With Sony’s PlayStation VR finally beginning to catch on, and establishing itself as a long term platform for the burgeoning medium, it seems like the NPD Group has decided to shed some light on exactly what games people are playing on it once they buy it. While major AAA support for VR is still a bit wanting, there’s a lot of great titles available now— and that is reflected in the list of the top five bestselling PSVR games in the US, according to NPD Group analyst Mat Piscatella, which is a pretty diverse group.

You’ll be surprised to know that the top selling game is not Skyrim, but rather, Farpoint; Worlds VR is number two, followed by Batman: Arkham VR. Skyrim comes in at number 4, with DriveClub VR taking fifth place.

Now, there’s some interesting points to note here, so let’s go through them. “Where’s Resident Evil 7?” is one, so let’s make it very clear that the NPD Group is only counting “PSVR required” games here, which means that Resident Evil 7, which includes full VR on board with the standard PS4 version, doesn’t count here.

Why is Skyrim so low? There’s multiple reasons: one, Skyrim does not have its digital sales counted, unlike the other games, because Bethesda does not share digital sales data with the NPD Group. Secondly, Skyrim is one of the few full priced PSVR games on the market— most other games can be had for less than $60. It’s not unreasonable to suppose many would-be buyers go with a handful of cheaper games rather than one expensive one.

So, there you have it. I wonder what this list will look like a year from now…

https://twitter.com/matpiscatella/status/1047147289532219397?s=21

Skyrim, which is at this point available on everything, including Alexa (seriously), is one of the few major full fledged games that has been made available for the burgeoning VR market too. Skyrim VR launched for PlayStation VR late last year, and then was also made available to other VR headsets earlier this year.

Now, it has received an update- its very first one since January- that should make the PlayStation VR version in particular more enjoyable. Update 1.4.40.0.8 (I don’t know why it’s numbered that way either, stop asking me) improves the graphics of Skyrim VR, especially on PS4 Pro, adds more movement, control, and immersion options if you are playing with PlayStation Move controllers, and adds a new main menu experience. You can check out the full patch notes below, if you are interested.

If you haven’t played it already, The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim is available now on PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, PSVR, Nintendo Switch, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and, yes, Alexa. I’m sure you can find something to play it on and see what all the fuss is about.

Skyrim PSVR Update Version 1.4.40.0.8 – Patch Notes

• Added a new main menu experience
• Globally improved visual fidelity, particularly on PS4 Pro
• Increased the maximum value for the height offset slider
• Various bugfixes
• Changes when using PS Move controllers:
  • In direct movement, changed the secondary X button to move the player backwards.
  • Added a new option, enabled by default, to “Show Hands When Sheathed”
  • Sheath/unsheath has been moved to hold secondary O.
  • Adjusted angle for spell targeting to be more comfortable
  • The existing swimming has been moved to a new option for “Realistic Swimming”.  Swimming by default now uses Direct Movement style controls
  • Added option for HMD-relative direct movement instead of controller-relative direct movement.
  • Added a new option for “Realistic Bow Aiming” which uses both PS Move controllers to aim
  • Players can now point at map markers and get information on them in local map mode

Bethesda is one of the few third parties who jumped at the chance to support the Switch—they announced Skyrim for it right alongside the Switch’s initial reveal back in 2016, and then proceeded to also announce DOOM and Wolfenstein 2.

But has their gambit of supporting actually paid off? The optics of Bethesda’s support are important here—if their games have been successful, then not only does that ensure continued support from them for the Switch in some form, but it also means other third parties are likelier to bring their A game to the Switch as well. If not… well, the opposite would happen.

We know that Skyrim was one of the highest selling games on the Switch last year, but what about DOOM? In general, has Bethesda been happy with how its games have been performing on Nintendo’s wonder hybrid?

The answer, it seems, is yes, with Pete Hines recently telling GameReactor that Bethesda’s games have managed to “resonate with the Switch audience” well.

