Screenshots
Watch trailer on Steam ↗The Phoenix Gene VR
HEROmation · Published by HEROmation · Official site ↗
Positive — 100% positive (19 reviews)
Last updated 27 Sept 2026
Control a Phoenix in your hands in this VR game. Fly through a sci-fi fantasy blasting enemies, dodging bullets and obstacles, and protecting characters as you destroy a mega-corp’s dangerous immortality serum. This physical on-rails shooter delivers a heart pumping story-based work-out.
£19.99
Lowest price we've ever recorded
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Price history
Action, Adventure, Indie · 2025 · More £15 - £30 games
Embark on a thrilling journey as you pilot the Phoenix through high-stakes battles and intricate puzzles. Dodge bullets and protect allies while taking down a mega-corp's deadly serum in this immersive VR experience from HEROmation, set to release in 2025.
About this game
Rewrite the Past. Save the Future. Step into an adrenaline-fueled VR shooter where survival means becoming immortal. Control a blazing phoenix in your hands, and fight alongside Jackie, a genetically enhanced janitor bound to Firestorm by fate. Together, you’ll battle through the collapsing Slipstream multiverse.
A Sci-fi Saga Across Time: Fly from scorched wastelands to dazzling future cities in a race against extinction. Every location is a battlefield - and a piece of the narrative puzzle.
Enemies Everywhere: Mutants, Scavengers, Leviathans and Drones... relentless foes lurk around every corner. Blast your way through heart-pounding VR combat.
Protect the Innocent: Defend, catch, deliver and save innocents from dangers in... and outside of our reality.
Total Immersion, Total Action: Fly, dodge, and shoot in this physical, action-packed VR shooter ‘shmup that’ll give you an addictive rush.
Strategic Shooting: Toggle between realms to absorb enemy bullets, bend reality to your will.
Power Up or Perish: Collect gold flames to unlock game-changing upgrades: smart bombs, quad fireballs, shields, extended reach, faster regeneration, and flamethrower boosts.
Go Deeper: Immerse yourself in the VR Book Experience of 'The Phoenix Gene: Origins of Darkness' included with the game. Read and listen to the first chapter of the novel in the epic new dystopian sci-fi story, all inside your headset.
Feel the Fight: Move to the upbeat soundtrack by legendary composer Grant Kirkhope. Amplify the immersion with bHaptics TactSuit, TactSleeve and TactVisor to feel every explosion and hit in your bones.
Become a Slipstream Master: Buy The Phoenix Gene now, strap in, and take flight. Perfect for fans of Pistol Whip, Star Fox, Panzer Dragoon, and R-type.
Supports Meta Air/Link and Virtual Desktop (set to VDXR or Automatic) and Steam VR (Open XR). Note that controller offsets will be different per setup, and should be customized in the options for best results.
System Requirements
Will my PC run this? →Minimum
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 10
- Processor: Intel i7 6700k
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070
- Storage: 5 GB available space
- VR Support: Quest via Virtual Desktop, Quest via Meta Link/Air, Quest via Steam Link, Rift S, Rift, Pico via Virtual Desktop, other Steam VR and Open XR compatible headsets.
- Additional Notes: Room Scale, Swivel Chair and Seated, Variable Scales available
Recommended
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
Supported Languages
*languages with full audio support
Latest news
AnnouncementsOfficial
AWE Auggie Award Nominee: The Phoenix Gene
Our Indie VR Game, The Phoenix Gene, is up for an AWE Auggie Award for Best Indie Creators. We learned new tools and techniques, hired and provided new opportunities for new and old talent, went outside our comfort zone so many times and sacrificed a lot to bring this amazing experience to Steam and the Meta store. It went well beyond the scope of what an independent husband-and-wife team should have been capable of. And yet we keep doing it! One project after another. Please help us out by showing the community you recognize the effort. https://auggies.awexr.com/entry/vote/oRdwWxXW/wDVKmjXRRead full article on Community Announcements (VR HERO)Patch NotesOfficial
Improved Steam VR & Open XR compatibility + Controls Reminder
The Phoenix Gene was originally built on the Meta custom toolset before Open XR became common, but now we've improved compatibility with Open XR which solves some issues in Steam VR. Previously, some users with less common setups didn't have access to all the buttons, even if they could play a significant portion of the game. That's now been fixed. The game will now try to autodetect the runtime being used by your setup and choose some recommended controller offsets when you start a new save game. But if you're switching setups in the middle of a save game or you just want to customize your aiming for better results, please take a look at the options in either the lobby or the pause menu to adjust the horizontal and vertical aiming to suit your preferences. If you're using Meta Link or Virtual Desktop with VDXR, then 0/0 tends to be good offset values. If you're using Open XR or Steam VR (which is running Open XR) then -50/30 are good starting values. To make it easier to jump back in, we've also added controller diagrams to the lobby to help remind you what the controls are for whatever stage in the game you've progressed too so far. Have fun, enjoy the experience... and if anyone has any issues, please let us know. We have a Discord you can reach us at and loads of other information about the game at http://thephoenixgene.com/Read full article on Community Announcements (VR HERO)Patch NotesOfficial
Update 1.4
We recently pushed update 1.4 which fixed an issue with music on level 2.We made this fun showcase of how Firestorm is controlled in a Mixed Reality video.Please consider writing a review for The Phoenix Gene. We poured our passion into this game for four years and a minute of your time would help our developers a lot!Thank you for playing.Read full article on Community Announcements (michaelcawood)Patch NotesOfficial
Happy Holidays
It's amazing that our indie VR game has had so few bugs since launch, but when we saw players losing music after dying near the end of level 2 we had to fix that, and here's the patch. Since launching The Phoenix Gene we've also added a bunch of new features which you can learn about here in this YouTube short and on our official website.As an added Bonus here's some behind the scenes conversations with the team that brought you The Phoenix Gene. We invested four years into this amazing experience. Please consider writing a review of our game to share with the rest of the Steam Community. It would help us out greatly. Thank you.Read full article on Community Announcements (michaelcawood)AnnouncementsOfficial
VR Game of the Year: For your consideration The Phoenix Gene
The Phoenix Gene has been a labor of love for our mum and pop indie studio for four years, working with a small team of passionate developers from around the world. The reviews on the Meta store have vindicated what we feel is an amazing experience, and we're looking forward to more players experiencing it.We're submitting our indie game for VR Game of the Year, and anyone that listens to Grant Kirkhope's amazing score will agree we could even be in the running for best Soundtrack!Read full article on Community Announcements (michaelcawood)
