How to Create the Perfect VR Space August 16, 2025

Welcome to the future, VR gaming has hit the masses and there are already incredible titles you can already play you just can’t replicate on a flat screen such as Iron Man VR, Half-Life: Alyx, Batman: Arkham Shadow, and tons more on the way. However, if you’re going to plunge into VR, you absolutely need to have some space set aside for it, both for your comfort and the comfort of others that may be living in close proximity to you. But what kind of space should you set up, and what will you need to get for it? That’s where this article is going to going to help you. Today, we’re going to discuss our tips for how to create the best possible Virtual Reality gaming space! Whether you’re interested in creating the perfect gaming space for the Quest 3, Apple Vision Pro, PCVR or PSVR, we’ve got you covered! So grab your pen and paper, and get ready to take some notes you’ll be bringing to your local housewares store.

THE SPACE

The room, which we are henceforth going to be referring to as a gaming space, is actually the most important thing to a VR user. First, you’re going to need an open, well lit room which provides good reception for a WiFi signal. There should be absolutely NOTHING in the middle of the room. All furniture, such as couches, chairs, or televisions should be safely pushed against the walls of the room to prevent becoming an obstruction to your gaming experience. Since most games and applications in VR rely on input from either your hands or motion tracked controllers (similar to a Joy-Con), playing in a space where your arms and hands can move without restriction is essential. You wouldn’t want to punch into a wall or your ceiling simply attempting to turn a puzzle or aim a shot, so make sure wherever you’re playing is wide enough to accommodate you.

While we understand that tethered VR devices such as ones that connect to a PC or PlayStation console can have the devices they’re tethered to connected to a wired Ethernet cable, there are many fully independent headsets such as the Apple Vision Pro or Quest 3/3s, which function more like a tablet, and rely entirely on a WiFi connection for its internet connection. Once a headset is initially activated, your WiFi connection becomes optional, and further online connectivity is typically used for downloading new games, game updates, as well as firmware updates for your headset.

As for the need for decent lighting, we understand well-lit rooms would normally kill any gaming vibe you may be trying to achieve, but most of today’s VR headsets have internal sensors for head and accessory tracking. Those sensors are very similar to the kind used on digital cameras, and just as with any camera, the sensors will not function well in poor lighting. Warning: Keep in mind that while sunlight is a very acceptable method of lighting, you should be cautious of it when using VR, as the lenses used in a VR headset can focus sunlight in a way that damages screens and sensors.

THE CHAIR

Many VR users choose to stand for their gaming experiences, and we will not dissuade them from this choice. However, if you’re not planning to stand while gaming, you’re going to want a comfortable, supportive chair that can recline. I understand many gamers are fine with reusing existing gaming chairs they already use, given they are engineered for comfort over prolonged use. We are okay with this provided they are capable of three-hundred and sixty degrees of turn. However, not all VR experiences require extensive turning, particularly when watching VR films in a virtual theater experience. Under these conditions, you can use a couch or sectional provided your space can adequately fit it. Personally, I prefer a couch that can recline while still keeping my head tilted forward when I’m watching feature films on the Apple Vision Pro.

THE SCREEN

It is not necessary to have a monitor/television screen or speakers set up in your room if you intend to use VR by yourself. But, some people do like to stream their games to an external monitor, either for their own comfort or in the event they plan to have guests over to watch the VR gaming session. In that case, you’re going to need a 4KTV with three to four easily accessible HDMI inputs. This will make it possible for you to “share” your VR game’s video feed so it can be monitored by guests. However, you may need to purchase some additional hardware to connect to your screen Apple Vision Pro can mirror to the Apple TV 4K. Simply choose the screen mirroring option on the Vision Pro’s command center and you should see your Apple TV compatible devices listed in the pop up menu. Quest 3 can mirror to a 4K Chromecast Ultra or through the Meta Horizons smartphone application. PSVR and PSVR2 will require connection to a PlayStation 5 to function, and we imagine you would already have your PS5 connected to the screen you normally are gaming off of. Finally, if you wish to play PCVR, simply connect your gaming PC or laptop directly to the screen. To maximize space, mount the TV against one of the walls.