“A game like Doom or Skyrim or Wolf II…  there is an audience for those games on [Nintendo] consoles,” Hines said. “We’ve seen that so far. Nintendo’s been really pleased obviously, and we didn’t have a crystal ball to know, ‘Oh this will definitely their best-selling thing’, but we saw it early, we felt like there was something we could support and our games would resonate, and they have, and obviously Nintendo’s crushing it with their hardware sales which is great.”

Hines also said that Switch support from Bethesdas will continue, although given the unique technological constraints the Switch places as a platform (thanks to its lacking hardware power), it won’t be a clear cut case of every game getting put on the Switch straight up.

“From Nintendo, they’re thrilled as hell. Last Nintendo game I guess we did before this would have been like Star Trek Tactical Assault or something – we did a DS game,” Hines said. “I can’t even keep them all straight, it was a long time ago, but we hadn’t done anything on Nintendo hardware in a long time. But we’ve always talked to those guys. Our philosophy hasn’t changed in all my time at Bethesda, which is we put all this effort into making these games, we’ll put them out on as many platforms as will support the game as the developers have designed it. Now in the case of Switch, okay we’ve gotta do a little work to make sure it runs right and gives the right thing. We don’t want to cut out half of the story or make sacrifices that change the game, but if a device will support what we’re doing, we’ll absolutely put it out because we want as many people as possible to play these great games that our developers make.”

Which makes sense—we don’t want Bethesda to compromise on their vision to accommodate the Switch. That said, where possible, Bethesda will definitely be looking into bringing their games to the Switch now—this success story should help ensure continued support not just from them, but also from other third parties going forward.

Bethesda has been one of the best supporters of Nintendo’s Switch, which is incredibly surprising, given how much the publisher has studiously avoided Nintendo’s platforms prior to this. But Bethesda has already put out Skyrim on the Switch, as well as DOOM, with Wolfenstein 2 coming up next, and its efforts, especially Skyrim, have been met with success.

But where does Bethesda go on the Switch from here? Is its love affair with Nintendo’s console over, or does it have more in the works? In an interview with DualShockers, Bethesda’s Pete Hines discussed bringing more games to the Switch, both ports of its existing lineup, as well as for its upcoming games.

“It’ll just depend,” he said. “It’ll depend on whether or not we think the game is a good fit for the platform technically and whether we think it’s something that audience wants on Switch. In that way, it’s literally no different than any other platform that we look at or any other game that we do. Hopefully, it’ll be a mix of both. If there’s stuff that folks want us to release on Switch and it’s a good fit and it works – great. If it’s new stuff going forward that we think is a good fit and will work on Switch, then we’ll do that too.”

Hines also said that the company would prefer having its games out on the Switch day and date with the other versions of its titles that it puts out.  “That’s always our preference but in the case of Skyrim and DOOM, well, that wasn’t possible,” he said. “In the case of Wolfenstein II, we needed the extra time and there was no way we were going to hold the other platforms to wait for Switch. From my perspective, any time we can bring it out on the Switch at the exact same time as the other platforms for new releases, I don’t know why we wouldn’t.”

Hines overall sounds incredibly positive on bringing future games to the Switch, which is a good thing, and which indicates that Bethesda is happy with how it’s Switch games have performed so far. Hopefully, Starfield will be announced for Switch too, this E3. That is, if Starfield is announced at all. Please, Bethesda…

Nintendo of America has shared a list of the most played Nintendo Switch games in 2017 in North America, and it seems like, as everyone may have expected, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild tops the chart on this front.

Zelda aside, this is a marvelously diverse chart, with a healthy representation of first party games, third party games, and indie games, and it seems to indicate that the Switch audience is a vibrant, engaged one, and all publishers can find success here. Of interesting note here is the performance of Stardew Valley and Skyrim, two third party games that have done very well on the platform (as has Minecraft), the shockingly high ranking of NBA, and the relatively lower ranking of FIFA (indicating Switch owners want ports on par with the competition on their platform), and Rocket League managing to edge its way on to the chart in spite of launching in the middle of December.

