E3’s first VR-exclusive gaming press conference was actually pretty rad

E3 hasn’t even begun, and we’re already a bit weary about so many gaming publishers and companies hosting press conferences at the event. What’s one more, right?

In the case of the virtual reality enthusiasts at UploadVR—a media site, not a publisher or developer—their first take on the press conference format actually managed to raise our VR-loving eyebrows. The hour-long conference included some delightful surprises and solid fare for PlayStation VR, Oculus Quest, and gaming-PC platforms. Here are a few highlights from the indie-heavy event.

• 

  Surprise! [credit:
  Neat Corp.
  ]

Every major article about virtual reality in 2016 included at least some mention of the immersive stealth demo Budget Cuts, but when that full game finally launched in 2018, the results fell a little flat. The lack of variety in terrain, enemies, and tactics made the game’s original sales pitch—Metal Gear Solid in VR—harder to swallow.