Among Us is going VR, and it looks terrifying

Innersloth, the indie developers behind viral game Among Us, have announced they’re launching a virtual reality version of their flagship title with Schell Games. At the Game Awards, the Among Us VR trailer offered a glimpse into the immersive murder-mystery experience.

In the trailer, we see a bunch of vents — the hidden pathways Impostors use — and pan across the O2 room on The Skeld. The player’s hand enters a code while ominous music plays. Suddenly, another character rushes us, and a loud BEEP smashes the screen to black. The music is reminiscent of that in horror franchise Amnesia, in those scenes where, you know, you’re casually reading old journals and not being jump-scared by some mutated monster.

As the candle fades — If Among Us needed anything to keep its franchise alive, it would be a VR release. The original game starts to feel stale after a while unless you’re consistently battling it out with newer, crazier players. Because the game is repetitive, interest in Among Us has waned since it became a pop culture phenomenon last year, and the cancelled sequel didn’t offer much reassurance. The Twitch and YouTube royalty who helped bring the original game to stardom have since moved on from Among Us.

This upcoming VR version, which doesn’t have a release date yet, will likely rejuvenate interest in the vibrant, space-themed franchise. However, it’s important to note that the VR version is co-opting the original multiplayer gameplay, so players won’t be getting new game mechanics in that regard. For those addicted to the original, this will be a huge plus. For others, it’ll feel like the same old thing, but in 3D.

VR exclusivity — Among Us VR is a huge win for fans of the game… who have VR headsets. As of right now, the VR version is set to only be released for PlayStation VR, SteamVR and Meta Quest headsets. In case you were wondering, Meta Quest is the new name for the Oculus Quest headset. Turns out, Mark Zuckerberg really likes the word “meta.”

It’s currently unclear whether Among Us VR will be released for PC or other platforms in the future. But it’s possible considering the wide availability of the original, which is playable on PC, Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android and set to launch on Xbox and PlayStation consoles December 14.

Overall, the move to 3D animations and a first-person point of view is a huge upgrade for Among Us. First-person horror games, especially VR ones, are without a doubt far scarier than third-person mazes and maps. Disregarding its limited distribution, Among Us VR has the potential to be leaps and bounds better than the original.