Meta has announced that it will be hosting its second Meta Quest Gaming Showcase on April 20.
The event will highlight several new games and updates coming to the Meta Quest 2 platform in the near future, though we might already have a good idea of what fans can expect to see.
Based on the reveals that came from Meta’s previous showcases, as well as Quest 2 games that have been announced at events and in press releases more recently, we’ve picked out six titles that are likely to get some screen time.
From GTA San Andreas VR to Peaky Blinders: The King’s Ransom , we think there will be something for everybody when April 20 rolls around.
GTA San Andreas VR
The biggest reveal from last October’s Oculus Connect event was the reveal that GTA San Andreas is getting a VR port exclusively for the Quest platform.
While we didn’t get any gameplay footage, the high quality of Resident Evil 4 VR has left fans hopeful that yet another gaming classic will be similarly recreated in this new medium.
Six months after its reveal, we feel that it’s time for Meta to give us at least a taste of what we can expect from San Andres VR. However, while a gameplay trailer feels like a near-certainty we aren’t expecting a release date at this time.
We might be proven wrong, but given the scope of GTA San Andreas, we anticipate the VR port will need quite a bit of time to get right.
Among Us VR
The hugely popular social deduction game was revealed to be getting a VR port during the 2021 Game Awards , and it sounds like we’ll be getting a few more details at the upcoming Meta showcase.
That’s because InnerSloth, the creators of Among Us, has confirmed on Twitter that it’ll be at the April event with “new bean footage.” Most likely this means we’ll get a look at tasks, movement, and maybe some Crewmate roles.
A promise of gameplay footage and little else implies we may not get a release date quite yet, but the team could surprise us.
Among Us VR is a collaboration between InnerSloth and Schell Games (I Expect You to Die, Lost Recipes). There’s a lot of talent working on this title, so we’re incredibly excited to see what they show off.
Peaky Blinders: The King’s Ransom
Fans of the show will be chomping at the bit for Peaky Blinders: The King’s Ransom news, and the Meta Quest Gaming showcase will be a great time for Maze Theory to make an announcement.
The developers have already said a lot about what players can expect when the game drops later this year, but so far we haven’t seen much gameplay. Plus, while Maze Theory has confirmed a 2022 release, it’s remained tight-lipped when asked to provide a firm date.
The Meta Quest Gaming showcase will provide it a great opportunity to finally unveil gameplay footage, and perhaps even a solid release date for when Quest 2 players can try the game out for themselves.
Beat Saber updates
These showcases don’t just reveal all-new games, they give fans a chance to find out about updates to their favorite titles too.
One of the most popular VR games is Beat Saber, and last October Meta teased some new content - with a barely 10-second clip showing a strange sword design slicing through a single block.
Most of the predictions are that it’s teasing a new campaign mode or improved customization options - perhaps to help players find a more unique style in multiplayer as VR embraces the metaverse.
Beat Games has released several updates to its game since the announcement - including a Fall Out Boy music pack - but the odd-looking sword has yet to show up. We feel like the upcoming showcase would be the perfect time to change that and finally tell fans what was teased last year.
Pistol Whip developer’s next game
Less of a prediction and more of a hope on our part, is that Cloudhead Games might discuss its new “next-gen VR” title.
It only just announced that it was working on the game - so development likely isn’t too far along - but given how incredible Pistol Whip is we’re already desperate to find out more about what Cloudhead Games has up its sleeve.
Most interestingly, in the blog post announcement there is some strange formatting in the sentence: “We A re excited to A nnounce th A t we’ve begun work on new next-gen VR titles with deeper scope and vision.”
The decision to capitalize and bolden three As has led many to speculate that Cloudhead is developing what it sees as a AAA game - a designation given to expansive and well-funded hits like Elden Ring, Pokemon Legends Arceus, and Horizon Forbidden West.
If it’s right, Cloudhead’s next game could become the new best VR game out there - though we’ll have to wait and see what it announces be it at April’s showcase or at an event in the future.
Whatever is announced at the Meta Quest Gaming showcase you can be sure that we'll be here bringing you all the latest about the games headed to the Quest 2.
On April 20 at 10am PST (6pm BST, April 20 / 4am AEST on April 21) check back here for our thoughts on the biggest reveals. Plus, you can head to Meta's Facebook , YouTube , or Twitch page to catch the event for yourself.
Nvidia Lovelace might be far more powerful than expected – thanks to AMD RDNA 3
Ever since our first inkling of Nvidia's next-gen Lovelace GPUs, folks have assumed that it was a refresh of the current Nvidia Ampere architecture. Was that underselling what Nvidia has in store, however?
Noted Twitter leaker kopite7kimi is now saying that the original GPU planned for Lovelace, which they estimated would a little better than double the performance of the Ampere GPU it was replacing, is no longer the GPU Nvidia is working on. Indeed, the new AD102 GPU is more than just a refresh of the existing Ampere architecture.
This would mean that the next-gen AD102 GPU, which will likely power the Nvidia RTX 4080 and RTX 4090 graphics cards, is more like a whole new architecture rather than a refinement of what previously existed. PC Gamer notes that this could very well be in response to the rumored performance of AMD RDNA 3, the next-gen GPU architecture expected in AMD's Radeon RX 7000-series GPUs .