Note: Just be aware that the streaming video quality of the output feed may not match the full framerate or resolution of what the user actually in Virtual Reality is experiencing. For example, Apple Vision Pro will mirror at a native resolution of 720p, which will then get upsampled by the Apple TV 4K to match the TV’s resolution.

ANYTHING ELSE?

We understand if you wish to decorate your room to make it more of a lived in space. You’re welcome to hang up posters on the wall, but we hesitate to tell you if having collectibles on display (that could be easily knocked down or stepped on) is a good idea or not. It might be a good idea to have a second chair in the room if you plan to have a friend over to game with. VR can also be a a bit of a workout, as it relies heavily on body movement to progress gameplay. Our VR space includes a mini-fridge with beverages to keep us hydrated and supplied with sugar and caffeine, but we understand if this may not be possible for all of you.

Hopefully this article has been useful for those of you interested in taking the plunge into Virtual Reality. If you have tips of your own that you wish to share, feel free to post a comment below!

Forgotten but Beloved Games Publishers Need to Port to this Generation July 29, 2025

Summer is upon us and we are deep into a very powerful console generation where literally any kind of game is possible. Sadly, even with robust backwards compatibility features on the current generation of consoles, nearly an entire generation of games from the PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii generation is at risk of being lost forever. Let’s be honest, the Xbox 360 had a nearly 90% failure rate back when it was new, and reports of hardware failures caused by age are also coming in for the PS3 and Wii U. Some of the finest games ever made were released on those platforms and today we’re going to highlight many of those exclusives that we feel deserve to be re-released on modern platforms.

Editor’s Note: For simplicity’s sake, we’re going to keep things to the Xbox 360/PS3/Wii/Wii U generation. Due to the current status of backwards compatibility this list will not include games that were already ported to the PS4, Xbox One or Nintendo Switch. That means classics like Heavy Rain, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City, God of War 3, Halo 3, Halo 3 ODST, and Halo 4 will not be included. We WILL include games that were released on PC.

Metal Gear Solid 4 – The epic conclusion to Solid Snake’s story in the Metal Gear Solid saga has never been released on any platform other than the PS3, which is an absolute same because I feel the game’s graphics and art style still hold up perfectly against the games that are coming out today! It is possible we may see this game bundled in an upcoming re-release alongside other Metal Gear games in the form of a Metal Gear Solid Collection Vol 2, but only time will tell about that.

inFamous and inFamous 2 – These were the games that put Sucker Punch Productions on the map for me. In both games, you gain superpowers in a horrible accident that leaves massive repercussions for your home. These open-world games allowed you to play around with a destructible environment that lets you choose if you want to be praised or feared. I can’t think of a single reason why both of these games can’t be bundled for the recent consoles.

Mirror’s Edge – One of the best games EA ever published is also at risk of becoming its most forgotten. In this game you play as a parkour trained courier tasked with running across the rooftops of the city of glass. It also had hands down one of the best soundtracks of any game of that entire generation. Controls were also fantastic, binding the jump and duck buttons to the bumper and trigger buttons was a great way to comfortably exercise the complex moves the game required to stay one step ahead of your enemies. Honestly, if they’re going to rerelease it they may as well include the cloth effects from the advanced physics engine used the PC version and the exclusive maps from the PS3 version.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 – The follow up to my favorite game on the Wii, Super Mario Galaxy 2 featured more levels, more challenges…and Yoshi. Since the first game was bundled with the Super Mario 3D All-Stars pack, we’re going to leave that one off this list, but even back then gamers wanted to know why Galaxy 2 was left out. I can be counted to be among that list.

Dead Space 2 and Dead Space 3 – A few years ago, EA did a fantastic remake of the original Dead Space for PS5 and Xbox Series….and then they stopped at just the first game, when most gamers argue that the second was the best of the entire franchise. Most people credit the third game as a disappointment, but it did conclude the original story, and did some interesting things with a cooperative multiplayer mode. The problem with it was it was hampered by EA’s poor attempt to integrate micro-transactions and paid DLC weapons. Regardless, I’d like to see both of these games come back.

