Seven years ago today, Star Wars put Darth Vader in your personal space. Released on May 21, 2019, Vader Immortal: Episode I launched alongside the Oculus Quest and gave Star Wars gaming one of its strangest experiments: a canon VR story built less around “beating” Darth Vader and more around surviving the deeply unpleasant experience of standing near him. That sounds like a small thing. It was not. Because in VR, Vader is not just a character on a screen. He is tall. He is close. He is breathing. And suddenly, all those jokes about Imperial workplace culture feel much less funny when the office manager is eight feet of black armor and unresolved trauma. A Star Wars Story Built for Presence Developed by ILMxLAB, Vader Immortal was structured as a three-part VR adventure set on Mustafar. Episode I introduced players as a smuggler pulled into Vader’s orbit, with ancient…
Oculus Quest
Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge Released 5 Years Ago Today — A VR Adventure That Still Holds Up
Five years ago today, Star Wars fans strapped on VR headsets, ignited their virtual blasters, and stepped foot into one of the most immersive corners of the galaxy far, far away. Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge officially released on this day — and it still stands as one of the most underrated Star Wars gaming experiences of the last decade. Set on the outskirts of Black Spire Outpost on Batuu, the game expanded Disney Parks lore while giving players a chance to jump straight into the action. And let’s be honest: for those of us who can’t casually fly to Disneyland whenever we feel like it, Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge was the closest thing to actually being in the park without spending a fortune on flights and blue milk. A VR Game That Actually Felt Like Star Wars When this title launched, VR was still in its…
Celebrating 7 Years Since the Reveal of Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series
Seven years ago today, Lucasfilm and ILMxLAB pulled back the curtain on a project that would change the way fans experienced the galaxy far, far away: Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series. First announced in 2018, this groundbreaking title fused virtual reality technology with cinematic storytelling, inviting players to step inside Darth Vader’s dark domain like never before. A New Way to Step Into Star Wars When Vader Immortal was revealed, the idea of a fully interactive Star Wars story built for VR felt revolutionary. Instead of simply watching the action, players would live it: This wasn’t just a tech demo—it was a full-fledged Star Wars adventure. A Closer Look at the Story Players took on the role of a Force-sensitive smuggler drawn to Mustafar, the molten planet that serves as Darth Vader’s lair. Guided by the droid companion ZO-E3 (voiced by Maya Rudolph), you explored Vader’s fortress, uncovered…