VR gaming’s spring hot streak is good news for the Steam Deck.
VR gaming has endured a tumultuous period, marked by significant studio closures and staff reductions that have cast doubt on the sector’s viability. Meta shut down four internal VR studios, including Twisted Pixel (developer of Marvel’s Deadpool VR) and Sanzaru Games (Asgard’s Wrath 2). Ubisoft terminated game development at Red Storm Entertainment, the studio behind Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR, while Polyarc, developer of Moss, laid off approximately two-thirds of its workforce.
However, despite this grim landscape, VR gaming is experiencing an unexpected resurgence. The market has recently seen three major releases arrive in rapid succession: Little Nightmares VR Altered Echoes, The Boys: Trigger Warning, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Empire City. All three titles leverage established intellectual properties from popular franchises and appear to represent high-profile industry commitments.
This apparent contradiction—ongoing studio closures alongside new AAA releases—suggests a potential shift in VR gaming’s commercial viability. The influx of IP-driven projects may indicate that publishers are regaining confidence in the platform’s market potential, despite previous industry pessimism.