Dante’s Inferno – The game Visceral made in between the first and second Dead Space was one of its most controversial. In it, you play as Dante as he fights his way down the pit of fire to save his love’s soul. To this day, I consider this game my favorite adaptation of the Inferno, and will regularly credit my understanding of the layers based upon this game’s interpretation of them. If this does return, I’d hope all the video content (particularly the documentaries) and DLC from the PS3 version are included.

Batman: Arkham Origins – The third game released in the Batman: Arkham Asylum series, Origins was a prequel set during the early days of Batman’s career and I don’t know what the story is about this game that makes WB feel it isn’t a part of the Arkham saga, but I sure consider it a big part of that series. and since it was never included in any of the ports and remasters of Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. If it does get a rerelease I would like for them to include all of the exclusive content for the PS3 version and the DLC campaign featuring Mr. Freeze.

Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition (2009) – The first canonical game to be released following the first reboot of the Mortal Kombat timeline, Mortal Kombat (2009) set the baseline for two hugely popular MK games that followed on the newer platforms by retelling the beloved stories of the original Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat II with just a few twists and turns thrown in.

Metroid Prime 3 – We’re mere months away from the long anticipated release of Metroid Prime 4, and we haven’t seen anything from the biggest game that made me purchase a Wii, Metroid Prime 3, since it was included in the Metroid Prime Trilogy re-release for the Wii. Nintendo chose to re-release the original Metroid Prime (in a fantastic adaptation) for the Nintendo Switch several months ago, but no follow up was made for the second or third game.

Rest in Peace, Jim Shooter July 1, 2025

It is my unfortunate duty to inform all of you that comic book legend Jim Shooter has passed on. If you aren’t a fan of comic books, Jim Shooter was one of those guys who would constantly be referenced throughout the years for his accomplishments in the comic book industry, good and bad. Most people know he was a former Editor-in-Chief at Marvel, and is partially responsible for stories such as Secret Wars, which was the story that gave Spider-Man his famous black suit. He was fired from Marvel during a corporate restructuring, and failed in his bid to repurchase a stake in the company in the early 90s. We all know what happened next.

Shooter’s successors failed to maintain the happiness of the staff writing talent and artists, and they left the company en masse, forming their own competing independent publishing companies under the Image banner. Shooter himself would go on to create his own comic company called Defiant Comics, which, with the backing of The River Group, began to create its own comic book universe. However, Defiant found itself in difficult waters being an independent publisher in an industry almost entirely taken up by Marvel and DC, and eventually shuttered. He would then go on to form Valiant Comics, which saw a bit more success, and has gone through many different revisions over the years.

Please forgive me if I’ve missed out on anything or misrelayed any history, information about what happened with Defiant and Valiant Comics has been difficult to search for, even as far back as my earliest days of using the internet back in the late 90s. I first became aware of Jim Shooter when I received a Christmas gift back in the mid-90s. The gift was a completely sealed box of trading cards bearing the name “Plasm”. They were a set of collectors cards where if arranged in a 3×3 sequence, formed a 30 page story for a comic called Plasm #0. It served as the prequel story to the very first Defiant comic, Warriors of Plasm. Later on, I was able to obtain the official binder for the cards, but I was never able to fully complete that collection, as finding comic book shops willing to sell Plasm merchandise was impossible in my area. To this day, multiple limited release foil cards are still missing from my collection, although I was able to recently find several mint-in-bag issues of Warriors of Plasm, including its paperback Holiday Special.

I always hoped I would get the chance to one day meet the man and interview him about his history with Defiant, and with the creation of Plasm itself. My regret is I now know I will never get that chance. Our condolences go out Jim’s family. Rest in Peace, Shooter.

Did Cyberpunk Return to Mainstream? May 18, 2025

R. Talsorian Games, the publishers of the Tabletop Role Playing Game (TTRPG) Cyberpunk RED, which the video game Cyberpunk 2077 is based upon, were offering the Cyberpunk RED Core Rulebook (CR3001) and their Black Chrome expansion books on a discounted sale as part of a Spring 2025 promotion. The event was meant to take place over the course of several days, and RTG had high hopes they could make decent sales even at the offered discount. They quickly discovered the demand for their books were so high that all copies of BOTH books sold out in the first day. I’m not kidding, a PUBLISHER, which (theoretically) would have the largest stock of their books, sold EVERY copy of their book that they had in stock. Does this mean that a growing number of gamers are discovering (or rekindling) their interest in the Cyberpunk genre? Does that mean Cyberpunk is back?

