Pool Nation VR, currently an HTC Vive virtual reality exclusive for PC, is going to be coming to Sony’s PS4 and the PlayStation VR platform in October 2016.
Pool Nation, from developer Perilous Orbit, was originally an Xbox Live Arcade release back in 2012. Built in the Unreal Engine and offering realistic physics – combined with bar room shenanigans – has transferred into a rather fun and playable experience.
When they announced that Pool Nation VR would be coming to the HTC Vive platform, we were dubious. Pool and snooker are very tactile games, and there are some questions over just how well that can be replicated with a couple of plastic paddles – not to mention the risk of falling on your face when you think you’re placing your bridging hand on the table – but it’s the game’s bar room setting that has proved the real triumph, and turned Pool Nation VR into a bit of a winner.
You can of course play frames of pool in virtual reality – Pool Nation VR would be a bit of an odd game and the very definition of false advertising if you couldn’t – but you can also indulge in a few legs of virtual reality darts. Darts not your thing? Then how about air hockey? Skee ball?
Pool Nation VR doesn’t just stop with bar games; you can also indulge in those other drunken bar staples of being a dick, fighting, and generally trashing the place – including the ability to smash bottles and throw the decor around – without the unpleasant consequences of doing it in real life (like being thrown out, getting arrested, and getting your arse kicked by bouncers).
The Pool Nation VR PlayStation VR release will also include support for 8-player multiplayer hangouts, meaning you can be a dick in a pool hall with all your friends, just like in real life!
The press release states that the Pool Nation VR PlayStation VR release is simply “October”, presumably to tie in with the PSVR launch on October 13, 2016. We’ve reached out to publisher Cherry Pop Games, who are “mad about balls” apparently (their words, not ours) to confirm if there’s a definitive release date (and will let you know when we do).
