It's on everyone's lips. Half-Life: Alyx promises to be the game that finally pushes virtual reality to the general public, marking that long-awaited turning point for fans of technology that until now seemed to be the preserve of the hardcore gamer and a few connoisseurs. But far from the clichés, virtual reality for PC is already accumulating a large catalog of games. And many of them are really good. Keep an eye on the release date of Half-Life Alyx here www.keysforgames.de
Music, first-person action, simulators, indies... As much as some people insist that virtual reality is only good for a few games in the Arizona Sunshine (which is still a lot of fun, by the way), the representation of genres and budgets is really extensive. Moreover, all of them are fully playable if you have a good gaming laptop like the Predator Helios 300, knocking down topics like that virtual reality can only be enjoyed if you have a tower with a direct line to your nearest power station. We'll show you with a selection of five bombshells to release adrenaline in a big way.
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Beat Saber
He's the winner of Steam's reality game of the year award. Among many other awards. Beat Saber is a hilarious title in which we must break blocks to the rhythm of music. Designed to be played standing up and in a space free of obstacles, it will make you sweat the fat thanks to a mechanic so addictive that has been compared to the Dance Dance Revolution of virtual reality. Despite being frantic like everyone else, its simplicity makes Beat Saber an excellent introduction to technology for any fan who wants to discover virtual reality. Are you short of songs? You can also use your own or download the official packs with remixes and custom tracks.
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Platforms: Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality
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Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is a game as original as it is different. Conceived almost as a board game for several players, and that's where it differs from any other virtual reality title; instead of diving into the game experience alone, it involves several people even if they are not using a viewer. The mechanics of Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is simple: you're a poor devil when faced with the prospect of defusing a bomb with a limited time or blowing yourself up. But you have no idea what you're doing. Neither do your friends, who armed with an instruction manual will try to blindly guide you through the process. The deactivator can't look at the instructions and the "experts" can't see the bomb, so communication will be the key to getting out alive.
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Platforms: Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality
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Assetto Corsa
It is, for many, the best driving simulator there is. And possibly also one of the most brilliant examples of what virtual reality can do for immersion. Get behind the wheel of the world's most exotic sports cars and experience first-hand the best physics and weather effects ever applied to the racing genre. You'll really think you're driving a Nissan GT-R. Assetto Corsa is a demanding CPU and GPU game. It's not worth any PC to move it around easily. And when it comes to laptops, the situation becomes even more demanding. That's why we recommend you to bet on a gaming team with all the letters. The Helios 300, with its Core i7 and GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q graphics, has the hardware to run at the level it deserves.
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Platforms: Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift
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Elite Dangerous
As Assetto Corsa, Elite Dangerous received virtual reality support as an add-on. And to no one's surprise, this is the best way for many players to enjoy it. This MMO with space combat simulator aspects makes us a trader or smuggler in a galaxy full of dangers. The battles are as numerous as they are intense, and sometimes the path to riches is stopped short by a laser beam. Elite Dangerous is best enjoyed with a good HOTAS-type joystick and requires a certain amount of hardware power. The lighting and particle effects are spectacular, and you won't be the first player to be taken aback by the elegant design of the ships, which can be customised to suit the player's needs. Its narrative structure is based on seasonal renewal, so like a good MMO, it offers constant challenges for new and veteran players in a universe with no end in sight.
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Platforms: Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift
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Gorn
Devolver Digital, the world's most punk publisher, offers one of those games that its fans enjoy so much. Gorn is a hilarious "gladiator simulator" in which we'll be handing out swords left and right, using our own hands and sometimes even the severed limbs of our opponents. Remember when Conan is asked what's the best thing about life and he answers "crushing enemies, seeing them torn apart and hearing their women wail"? It's that kind of game. But with laughter. And giant crabs. As fun as it is violent, Gorn is a game that invites you to throw sticks in the air, and as such requires us to keep the room clear of obstacles. If you have a desktop PC, you might want to take a couple of steps backwards for the sake of your monitor. If, on the other hand, you're betting on a gaming laptop like the Predator Helios 300, close the screen and get ready to release adrenaline like a barbarian.
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Platforms: Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality
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Debunking the myths: you can also enjoy the most explosive VR on your laptop
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As we said before, being able to fully enjoy the best virtual reality games is not a question of shape or size, but of power.
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You have to bear in mind that most VR systems have two tiny screens inside, one for each eye, so the graphics card has to work in a sort of multi-monitor mode. And the CPU also has its workload, since managing head and hand positioning is not a free task in terms of performance. If you want to enjoy all that virtual reality has to offer, then you should always aim for a gaming performance team. A ninth-generation Core i7 provides the necessary processing power, and as well as the graphics requirements are highly variable, the most demanding games demand considerable hardware. So much so that it's not worth getting off Nvidia's Turing cards these days. The Acer Predator Helios 300 meets all these requirements and more. In fact, by using a GeForce RTX 2070 card, you can capture the advanced lighting effects using ray tracing from Half-Life: Alyx, which is already anticipated to be the best graphics-based virtual reality game ever. Playing it the way Valve was designed will be within the reach of very few laptops, so if you're thinking of upgrading your equipment and don't want to get a nasty surprise, you know where to aim. Only by choosing your laptop wisely will you be able to get lost in the streets of City 17 as we did over 14 years ago with Half-Life 2.