You can check out the full list for yourself below- I wonder what the final list for 2018 will look like.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
2. Super Mario Odyssey
3. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
4. Splatoon 2
5. Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition
6. Stardew Valley
7. Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
8. ARMS
9. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
10. The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+
11. NBA 2K18
12. Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 for Nintendo Switch
13. Fire Emblem Warriors
14. Lego City Undercover
15. Sonic Mania
16. Pokkén Tournament DX
17. 1-2-Switch
18. FIFA 18
19. Disgaea 5 Complete
20. Rocket League

NOMINEES

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: 

The Switch started its life with the killer-app of a lifetime, as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild reinvented the beloved action adventure franchise for a new age, while also simultaneously elevating the open world genre, and what we can expect from it going forward. From its incredible, vast scope to the sheer levels of interactivity the game offered, Breath of the Wild stunned everyone, rendering them speechless, as for the first time in 20 years, we felt truly lost in a limitless world of a video game, where anything truly seemed to be – and almost always, was – truly infinite. 

Super Mario Odyssey: 

The other major pillar that propped up the Nintendo Switch in 2017 was Super Mario Odyssey, which saw Nintendo’s mascot return to his sandbox 3D platforming roots. Joyously inventive and imaginative, whimsically fun, and just pure fun, Super Mario Odyssey became a game that it is impossible to play without a smile on your face, and a game that fired the imaginations of millions of players around the world.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: 

In the Switch’s early days, there were two games you could assume everyone owned- Breath of the Wild, and Mario Kat 8 Deluxe. Mario Kart may have been a port of a Wii U game, but more than anything, it exemplified what the Switch truly was. Lending itself to shorter sessions of play as much as longer ones, and acting as an incredible demo for the Switch’s spontaneous local multiplayer capabilities, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is also, quite possibly, a modern multiplayer classic, and one of the best games Nintendo has ever made.

Splatoon 2: 

Betraying expectations by releasing not a Splatoon remaster for the Switch, but a full sequel, Nintendo delivered the newest game in their hot new IP with Splatoon 2. And, sure, it is disappointingly safe, and in many regards, retreads a lot of the same ground, mistakes and all, as its predecessor- but Nintendo’s exceptional post launch support for it, as well as jut how fundamentally fun its core gameplay loop is, means that, warts and all, Splatoon 2 rises above its failings to deliver one of the best experiences of the year.

Mario+Rabbids: Kingdom Battle: 

Earlier this year, Mario+Rabbids: Kingdom Battle leaked with some concept art and screenshots- and everyone hated what they saw. How could Nintendo and Ubisoft do such a thing? What was this game? How was Nintendo comfortable treating Mario so cavalierly? And then, we saw the game when it was officially revealed at E3. And then we got to play it. Mario+Rabbids: Kingdom Battle turned out to be an incredible game- a deft mix of Mario motifs with turn based strategy elements, to deliver an addictive and compelling game that, in a year as strong as 2017, especially for the Switch, manages to stand out.

ARMS:

Nintendo’s newest IP turned out to be a fighting game from the makers of Mario Kart- and it turned out to be every bit as wacky as you would expect. A 3D arena fighter, ARMS stands out because of its core gimmick of its characters having extendible arms- which ties neatly into the game’s central mechanic of you curving and swerving them to add another layer of movement to your character’s in combat. It somehow worked, though there were growing pains- but it will be interesting to see where Nintendo takes this burgeoning franchise in the future.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2: 

Monolith Soft has already established itself as one of the masters of the JRPG genre, and with Xenoblade Chronicles 2, they were in top form. Delivering a stunning world, unparalleled in its imagination, scope, or beauty, with a philosophically profound and touching story, and an inventive combat system, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is one of the best RPGs of the year, and one of the standout titles in the Switch’s maiden nine months.

