Skip to main content

‘Star Wars Battlefront’ gets PlayStation VR treatment, ‘Rogue One’ content

star wars battlefront december 6 update scarif
Image used with permission by copyright holder
It’s less than a month until Rogue One hits theaters, and as such we can expect to hear plenty about Star Wars in the coming weeks. EA is getting in on the act early, as the company has announced that new content for Star Wars Battlefront will be available from December 6.

The star of the show is the virtual reality experience being added to the game. This PlayStation VR exclusive will be a free download for Battlefront owners, and puts players in the cockpit of an X-Wing starfighter — not unlike the 360-degree experience for Samsung Gear VR that Verizon launched earlier this week.

However, that’s not all that’s being added to the game. As the 2015 release celebrates its first anniversary, it’s set to receive its final scheduled DLC, which features new maps and characters inspired by the upcoming movie.

Rogue One: Scarif introduces Jyn Erso and Orson Krennic as playable characters. Erso is the movie’s protagonist, a skilled operative with a checkered past that puts her skills to use alongside the Rebel Alliance, whereas Krennic is a high-ranking Imperial who’s tasked with stopping any attempts to sabotage the Death Star project.

The expansion also adds four new maps, all of which are set on the planet of Scarif. We don’t know too much about this planet, because Rogue One will mark its first appearance in the Star Wars canon — however, the environments shown in trailers for the movie look quite different to any of the locales already used in Battlefront.

As part of the game’s anniversary celebrations, all players will be able to access the Outer Rim, Bespin, and Death Star expansions for free this weekend — and a quadruple score bonus will be in effect, too. The Rogue One: Scarif expansion and the game’s PlayStation VR mission are set to launch on December 6.

Editors' Recommendations

Brad Jones
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Brad is an English-born writer currently splitting his time between Edinburgh and Pennsylvania. You can find him on Twitter…
PlayStation VR2 is my first headset. Here’s what I think after one week in VR
A side view of the PlayStation VR2, which sits on a wood table.

Before my PlayStation VR2 arrived at my doorstep last week, my experience playing in VR was minimal. I'd reported on the industry and its games for years, but my actual playtime in a headset was limited to an Eve: Valkyrie demo at a GameStop ahead of PlayStation VR's launch, a couple of demos at trade shows, and one 15-minute session of Phantom: Covert Ops on Meta Quest 2 while hanging out with a friend. 
Despite claims by companies like Meta that VR would serve as the future of communication and entertainment, the technology seemed too scattershot and underdeveloped for my liking, with many competitors putting out underpowered headsets, many of which need a wire or two. That said, part of me still wondered if it would take the right headset with the right features and game library to transform the gaming medium forever. Although the Meta Quest 2 has tempted me for some time, it was the PlayStation VR2 that finally got me to bite the bullet and embrace VR.

PSVR2 is expensive at $550, but it appealed to me with its impressive specs and the fact that it only requires one wired connection to the PS5. That was all I needed to bite the bullet. Since it arrived, I've gone all-in on the tech to make up for lost time, trying out games like Gran Turismo 7, Horizon Call of the Mountain, and Zombieland: Headshot Fever Reloaded. Although I'm impressed by the headset's power and how comfortable it is, don't consider me a convert just yet. I can't imagine it replacing traditional gaming on my PS5 or becoming my preferred social setting anytime soon, and that leaves me to wonder how high VR's ceiling can actually go.
Strapping in
My first thought when I got my PSVR2 was that the package was much smaller and lighter than I expected. VR always seemed large and clunky from an outside perspective, so I was impressed by the sleek and easy-to-unbox packaging and the headset's manageable size. Next, I had to set up the headset, which was something I was dreading as a first-time user. Surprisingly, the setup process was pretty quick after I plugged in the headset.
Within about 15 minutes, I had completed the initial setup and was already familiar with the passthrough tool. It didn't dig into my head and nose like I thought it would, mercifully. The few times I've strapped on other VR headsets, they've always felt like they're squeezing my face. That was not the case here, as I easily adjusted the headset to my liking. Even the feeling of the wire quickly became a non-factor for me as I played more and more.

Read more
PlayStation VR2’s best launch game isn’t the one you we’re expecting
fantavision 202x impressions hands on psvr2 outer space fireworks

With the PlayStation VR2 out now, all eyes are on Horizon Call of the Mountain. The action-adventure title is Sony’s first big exclusive for the platform, acting as its tentpole launch title. While it’s a must-buy for anyone picking up the device on day one, it's more successful as a strong technical showcase for the headset rather than as a fun game that stands on its own. If you’re looking for the latter, you’ll want to check out PSVR2’s real hidden weapon: Fantavision 202X.

『FANTAVISION 202X』 - ゲームプレイトレーラー

Read more
Get these 6 PlayStation VR2 launch games to showcase its features
A side view of the PlayStation VR2, which sits on a wood table.

If you're planning on buying a PlayStation VR2 at launch, be prepared for an intimidating process as you decide which games to pick up first. Early adopters will have a lot of options to choose from, as Sony's latest headset will support over 40 games at launch. The bulk of those, though, are ports of preexisting VR games from the past few years. That makes it a little tricky to figure out which games actually showcase what the PSVR2 is capable of and which will feel like a dated experience that doesn't benefit from new tech.

To help guide you, we've spent time playing through a wide variety of launch titles, from classics like Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge all the way to Horizon Call of the Mountain. While there are plenty of games that we've enjoyed, including charmers like What the Bat? and Jurassic World Aftermath Collection, six games in particular act as great showcases for various PSVR2 features. Whether you're looking to test its power, Sense controllers, or audio options, you'll want to put these six games in your digital shopping cart.
Horizon Call of the Mountain

Read more