Read on for our full review-in-progress. Read on for our full review-in-progress.
Collections filled with original games are a hard thing to get right. Home Sports from Resolution Games delivers entertaining mixed reality support with an appealing presentation for Quest 3, but its varied, yet ultimately shallow gameplay can’t be hidden. While Home Sports from Resolution Games delivers entertaining mixed reality support with an appealing presentation for Quest 3, that can’t hide its varied but ultimately shallow gameplay.
The Facts
: A collection of five sports games in mixed reality; pickleball, hockey, bowling, mini golf, and badminton.Platforms:
(reviewed on Quest 3)Quest 3 familyRelease Date
: Out nowDeveloper
: Resolution GamesPrice:
$19.99Home Sports offers three standard modes at launch, covering both solo play and multiplayer across five sports: pickleball, hockey, bowling, mini golf, and badminton. You can play solo against an AI or as a mode where you compete with a robot. There are also some drills that you can complete to win awards. Landing your golf shot in a specific area for more points adds a decent challenge.
With mixed reality, Home Sports integrates with your home environment by extending beyond your walls while centering gameplay within your designated area. The optional MR feature in
, another Resolution game, is a good reminder. Quest 3’s vibrant artwork and five preset size options make it easy to adjust your playing area and rotate. Playing across the court and doing drills that involve hitting targets on a wall is a great way to stay true to real life Pickleball. This is a limitation of VR software that makes it difficult to gauge how much force is needed when you swing. It has made me more cautious with my shots, especially after committing numerous fouls. In turn, this made return serves particularly easy for the AI in Pickleball.Racket ClubIt’s making me miss the glass box approach used in Racket Club where your court is surrounded by transparent walls, though I accept Resolution creating an all-new sport gave them a freer hand over a more direct adaptation. The drills are fun, as they emphasize precision and control. Keeping the ball in play to build up rallies slowly earns more points, which feels rewarding.
Badminton is another racket sport that uses a shuttlecock over a normal ball, and the first to seven points wins. It requires more of a delicate touch, which I prefer. Also, popping bubbles using a racket is a great challenge. Functionally though, it’s not that different otherwise from Pickleball.
Mini Golf gameplay clip captured on Quest 3 by UploadVR
Mini Golf uses traditional rules. It’s a great idea to center the play area around your last shot. Seeing your opponent next to you gives a sense of presence. The biggest problem I have is the fact that you cannot let go of your putter once you pick it up. This caused me to hit my ball earlier than intended on several occasions. If there was a way of avoiding this, like pressing A to confirm you’re ready before taking a shot, that would save some frustrations.
Hockey is my highlight from the collection; it feels like a mix of ice and air hockey and doesn’t deviate from the core tenants of the real-life games as you shoot pucks into the opponent’s goal. The increasing speed of the puck and the blocking challenges keep the game interesting. I also like the fact that the stick can be used with both hands. Drills like ‘The Gauntlet’ where you dribble the puck to avoid the red zones and collect coins add a nice challenge, though Save ‘n’ Strike simply tasking you with blocking shots isn’t that exciting.
Last on the list is bowling, a basic but enjoyable recreation of an old pastime. The ball responds to my throws down the alley, which is a good thing. I was also surprised by how much fun it is when you get a hit on your first attempt. The ball returning to my living room with the cannon is a nice touch. Bowling gameplay captured by UploadVR on Quest 3. The obvious trade-off, however, is that Resolution does not go into depth with any of the sports. You can select the drills or practice modes to extend this but it’s not something I feel compelled by. It’s not very exciting. The options are functional, easy to use, and clean. It would be nice if there were cosmetic items like new bowling or tennis balls. Home Sports keeps the focus on the play area while displaying virtual elements all around. You can select from five different sizes for the play area. The outline can remain on and you can rotate it. There is an assist mode for every sport. Gear outlines, focus arrows, and haptic input are optional. Career Mode, which is available in other modes of gameplay, offers more than 50 challenges. The narrative gradually introduces each coach. Home Sports doesn’t need much else than this loosely linked series of challenges. Career Mode Screenshot taken by UploadVR for Quest. 3
Multiplayer is available locally, online and via co-location. As I was unable to test these features during the prerelease period, I cannot comment. We will update this review in the coming days. Home Sports Review-In Progress – Current Verdict
Home Sports offers a collection of sports rather than focusing on one. This results in each game feeling superficial. It’s fun, visually pleasing on Quest 3 and mixed reality works. Hockey aside, every included sport has arguably been done better elsewhere, though the comparative convenience of being in one package helps.
Ultimately, it’s a decent collection of games that I can see appealing to a family-friendly audience; just don’t expect anything particularly deep. I’ll return to this review soon with my multiplayer thoughts.
UploadVR uses a 5-Star rating system for our game reviews – you can read a breakdown of each star rating in our
. This is a work-in-progress review. We have not yet scored it until we assess the multiplayer. This Home Sports review will be revisited soon.