Cyan has confirmed that the remakes of Myst (2020) and Riven (2024) will land on PlayStation 5 with native support for PlayStation VR2 on May 19. Each title will cost $34.99. Additionally, the remake of Riven will also be available for Xbox Series and PC via the Microsoft Store on the same date. Both games can be enjoyed in both flat screen and virtual reality from the get-go.
Lessons from Firmament Applied to Performance and Reflections 🎮
Cyan has used the experience gained with Firmament to polish interactions, graphical fidelity, and performance in both modes. The games will include ray-traced reflections, but only in flat screen mode, where they will run at 30 frames per second. If disabled, 60 fps will be achieved with screen space reflections. In VR, performance remains stable, prioritizing smoothness over desktop visual luxuries.
30 fps with ray tracing or 60 fps without it: the classic dilemma 🤔
Cyan offers us the same existential dilemma as its games: choosing between 30 fps with fancy reflections or 60 fps with basic reflections. It's like deciding whether you prefer your mysterious island to look slow-motion but with sparkles, or for everything to run smoothly but with less glamour. At least in VR there's no dilemma: you have to move your head at 60 fps, no ifs or buts.