Skyrim: 

Skyrim needs no introduction. It’s Skyrim- an utterly fantastic game that set the course for the entire industry to follow in the years to com. Six years after launch, it remains as compelling as it ever was- and now, the ability to play it truly anywhere makes its addictive gameplay that much more potent, and uniquely married to what the Nintendo Switch really is.

DOOM: 

The fact that DOOM runs on the Switch at all is a marvel- and yet, here we are. Yes, there were many compromises and concessions along the way, but the end experience is unmistakably DOOM. The fast paced 2016 shooter makes it more or less intact on to Nintendo’s system, and, just as it did last year when it first released, stood out due to how incredibly good it was when it did.

Pokken Tournament DX: 

One of the sad casualties of the Wii U’s early death was Pokken Tournament DX, the excellent Pokemon based 3D fighting game that launched last year- and this year, Nintendo put it out on the Switch, too. With added fighters and modes, and support for the Switch’s spontaneous local multiplayer, Pokken is one of those games that truly exemplifies what Nintendo’s new console is really about.

Winner:

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Go back to what we said about Breath of the Wild- it felt truly infinite. No game before has managed to capture the spirit of adventure and imagination as well as Breath of the Wild did. One of the rare games that is as proactive towards the player as it is reactive, Breath of the Wild is a monumental achievement that managed to elevate what we thought was possible in games, while also more or less perfecting it along the way. It is truly impossible to know where Nintendo will take the Zelda series next- but for the first time in years, they have everyone’s attention on them.

Note: GamingBolt’s Game of the Year categories, nominations and awards are selected via an internal nomination, voting and debate process. You can check the rest of categories and the respective winners here.

NOMINEES

Crash Bandicoot N’Sane Trilogy: 

Naughty Dog’s bandicoot returned in a big way with this lovingly rendered remaster of the original three Crash Bandicoot games. As quality of remasters go, this one is probably indisputably at the top of the pack, taking as it did three PS1 era games, and making them look remarkable to behold in 2017. Oh, and it helps that the games are great to play through, too.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Switch): 

Skyrim is one of the greatest and most beloved games ever- and now you can play it on the go on the Nintendo Switch. In and of itself, that is a revelation- Skyrim in bed? On the bus? In the bathroom? But Bethesda went the whole nine yards, and also decided to take full advantage of other features the Switch offers, including motion controls, some fantastic implementation of HD rumble, and for some reason, even Amiibos.

DOOM For (Switch):

The fact that DOOM runs on the Switch at all is a revelation—it is the full 2016 game, as is, ported to a 6.2 inch tablet. Yes, there are concessions that have been made—the resolution and frame rate are dramatically reduced for example. But the revelation that is playing DOOM on the bus or in bed more than makes up for those cutbacks.

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age: 

One of the best and most underrated Final Fantasy games of all time was reborn this year with The Zodiac Age, and we got to see just how far ahead of its time it was when it first came out in 2006. With its hugely satisfying gameplay, and a politically charged story that is unlike any other in the series, as well as its great soundtrack and beautiful world, The Zodiac Age is an incredible remaster of an incredible game.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: 

If Mario kart 8 Deluxe had been how Mario Kart 8 had released to begin with, it would have been a 10/10 game. Taking the original title, and all its updates and DLC, and adding new items, new characters, and a staggering five new Battle Modes, with six new Battle Maps to boot, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the definitive version of the best Mario Kart game of all time, and one of the best games on the Nintendo Switch.

Metroid: Samus Returns:

To call Samus Returns a remaster or even a remake feels like a disservice to it- it is almost an entirely new game made within the framework of Metroid 2. And that’s what makes it so great- a brand new traditional Metroid with just the right mix of structure and predicability with something new around the corner.

L.A. Noire: 

LA Noire was a flawed game, but a good one that deserved more success than it got- and it got the chance for that success with the remaster this year, that lets you experience it either in 4K (on PS4 and Xbox One), or VR (on HTC Vive) or on the go (on Nintendo Switch). Rockstar went all out with each individual new version of this game- they deserve mad credit for it.

