Supermassive Games is working on a new VR game for the PlayStation VR 2 called The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR, and it will feature an interesting gimmick, according to a new article from the latest issue of Edge Magazine, which reports that enemies may react differently every time that the player blinks, something that’s made possible by the eye-tracking technology found in Sony’s next-generation headset.
“A door painted with the instruction ‘don’t blink’ opens up into a room of blood-smeared mannequins in harlequin masks, their bodies twisted into unnatural poses,” reads a preview from the February 2023 issue of Edge Magazine that features a PS VR2 headset on the cover, as seen by MP1st.
“Eventually we can’t help it any more, and let our eyelids flutter closed. When they open again, the mannequins have been rearranged – or have rearranged themselves. Another blink, and it happens again, except that one of them has now come to life. As we repeat this process, we learn to use our eyes tactically, only blinking once our guns are readied.”
Announced on November 2, 2022, during a PlayStation showcase, The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR is a new VR title from Supermassive Games that is set in the titular anthology series popularized by titles that include Man of Medan, House of Ashes, and, most recently, The Devil in Me, a new installment that released in November and centers around a group of documentary filmmakers who are invited to a replica of infamous serial killer H. H. Holmes’ “Murder Castle.”
“Don’t blink – Immerse yourself in this fast-paced roller coaster action-horror-shooter where every move you make, and everything you see, could mean the difference between life and death. Experience the thrill of the most nightmarish VR roller coaster action-shooter, enhanced by the innovative features of PlayStation VR2 and set inside the sinister world of The Dark Pictures Anthology,” director Alejandro Arque Gallardo said of the game, which will support other PS VR2 features that include haptic feedback and 3D audio.
The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR will be available for purchase for $39.99 on February 22, 2023, according to a listing for the game that can be found on the PlayStation Store.
PlayStation VR2 will be available for purchase on that same date for $549.99, alongside separate accessories that include a PlayStation VR2 Sense controller charging station ($49.99).