The new tweet clarifies what kopite7kimi said about a year ago, which was that while the Lovelace AD102 GPU would see a performance increase of about 2.2X, the RDNA 3 Navi31 GPU would see a 2.5X increase over the Navi21 GPU found in the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT.
If Nvidia got wind of what AMD was cooking up, that could have put a lot of pressure on the engineering team to seriously boost performance rather than provide a more modest improvement over the GA102 GPU found in the RTX 3080 and RTX 3090, and it puts other recent reports about a 900W RTX 4090 graphics card from Nvidia in a new context.
Analysis: competition is great (when it works)
There is something to be said for competition. Forcing workers around the world to compete for ever-lower wages in a race to the bottom that immiserates everyone is what happens when competition goes off the rails (at least from the perspective of everyone but company execs who pocket the savings for themselves and their shareholders. Happy May Day y'all!). We've seen a lot of this kind of competition lately, especially in the tech space, but every once in a while, competition can actually work to consumers benefit.
If its true that Nvidia was just planning on an Ampere refresh for Lovelace (always take rumos with a grain of salt, even if leakers have been reliable in the past), that wouldn't have been nothing, but it also would have been safe. Nvidia is in the pole position in the graphics card market, and when you're in the lead, it's very easy – and common – to get complacent and try to coast to a victory. Ask Intel how well that worked out for them.
You can't coast to victory though, and AMD has every reason to push harder and take risks to overtake its archrival, and nothing spooks the an leader than seeing a hungry rival gaining ground quickly in the rearview.
Nvidia Ampere (for those lucky enough to have gotten their hands on it) is incredible, especially at the higher and lower ends, where the RTX 3090 Ti delivers just jaw dropping performance and the RTX 3060 Ti with DLSS can actually make 4K gaming something that everyone can enjoy (at least to some extent). Doubling that would be impressive, sure, but nearly tripling what we've seen from this generation? That would be game-changing.
Sure, we could get closer to 3X improvement in the generation after Lovelace, but if AMD can force Nvidia to get there in the next generation, than we all win, and the improvements with the generation after Lovelace will be that much better for it.
Overwatch 2 beta: get to grips with the new characters, maps, and mode
The Overwatch 2 beta is here, bringing an end to a two-year content drought. Overwatch hasn’t had a major update since the hero Echo was added back in April 2020. Since then, it has been a long wait for the sequel.
Rather than wait until the PvE side of Overwatch 2 is finished, Blizzard is letting players try out the PvP content ahead of the game’s full release. The big change from the original Overwatch is that it's now 5v5 instead of 6v6 with teams made up of one tank, two damage, and two support players.
The Overwatch 2 beta is packed with content, so we’ve put together this one-stop-shop of all the important information you need to know – like the beta’s release date, which characters are getting reworks, what new maps, heroes, and game modes are included. There’s a lot to dive into, so here’s everything you need to know about the Overwatch 2 PvP beta.
Overwatch 2 beta: cut to the chase
Overwatch 2 beta: release date and platforms
The Overwatch 2 beta is now live and will run to May 17. As it’s a closed beta you can only take part if you’re invited, though we expect plenty of people will be admitted to keep the online population healthy.
If you want to take part here’s how to sign-up for the Overwatch 2 beta .
How long will the Overwatch 2 beta run?
Blizzard hasn’t said how long the Overwatch 2 beta will run until May 17, however, this is only the first of several expected betas. The developer has confirmed that there will be more betas on the way, so while Overwatch 2 will go away, it's likely it will be back before too long.
Often beta tests are short, running for a week or less, effectively giving developers a chance to test their servers and see if they will cope at launch. However, the Overwatch 2 is running much longer. Overwatch had extended alpha and beta periods where Blizzard incorporated feedback from players to change the game. Overwatch’s first beta ran from October 27, 2015, to January 21. A second beta ran from February 9 until May 9, before the game’s May 24 release.
Similar testing phases could be employed in Overwatch 2, so here's hoping players will have plenty of new content to enjoy and play with over the coming months.
Is the Overwatch 2 beta on consoles?
Sadly, console players will not be part of the initial Overwatch 2 beta testing phase. The beta launching this month is exclusive to PC. However, Blizzard says in the official Overwatch 2 beta FAQ that the “first Closed Beta will be available on PC only, but we do have plans to include console players in future Betas”.
Overwatch 2 beta: new game modes
The Overwatch 2 PvP beta includes a new game mode called Push. While this is the first time we can play Push, the mode was actually revealed way back in 2019.
The rules of Push are easy to grasp: it’s basically reverse Tug Of war… with a robot. In the middle of the map, there is a robot named T.W.O. who you’re fighting to control. If your team takes possession of T.W.O. the machine starts pushing a barricade toward your opponents’ spawn. If they take control of T.W.O. then the robot will push a different barricade towards your spawn.