I personally remember a time when characters wearing black leather trenchcoats, sunglasses, and a computer the size of your forearm was practically on the cover of every video game, comic book, and direct-to-video film. The Cyberpunk genre, originally created by author William Gibson for his legendary book Neuromancer, expected a future where corporations would take over but humans would find freedom interacting within advanced virtual computer systems, and the smartest among us would become the most capable of navigating the dangerous digital airwaves of the information superhighway. Some of the earliest Japanese anime to be imported to the west drew inspiration from it, including legendary films like Akira and Ghost in the Shell. It all culminated in the incredible 1999 film The Matrix. In that film, we learn that we are all living in a simulation, but our mental awareness of that simulation could grant us the power to break its rules and free humanity from their digital enslavement. After the release of the Matrix sequels in the early 00s, Cyberpunk got eclipsed when other genres such as Steampunk started to gain popularity by the late 00s to early 10s and games like Bioshock released to major critical fanfare. By 2012, new popular games were no longer embracing the cyberpunk style, and the future we saw depicted in major games looked more like the past.

I have been noticing over the past few months two major factors have been known: The first is that there was a huge interest in Cyberpunk media following the release of Cyberpunk 2077’s 2.1 update, and its Phantom Liberty expansion. Most people credit the release of this update and its expansion as the start of the time to finally give the game a look. The second was the 2022 release of the incredible Netflix miniseries Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, which I would recommend ALL Netflix subscribers check out (and for non-Netflix people, a Blu-Ray Disc release for it is coming later this year). All of these projects have been critical and commercial successes and, in my opinion, that success has seen a demand for more media to be released for the genre.Personally, I felt that playing the game and watching the show made me NEED MORE CYBERPUNK in my life. And now it looks like it is happening.

The year is now 2025, and not only is Cyberpunk back, it appears that the pieces are in place to literally CREATE an actual Cyberpunk world! I wasn’t able to get my first PC until I was twelve, and while I was the only person in my family who was capable of using it properly, I had to share that computer with my family. Nowadays it’s impossible to find any someone of ANY age who does not at least possess a personal smartphone or tablet capable of internet access, interpersonal communication, media consumption, and video gaming…and with ten years of experience they know how to use it. We also have Virtual Reality headsets capable of operating without the need of being connected to a high-end PC or console, and while the current offerings on the market are considered “too bulky” for some, they are the top wanted item of most young gamers’ wish lists. I’ve also been enjoying new standalone VR games like Human Within and Ghost Town! A decade ago, you would never have imagined being able to play virtual reality games without the help of a PC, now it’s become so common nobody bats an eye about it. Last year, when I took my Vision Pro to an Apple Store for repairs, someone waiting for their iPhone to be fixed asked me if I could go [virtually] to Europe with it. I told them, “Of course I can, it’s 2024.”

Is there a downside to society’s transition into a cyberpunk reality? Mike Pondsmith, the creator of the Cyberpunk Tabletop RPG books, credited his main inspiration for the game from the Regan years during the 80s. It was a time when corporate regulations were dissolving, and while it meant an opportunity to create great amounts of wealth in the short term, it allowed companies to do whatever they wanted without legal consequences, and without consequences their concerns about human or environmental safety fell to the wayside. Now, it seems that society failed to heed his concerns, and we are now suffering from the same consequences he predicted for that ignorance. It will likely take another generation before we can figure out a way to resolve our environmental issues and heal the damage humanity has done to the planet, if it can be done at all.

This site will continue to investigate on the ongoing trends of gaming culture. RTG has promised they will be reprinting all books which have sold out, and will restock them as soon as they are able to. It is possible your local neighborhood tabletop shop, or their distributor, may still have copies of Cyberpunk RED for sale. However, I can personally attest the entire series of books have been pretty hard to find in my area even before the Spring 2025 sale, and my ability to even find the books on shelves was a combination of persistence and a bit of luck.

