

The sense of presence is so totally on point that it’s hard for any other video game rendition of pinball to match up. When unable to actually lay your hands on a physical table, however, it’s now obvious that the best option is to play in virtual reality. Pinball is fun no matter which way you play it. It would be nice to see these active elements become more impressive with future tables. They rarely ever get in your way either which is important since you don’t want to miss hitting the pinball. These dynamic elements add a bit of unexpected humor to the gameplay. For example, one table with a dragon may have that dragon suddenly fly up and around you. Aside from being immersed in the tables, the flair surrounding tables also feels more present. On one hand this makes sense, and on the other hand it’s disappointing to see that there wasn’t even a discount provided for previous ownership.įortunately, there is a huge difference between playing in VR which makes potentially re-buying a table or two worth it. Please note that if you have tables such as The Walking Dead from before that those purchases will not transfer over to Pinball FX2 VR. The last bit of DLC available so far is The Walking Dead table which previously released in non-VR format. The Season 1 pack includes five additional fan favorites: BioLab, CastleStorm, Earth Defense, Paranormal, Wild West Rampage. By purchasing the base package you get three tables: Epic Quest, Mars, Secrets of the Deep. If you’ve played Pinball FX2 before then you’ll have some idea of what to expect with its VR incarnation. All things considered, this is a slight complaint when compared to some of the more glaring issues with other VR releases. Another is to wait for lighter headset models – but who knows when that will even occur. One solution is simply to limit gameplay sessions (as should already be the case when engaging with virtual reality). This creates an additional sensation of weight which isn’t quite as noticeable when playing a game where players must look straight ahead and to the sides. This is due to the fact that not only you are wearing a PSVR headset, but you’re also looking downward at the same time. Those who find themselves playing for more than half an hour at a time will likely start to feel their neck straining somewhat. There is one potential issue with virtual reality-based pinball which will not be resolved in this current generation of headsets.

It’s amazing how a simple shift in perspective manages to change the feel of pinball, but it almost makes 2D pinball games seem lesser in comparison.Īlmost, but not quite. They’re precise and ensure that any misses feel like your fault. Unfortunately, there is no PS Move support but the DualShock4 triggers create a good enough approximation of hitting flippers. As such, you look down toward the table just as you might in reality and play the game. Pinball FX2 VR places you right in front of the pinball table just as would be the case in an actual arcade. VR helps to bridge this gap in a surprisingly effective way. While it is fun enough to play a 2D pinball game, it’s obviously different from the real thing. Pinball just makes sense in virtual reality. So, if you loved Zen Pinball 2 in the past, then chances are you’ll be right at home with this latest incarnation. After having previously launched under this title for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, it just makes sense to situate everything under the same brand name. This has finally changed with Pinball FX2 VR launching on PlayStation 4 for PSVR. These were primarily ways to distinguishing the game between platforms in the past, with “Pinball FX” being the moniker for pinball on Microsoft platforms and PC. There is sometimes also confusion over the fact that this one team owns both Pinball FX and Zen Pinball. Unlike FarSight Studios’ The Pinball Arcade, their focus is on creating brand new tables for players. When it comes to digital pinball, Zen Studios are one of the key developers in the scene.
