Since VR gaming first left the arcade and became accessible with the development of the Oculus Rift over ten years ago, it feels like the games that take the best advantage of the medium are the ones that allow players to step into fantastical worlds or provide an experience that could only be accomplished through total immersion. Unlike regular consoles, which naturally require a level of interactivity but are also at a distance due to the screen itself, VR quite literally transforms the world around you to create something almost tangible. Games like Superhot, Beat Saber, and even VR ports like Resident Evil Village all use the technology of virtual reality to provide an experience you can’t get from simply holding a controller in front of a TV.
With all that under consideration, what better usage of VR is there than replicating the incredible odyssey of one of the year’s most acclaimed blockbusters? Project Hail Mary, the big-screen adaptation of Andy Weir’s hard science novel of the same name, has already grossed $430 million to become the second-highest grossing film of the year in just 3 weeks, and it’s been showered with praise for not only its surprising emotional resonance and sincerity but its staggering visuals as well (courtesy of Greig Fraser, the coveted cinematographer of The Batman and the Dune films). With the film already achieving immense success, it’s only fitting that audiences would get to return to the world of PHM – all from the comfort of their living room.