What Konami Should Include in Metal Gear Solid Collection Vol 2 November 27, 2024

It’s been many months since Konami released the Metal Gear Solid Collection Vol 1 on modern platforms. They included HD ports of some of the greatest games of all time, as well as plenty of side-content and special features. However, true to its name, the release was merely titled Vol 1, and plenty of Metal Gear games were not included in the initially released volume. Demands for many of these remaining Metal Gear games to be re-released on modern consoles have not stopped, so we’re going to do Konami a favor put in our picks for what should be coming to Volume 2, and why!

Special Note: we will not be including any games or content that were previously released in Vol 1, nor will we bring up mini-games that were mysteriously left out of those re-releases such as MGS3’s Snake Vs Monkey or MGS2’s Skateboarding minigames.

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker – First off, we’re going to start the list with the one game previously included in the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection that had not been ported in the MGS Collection Vol 1, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. Originally made for the Sony PSP, it is a story that takes place between the events of Metal Gear Solid 3 and Metal Gear Solid 5. Since this has already been ported by Bluepoint in the HD Collection back in 2012, and that Bluepoint code seemed to work fine for Vol 1, this would be the most likely candidate for Vol 2.

Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes – This is going to be a controversial addition, but I think it deserves to be included on this list. The Twin Snakes was a GameCube-exclusive remake of the original Metal Gear Solid, which featured the same graphics engine and gameplay features of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. It released around the same time as Metal Gear Solid 3, so its inclusion in the second volume would be a perfect choice. A lot of people mock its “updates” to the original game’s cutscenes and some of the “overly theatrical voice acting”, but as one of the few GameCube owners back in the day, I just really enjoyed playing this game.

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops – We talked about the canonical PSP MGS game everyone remembers, now let’s talk about the first canonical PSP game NOBODY but me seems to remember, Portable Ops. Set between the events of MGS3 and Peace Walker, Portable Ops follows Big Boss as he’s still adjusting to his new code name. It also had a popular multiplayer component, but that has been offline for years. In fact, this multiplayer was so popular back in the day they made a multiplayer-only spin-off, Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops+.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots – This next one should be no surprise to anyone. This was a PS3 exclusive that to this day has never seen a port or remaster to any modern console and perfectly ended the Metal Gear Solid franchise in a satisfying conclusion. Its graphics and art style still hold up to this day, heck I think it looks better than many games made for the 4K gaming generation! This was THE reason to buy a PS3 back in the day, and while it has tons of PS3-exclusive Easter Eggs, I believe all those eggs should remain intact for any modern console port! The only controversy may involve whether Konami keeps the mid-chapter installation screens.

Metal Gear Solid (GBA) – I know what you’re thinking? Where are the bonuses? Metal Gear Collection Vol 1 included the original MSX and NES Metal Gear games alongside the PS1 and PS2 titles as a bonus, what bonus games can we include in Vol 2? Well, if you want a classic retro inclusion, look no further than the (apparently) non-canon Metal Gear Solid for the Game Boy Color. A major title for the platform I deeply regret missing out on back in the day. Originally, it was titled Metal Gear Solid: Ghost Babel in Japan, but was mostly the same title. It would be awesome to see both the US and Japanese versions of the game offered as a bonus.

Three major titles and two popular spin-offs would make for a good match to Vol 1 don’t you think? You notice we were missing a few big titles don’t you? Particularly a game called Metal Gear Solid V? Well, we didn’t forget it, we just didn’t think it was appropriate to include Ground Zeroes or The Phantom Pain in our Volume 2, as far as we are concerned both of those games belong in Volume 3! That’s right, there’s so much great MGS content out there, we can’t just stop at one extra volume, we’re going to kick it up a notch and include EVEN MORE games that we believe deserves to be included in the enviable Volume 3! Stay tuned for that!

