game’s store page via a web browser and check the “Versions” section. In the drop-down menu, change the version from Live to Beta and your game should update and take you to the new map. You may need to uninstall and reinstall the game on your device for it to work properly.
Steam players should right click on “Among Us VR” in their library and select “Properties”. In the “Betas” tab, change the drop-down menu option from “None” to “Beta” and launch the game. If that doesn’t work, you may need to quit Steam (close it completely instead of just minimizing it), then reopen it for the “Among Us VR” update to work.
ForeVR Bowl
This month I was invited to a bowling tournament hosted by developer ForeVR Games, whose game ForeVR Bowl is the battleground.
ForeVR Bowl feels like a bowling game for everyone. Professionals looking for an accurate pinning simulation game with realistic physics and different ball statistics will appreciate the depth this game offers. More casual gamers, like myself, can return to realism for an experience reminiscent of the good old days of Wii Sports bowling, albeit with some solid upgrades.
One of my favorite improvements is the game’s environments, which let you bowl in more typical locations–like ’90s alleys and clubs that could have been ripped straight out of Brooklyn–as well as alleys in the deep sea and space. Like the courses at Walkabout Mini Golf, these are places you and your friends will want to hang out, and if you explore, your group may find hidden ball designs scattered around each location to add to your in collection.
My first round in the tournament was against UploadVR Henry Stockdalea fellow Brit who previously freelanced for a number of sites including this one, shared his thoughts on VR and was excited to finally meet him in person (well, virtually).
The score was close at the beginning of the game, but after playing a few balls, I found that the victory was gone. I did a good job, but every time I left some pins in, Henry was able to score some extra points and even get spares or strikes.
I was behind, and when I got up for round four, I was sure that round one would be my last. I felt my back against the wall, grabbed my virtual bowling ball, offered a quick prayer to the bowling gods, and then did what I do best — I threw the ball as hard as I could and hoped for the best.
For the long eons, I watched the ball roll toward its destination, convinced I could only get another six or so. Still, the bowling gods seemed to be listening as I watched every pin tumble. I won my first strike!
Henry was still ahead, but the gap had closed, so with my newfound confidence, I tried this strategy again and again, hitting twice in a row. I only won one spare in the seventh round, but that was fine; a burst of skill (read: luck) from me helped me get an easy lead on the competition. A few more strikes and I won, 171 to Henry’s 130.
As of this writing, I’m organizing the second round. Hopefully next month I’ll be able to report that I’ve made further progress in the competition – maybe even made it to the finals – but we’ll have to wait and see how I fare.
pistol whip
If you like action movies and wish you could star in one, you’ll love Pistol Whip. I regularly play Pistol Whip, one of the first two games in Meta’s new Meta Quest Plus subscription, and now is the perfect time to write about it.
Pistol Whip is a rail shooter that lets you dash through levels with a gun in hand – either the classic single or dual wield pistols, as well as a range of different weapons. You earn points by bombarding oncoming enemies, and you earn bonus points by shooting enemies in time to the beat (like a well-designed fight scene in a movie) or whipping them with a pistol (hitting them with a gun) not shoot them).
@hamishhector
♬ Original Sound – Hamish Hector
This game sounds fairly easy, but especially on higher difficulties, it can become an intense VR workout. You have to contort your body quite a bit to avoid the hail of bullets the bad guys are shooting at you.
Each level has a unique music track and there are tons of stages inspired by different action movies. You’ll find classic westerns and cyberpunk sci-fi sets, as well as levels inspired by series like John Wick and Mad Max.
If you want to try the Pistol Whip, you can get it for $29.99/£22.99. The download is free if you sign up for Meta’s Quest Plus service for $7.99/£7.99 per month ($59.99/£59.99 per year) (Meta has yet to release details about the service’s availability in Australia). Once downloaded, you’ll be able to use Pistol Whip until you stop paying for Quest Plus – unless you purchased the game separately.
Don’t like the look of anything on this list? Check out the VR games and apps I’ve played in May 2023.
