For many, January means pristine calendars and mint resolutions. If you’re into games, January also means PAX South, 2019’s first big gaming expo, taking place January 18-20. This year, Oculus is returning to San Antonio, Texas with playable demos of some of our biggest titles coming soon to Rift, including Stormland, Defector, and POPULATION: ONE. If you’re at the show, come find us in Meeting Room 225 A/B and the VR Freeplay area to go hands-on with the latest games and for a chance to grab a limited-edition Oculus pin.

What to Play

The year is starting strong with demos of three games we can’t wait to bring to the community. Each one gives you a different take on immersive gaming and each shows off the latest in VR game development. Here’s a look at what you can play at the show:

Stormland

Stormland is a sci-fi adventure starring an unlikely hero—a robotic gardener—who journeys through a surreal cloudscape to augment himself and save his friends. But don’t let the protagonist’s day job fool you—frantic shootouts and daredevil action abound. The latest from Insomniac Games, developers of The Unspoken, Edge of Nowhere, and Marvel’s Spider-Man, Stormland uses a flexible movement system that lets you fight and explore as you see fit. You’ll scale mountains, jump over chasms, and soar through an alien world that shifts as you play, so there’s always something new to see. Check out our previous coverage here.

Defector

Defector is as close as you’re going to get to starring in your own spy movie. Developed by Twisted Pixel, creators of Wilson's Heart, we’ve been looking forward to Defector like first-year spy recruits waiting for their inaugural mission. As an advanced operative, it’s your job to unravel a crime syndicate using all kinds of prototype spy gear, like fancy guns and gadgets, but you’ll also need to outmaneuver foes with your wits and cunning, too. Throughout its lengthy single-player campaign, Defector stitches together a number of action sequences in a variety of play-styles and branching pathways, so there’s plenty of replayability. Twisted Pixel also included comprehensive movement and combat options to fine-tune your gameplay experience. Check out our previous coverage here.

You can experience both Stormland and Defector, as well as other favorites like Beat Saber, in the VR Freeplay area on the PAX show floor.

POPULATION: ONE

POPULATION: ONE, the first large-scale battle royale for VR, uses a movement system called “FreeMotion” to let you climb anything, fly anywhere, and build just about any structure you like. As with any modern battle royale, POPULATION: ONE drops you on a huge map (about one square kilometer) with a gradually shrinking border, pushing you toward clashes with other players. You can form your own squads, as well as play 12v12 team war and 24-player free for all modes. There’s also a robust building system to erect barriers and structures for defensive and offensive opportunities. Of course, you’ll find plenty of weapons and gear to get the job done too, like rocket launchers, armor, and more.

You’ll find a special multiplayer demo of POPULATION: ONE at Meeting Room 225 A/B.

What to See

There’s more at PAX South than just hands-on demos, of course. You can also attend VR tournaments for some of the best games on Rift. Here’s a sampling of what’s available:

Friday 1/18, 5pm – Unspoken

Saturday 1/19, 3pm – Vox Machinae

Saturday 1/19, 5pm – Beat Saber

Sunday 1/20, 2pm – Eagle Flight

Every year, we work to bring the best in VR gaming to the PAX player community through demos, talks, and live events, and we’re excited for another show. If you can't make it, be sure to follow @OculusRift on Twitter and Facebook for updates.

See you there!

— The Oculus Team