Meta Connect Produced Their Keynote in 3D, Why Doesn’t Apple? September 30, 2024

Editor’s Note: All views in this editorial are protected under the First Amendment. We also want to make it clear that we will not be comparing ANY new products shown by Meta against anything Apple has already released or is expected to release.

Several days ago, Meta (owners of Facebook, Instagram and Oculus), hosted a major Meta Connect event. It got a ton of positive press, and rightfully so. New enhancements were announced for popular products such as the Ray Ban Meta sunglasses, new VR products were announced for consumers such as the lower cost Meta Quest 3S headset, and a technical demo of a prototype product called Orion blew a lot of people out of the water. I admit, we were slow on this website to report on it, and I ask to be forgiven. This website prefers to use official sources when highlighting any major gaming news or events, and that was impossible to find immediately after the event concluded. It seemed in this case, Meta intentionally withheld releasing an official copy of their Meta Connect 2024 Keynote on their official YouTube channels for several days. We can only speculate on the reason why Meta chose to cede internet traffic to the channels who rebroadcasted the event, but now that it has been officially posted, there’s a major thing that I wanted to speak about, and that is its production value.

This year’s Meta Connect had an enormous guest list of press and internet influencers in attendance for the show. For those of you who were unable to attend the event in person, the live event was entirely filmed in 3D with meticulous attention to picture quality and detail. This is literally UNHEARD OF for any event, let alone a live one. Gamers who already owned a Meta Quest headset such as the Quest Pro or Quest 3, were able to watch the video in 3D using Meta’s VR application Meta Horizon Worlds. In fact, an entire Virtual Immersive space was set up for this event, filled with VR minigames and unlockable rewards. It was literally the best way to watch this live event, and it was absolutely free to observe for anyone who had the equipment to watch it.

Meanwhile, Apple is currently the most profitable company in the world. It owns its own premium streaming platform, Apple TV+, and has access to some of the most cutting edge immersive camera technology and editing software in the world. They need that advantage, as they currently sell a very expensive immersive headset for 3D productivity, immersive cinema experiences and gaming called the Apple Vision Pro. Over the past few months, Apple has released two major events. The first was from WWDC 2024, where they previewed the new operating system improvements for existing Apple devices after having their team leaders jump out of an airplane. New features for the Vision Pro were announced and previewed, and we were assured these new features would come to all existing owners at no additional charge. The second was a preview of the (then) upcoming iPhone 16 phones, which Apple chose to make immersive (3D) video and audio recordings a big selling point. Neither of these events got much buzz from either the technology press or general consumers, and while I can personally attest to see the iPhone 16 line is currently selling just fine, many disagree with me on how they project Apple’s smartphone sales will be when the year wraps up.

Strangely, while Apple was able to release their presentations in a prerecorded format which allowed for full editing control, retakes, and post-production special effects, they chose to record and stream their recent events in a flat 2D non-immersive presentation. While you could watch these events in Vision Pro’s Apple TV application, most viewers would see no difference in watching it on their Vision Pro than they would if they watched it on an iPad through the YouTube application.

How could Meta, a company that makes all its money in ad revenue, produce a more technologically impressive Keynote than Apple did? Meta clearly knows its priorities are to push VR to the mass market, and by offering this presentation in an immersive format, it is clear to this jaded gamer that whoever is making the upper-level decisions at Meta is intelligent enough to know how to put Meta’s best foot forward. Apple is making it clear in contrast that they will not be pushing boundaries on their presentations by having Vision Pro exclusive content just yet.

Hopefully Apple will reverse course and have a response for Meta soon. When the Vision Pro first released in February, they released a two-minute trailer of immersive 3D content that they promised were a part of longer immersive specials and documentaries they had been filming over the past year. It’s been nearly eight months since then, and we’re still waiting for most of the shows that trailer teased to actually get released. That said, the immersive format that Apple has been releasing their Vision Pro content is without a doubt the best immersive virtual content I have ever seen. The problem is there just isn’t that much of it! Meanwhile, the next Macs are expected to get announced before the end of the year. If Apple wanted to be serious about their investment in the Vision Pro, the least they could do moving forward would be to film all their presentations in immersive 3D so Vision Pro owners could literally get the best seats in the house.