The HTC Vive launched back in April 2016, and in that time a plethora of content has been made available for the virtual reality (VR) device. So much content is now available that Steam now offers in excess of 250 titles for the head-mounted display (HMD), excluding Steam Greenlight.
The variety of content on offer ranges from full price releases to demo versions of videogames, and everything in between. AAA productions such as Valve’s The Lab, Cherry Pop Games’ Pool Nation VR and Disney Movies VR sit alongside releases from independent studios. Movie content, such as Hammerhead VR’s ABE VR is proving to be equally as popular as videogame titles.
Such as mixed variety of content so soon after launch has been made possible thanks to the extended embryonic cycle for VR. Since the debut of the Oculus Rift on Kickstarter back in 2012, developers have been able to prototype their ideas and create unique propositions for early adopters of the hardware. Valve and HTC’s combined efforts to ensure key development teams had early access to the HTC Vive hardware is nothing short of commendable, and the software catalogue now available for the HMD goes someway to prove that this strategy has been beneficial.
In contrast, Oculus Home – Oculus VR’s proprietary digital distribution platform for the Oculus Rift – currently plays host to just 86 VR videogames and experiences, including those listed in the ‘Concepts’ channel; the equivalent of Steam’s Early Access programme.
Back on Steam, 130 titles are listed as supporting Oculus Rift – nearly half that of the HTC Vive – with just 21 reporting compatibility with the Oculus Rift and not HTC Vive.
What this means for the race to become the leading VR platform is open to interpretation. Some may suggest that vast quantities of content is the best way forward, while offers are likely to opt for tighter controls over quality. However, it is easy to suggest that the enthusiasm for VR is in no way waning thanks largely to a development community eager to take advantage of the unique features of the medium. VRFocus will keep you updated with all the latest details on the rapid growth of modern VR.