Okami HD: 

Okami is one of the all time classics, so the chance to play it again, on the PS4 an Xbox One, with remastered and cleaned up graphics that make its gorgeous art pop, isn’t one we are willing to pass up on. Throw in its incredible take on the Zelsa formula, and Okami HD is another great rendition of a fantastic game.

Full Throttle Remastered: 

Taking the classic LucasArts adventure game, and remastering it for a new age, Double Fine’s Full Throttle Remastered brings one of the all time cult classics of the graphic adventure with all its charm and wit, and pixel hunting gameplay, intact to a new age.

StarCraft: Remastered: 

Starcraft is one of the best and most influential games ever—and now, you can play it, exactly as it was, with modernized graphics and servers. Engage with the heyday of the RTS genre and the game that was an eSport before eSports were a thing, and weep at the fact that we are likely never to get as ground breaking a big budget RTS as Starcraft ever again- there is no longer any market for it. At least we will always have Starcraft Remastered.

And the winner is

Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy

Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy is actually a technical achievement. It is, functionally, a 1:1 remake of the original games with modern assets and modern code. In terms of sheer effort, this one should take the cake- but the fact that it gives you three beloved games, for less than the price of one brand new one, really seals the deal. Whether or not you are a fan of Crash, you owe it to yourself to give N.Sane Trilogy a try.

Note: GamingBolt’s Game of the Year categories, nominations and awards are selected via an internal nomination, voting and debate process. You can check the rest of categories and the respective winners here.

Skyrim VR is a wonderful game, and the first realization of a full fledged AAA experience in VR that we have gotten. But, being the first, it is also one of the buggiest and most flawed ones- which, coupled with Skyrim‘s general bugginess (which, six years on, has not been addressed) just makes things worse.

One of the big problems that Skyrim VR has had is the lack of a smooth rotation and movement option, as well as motion drift that begins to set in over time- now, the new patch for the game, update 1.02, which is out now, should help, because it addresses both of those issues.

That is not the only thing that it fixes, because the extensive patch notes make it clear that a lot of other problems have also ben addressed- you can check them out for yourself below. The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim is available for – take a breath – PS3, PS4, PSVR, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC, with enhanced versions for the PC, Xbox One X, and PS4 Pro also out.

Whew, lad.

The launch of The Elder Scrolls Skyrim for the PlayStation VR is extremely significant- here is one of the most beloved games of all time, now playable fully in VR. It is the perfect game for the medium, too, bringing even more immersion to a game that is already known to offer unparalleled immersion to players.

It looks like Sony understands how important Skyrim might be in increasing the appeal of the PlayStation VR headset to players, too, because they have announced a new Skyrim PlayStation VR bundle. The bundle itself will retail for $449.99 USD ($579.99 CAD), and it will be available on November 17; it will include the headset, two PlayStation Move controllers, a PlayStation Camera, a copy of the game, and a demo disc with playable trials of 13 other PSVR games. It’s a great bundle.

It’s clear that Sony understands that Skyrim could be the PSVR killer-app- let’s see how well it ends up doing.

Arguably, the biggest star of the Nintendo Direct tonight was not Nintendo, but Bethesda- they’ve already been pretty bullish on the system, having previously professed enthusiasm and support for the system. Tonight, they made good on that support by announcing two new games for it- the upcoming (fantastic looking) Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus and DOOM.

Yes, DOOM and Wolfenstein are both coming to the Switch- DOOM is actually coming this year, while Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus is announced for early next year. This actually ends up filling a very major gap in the Switch’s library- it now has some major first person shooters in its lineup.

That wasn’t all, either- Bethesda also announced the release date for The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim on the Switch. The Switch version of the game will be launching on November 17, giving it the prized position of being Nintendo’s Black Friday game. Now there’s a level of camaraderie between Nintendo and a third party that I never imagined I would see.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRHiIoxPqm4