James Tocchio

James Tocchio focuses on tightly reported coverage of VR and mixed reality games, with an emphasis on new announcements, showcase events, and the practical details players need to follow upcoming titles. He is a Junior Editor for gaming at UploadVR, where he covers VR releases and ports across Meta Quest, PlayStation VR2, PC VR, and other headsets. His work as a games writer has also appeared in outlets such as Game Informer, Retro Gamer, Debug, and Unwinnable, as well as in books published by Ninty Media, HarperCollins, and Lost in Cult.

VR Games Showcase and Event Coverage

Tocchio’s most visible work at UploadVR centers on event-driven coverage that turns large showcases into clear, digestible rundowns. In the VR Games Showcase Roundup, he organizes everything shown at the event into a single piece, pulling together dozens of titles and hardware notes so readers can see the full slate at a glance.

His follow-up article on Gunman Contracts Stand Alone uses details from the same showcase to highlight both the game’s Early Access launch and its link to Valve’s Steam Frame headset, showing how he uses event news to surface specific release information.

He is a regular contributor to UploadVR’s Showcase coverage, filing short news items and co-bylined posts on new trailers and announcements across the VR ecosystem.

Recent showcase pieces include roundups from NewImages Festival 2025, where he helps track titles like Starclash, Flow Chaser, and Dream Hackers VR as they move from public demos toward release. In these event stories he favors straightforward descriptions of gameplay, supported platforms, and availability, rather than commentary, keeping the focus on what was announced and when players can expect to see it.

Release News Across Quest, PSVR2 and PC VR

A large portion of Tocchio’s recent work is focused on announcement and release news for VR games on Meta Quest, PlayStation VR2, and PC VR. He covers sci-fi shooter Exoshock by pinpointing the timing and structure of its open beta, noting that it is the final free playtest before an Early Access launch and that it supports single-player and four-player co-op across SteamVR and Quest headsets. His articles on Tiny Flock track the game from announcement to launch and then to platform-specific pre-orders, laying out pricing, release dates, and platform availability on Quest and SteamVR.

Platform breadth is a consistent theme in his coverage. In reporting on High On Life VR, he highlights that Flat2VR Studios and Squanch Games are bringing the game to PC VR, PlayStation VR2, and Meta Quest in 2027, with clear mention of wishlisting and storefront details. His piece on Project Hail Mary: Journey Among the Stars similarly focuses on the game’s late-year launch window across major mixed reality and VR platforms. When CleanSheet Soccer 2 arrives on Meta Quest, he anchors the coverage around its availability on PlayStation VR2 and the newly added Quest release, tying sports gameplay directly to hardware support.

Recent news posts also show him tracking smaller and mid-size releases with the same level of detail. In his article on the underwater narrative puzzler Echoes of Mora VR, he reports the delayed launch on Steam, distinguishes between flatscreen-only and VR-supported versions with pricing, and notes that a VR demo is available alongside a forthcoming full review.

Across these pieces, he consistently includes specifics on modes, demos, and store listings, making his beat useful for understanding exactly how and where new VR titles can be played.

Narrative, Sports and Experimental VR Titles

Tocchio’s game selection extends beyond marquee shooters to narrative, sports, and experimental projects, reflecting a broad interest in how different genres adapt to VR and mixed reality. His Echoes of Mora VR coverage emphasizes story-driven deep-sea puzzle design and the option to play either in VR or on a flatscreen, underlining his attention to hybrid titles that serve both audiences. In CleanSheet Soccer 2, he picks up on the series’ progression and its availability on multiple platforms, signaling an interest in sports experiences that translate traditional gameplay into VR.

His portfolio includes pieces on pet simulator Stay: Forever Home, where he describes the mix of VR and MR gameplay and highlights its upcoming Quest release window, adding variety to a beat that might otherwise be dominated by shooters and platformers. On the more experimental side, his author page and showcase contributions point to recurring coverage of rhythm and spatial games such as Flow Chaser and Dream Hackers VR, which lean on procedural or immersive mechanics rather than conventional level design. These articles show him giving space to less conventional titles, while still grounding every story in concrete details about mechanics and distribution.

Tocchio’s interest in VR is longstanding: UploadVR’s staff announcement notes that it began in the mid-1990s, when he first read about Nintendo’s Virtual Boy in Nintendo Power, framing his current work within decades of curiosity about the medium. Before joining UploadVR as a staff writer and later Junior Editor, he contributed news, features, and game reviews there as a freelancer, building familiarity with both the outlet’s audience and the evolving VR games landscape.

That continuity shows in his present coverage, which combines event roundups, day-one release news, and early impressions across a wide range of VR and MR titles.