In order to control T.W.O., you need to have more players in its vicinity than your opponents. If you lose control of T.W.O. the robot will move quickly to your barricade and start pushing it towards your spawn. There are checkpoints along the route that open up new spawn points for teams so they can return to the action faster.
If you can get T.W.O. to push your opponents’ barricade all the way to the endpoint on their side of the map then it’s an instant win (and vice versa). Otherwise, whoever’s barricade is closest to their endpoint when the clock runs out loses.
If you’d like to see this mode in action, here’s a showcase match from last year’s Overwatch League final.
Overwatch 2 beta: characters
The Overwatch 2 beta features all 32 Overwatch characters, as well as new hero Sojourn.
However, with Overwatch 2 moving from 6v6 to 5v5, Blizzard has tweaked every character, changing their damage, health regen, and health pool. Blizzard has reworked some heroes entirely too, including Sombra, Doomfist, Bastion, and Orisa.
Here is a list of every hero coming to Overwatch 2.
Sojourn
Revealed back at BlizzCon 2019, new hero Sojourn will make her debut in this first Overwatch 2 beta.
Sojourn is the game’s first Canadian hero and one of the original members of Overwatch before the group was disbanded. She’s a noted leader of the group and featured as an overseer in the Storm Rising Archives event. She’s now ready to join the reformed Overwatch and take on Talon.
Blizzard has released this story trailer for the character ahead of the beta's release:
Blizzard has also detailed Sojourn's kit, which looks pretty fun, with both mobility and damage in spades.
To see it all in action, be sure to check out the latest Sojourn gameplay trailer.
We have compiled some information on how best to utilize the character and everything you'd ever need to know in our Overwatch 2 Sojourn guide . Check it out if you want an early leg up on the competition.
Bastion
Bastion has always been a complicated character to balance in Overwatch. His damage potential is enormous and, against novice players, he tears apart teams who don’t know how to deal with him. However, he’s close to useless in the higher tiers, where players take advantage of his lack of mobility. That’s not a great spot for a hero, so Blizzard is looking at him again.
In his current redesign, Bastion can no longer self-repair but he gains an alternate fire which is a short-fuse grenade you can bounce off walls and around corners before it detonates.
Bastion now has a much slower burst fire while shooting on the move, which gives his primary fire a precision feel. While in turret mode, Bastion can now move around at a reduced speed, although this is an ability with a cooldown, so it can’t be used all the time.
Bastion also has a new Ultimate where he goes into artillery mode and you can select three sections of the map to mortar.
Sombra
Sombra’s redesign reduces her crowd control abilities but makes her more of an offensive hero. She can now hack while in stealth (though she is briefly revealed). Her hack doesn’t last as long but enemies who are hacked are now revealed through walls and take more damage.
Her EMP no longer eliminates shields, instead only damaging victims for 40% of a their health, but the negatives of a hack are still applied to affected characters. These changes make Sobra a really dangerous hero and one you will likely want to be extra careful of.
Doomfist
Doomfist is seeing the most drastic change as Blizzard confirmed he will be moving from a damage role to a tank role. What hasn’t been revealed are his abilities and how he’ll work as a tank.
However, GGRecon’s sources report he has increased health, but his signature Rocket Punch’s damage has been reduced. Although, apparently his new ability allows him to absorb damage to charge his Rocket Punch damage back to one-hit potential.
It’s also reported that his Rising Uppercut and Seismic Slam are now one ability which starts with him punching people into the air and then slamming them to the ground for area-of-effect damage.
Orisa
We have no official word on Orisa’s pending redesign yet, but GGRecon report all her abilities have changed except for Fortify. She now has a spear which is the core of her new kit. Energy Spear allows her to throw the spear, and another ability, Spear Spin, destroys projectiles and allows her to move faster and push enemies away.
Her ultimate is now called Terra Lance and it pulls opponents to her and she takes less damage as the ability channels. The longer it is channeled, the more damage it deals.
Like the heroes in Overwatch, all of the maps from the first game will be making an appearance in the Overwatch 2 except for Assault maps.
Assault maps have been a problem since the launch of Overwatch, as they can either snowball quickly with one side earning an easy win, or become increasingly difficult to capture checkpoints the longer times go on.
In this first beta, the development team has instead decided to focus on Push, with two maps in that mode. There are two other new maps too, namely the New York-based Midtown which is a Hybrid map, and the Monte Carlo-themed Circuit Royal Escort map.
Not every map that will be out in Overwatch 2 is part of the beta, with maps like Hollywood, Rialto, Numbani and Busan all absent, though they are expected to return in the future.
Here’s a full list of included maps in the beta:
Control
Escort
Hybrid
Push
Maps not returning
Overwatch 2 beta: recommended specs
The first Overwatch 2 beta is PC only, meaning that the enormous console player base will have to wait for their chance to play the game. However, there might be a chance for those without a powerful gaming machine to play.
In a post on the Battleet website , Blizzard released the specifications for the PvP beta and they're not very demanding. Even the recommended specs are very modest, and the bar for minimum requirements is even lower.
If you have an older PC that you are convinced can't play games, it may still be worth checking over the specs. It may surprise you.
Minimum Requirements
Recommended Specs