Hitman: World of Assassination

Hitman: World of Assassination
Information
VR/AR	Virtual Reality
Developer	IO Interactive
Publisher	IO Interactive
Platform	PlayStation VR2
Device	PlayStation VR2
Operating System	PlayStation 5
Type	Game
Genre	Stealth, Action
Input Device	PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers
Play Area	Room-scale, Standing, seated
Game Mode	Single-player
Release Date	March 27, 2025 (PS VR2)
Price	US $9.99 / EUR 9.99 / GBP 8.99 (upgrade, base PS5 game required)
App Store	PlayStation Store
Website	https://ioi.dk/hitman/

See also: VR Apps and VR Games

Hitman: World of Assassination is a stealth action game developed and published by IO Interactive. It compiles the studio's three-part "World of Assassination" trilogy (the 2016, 2018, and 2021 Hitman games) into a single product in which players control the contract killer Agent 47 across global sandbox locations. On March 27, 2025, IO Interactive released a full virtual reality version for PlayStation VR2, adapting the trilogy's main campaign with motion-controlled gameplay built around the headset's Sense controllers and eye tracking.

The PS VR2 release was the studio's third attempt at bringing the game to VR and the first to use full motion controls on a Sony headset. Earlier VR support shipped on the original PlayStation VR in 2021 using a DualShock 4 controller without motion tracking, while a standalone Meta Quest 3 adaptation, Hitman 3 VR: Reloaded, was poorly received. Reviewers described the PS VR2 version as the most refined VR version of the game to date.

Gameplay

Hitman: World of Assassination is a third-person stealth game in which the player guides Agent 47 through large open levels to eliminate assigned targets, then escape. Each of the 20 locations is a self-contained sandbox containing scripted opportunities, disguises, and multiple routes to a kill. The trilogy's full main campaign is playable in VR, spanning destinations such as Paris, Dubai, and Miami, with more than 100 weapons and items available.

The PS VR2 version replaces controller button presses with physical, positional interactions performed using the two Sense controllers. Players reach out to grab objects, open doors and closets by pulling handles, swipe keycards into readers, poison food or drinks by tipping a vial, hack CCTV by tapping a keyboard, and drag bodies into hiding. Taking a disguise uses a physics-based system in which the player grabs an outfit using positional control and momentum rather than a single button. Quest items remain physical and can be inspected in hand.

Combat is handled with the controllers as well. The VR version adds dual-wielding with full ambidexterity, letting the player operate a weapon in one hand while interacting with the other, or attack two targets at once. Firearms use active reloading, with manual magazine ejection and insertion, weapons can be holstered on either side of the body, and the sniper rifle has a functional scope. The game supports room-scale play and includes comfort options such as vignette blinders, head-based movement direction, and a dominant-hand toggle.

Development

The "World of Assassination" trilogy began as three separate releases. IO Interactive renamed Hitman 3 to Hitman: World of Assassination on January 26, 2023, folding in the content of the 2016 and 2018 games and providing it as a free upgrade to existing Hitman 3 owners.

VR support has a longer history than the PS VR2 release alone. Hitman 3 launched on January 20, 2021 with a VR mode on the original PlayStation VR, which used a DualShock 4 gamepad rather than motion controllers. PC VR support followed on January 20, 2022 as a free update for existing owners on Steam and the Epic Games Store. A separate standalone version, Hitman 3 VR: Reloaded, was built for the Meta Quest 3 and Quest 3S; Road to VR described it as widely panned.

IO Interactive announced the PS VR2 version on November 18, 2024, originally targeting a December 2024 launch before delaying it to March 27, 2025 to allow more time for polish. The studio rebuilt the interaction model around the Sense controllers and used the headset's hardware features. The game runs at 60 Hz reprojected to 120 Hz, and uses dynamic foveated rendering driven by the headset's eye tracking, which also powers an eye-tracked aim-assist for targeting. The Sense controllers provide haptic feedback and the adaptive triggers respond when firing, although headset haptics were not supported at launch.

Release

The PS VR2 edition is sold as a paid upgrade and requires ownership of the Hitman: World of Assassination base game on PlayStation 5. The upgrade is priced at US $9.99, EUR 9.99, and GBP 8.99.

Platform	VR support	Date	Notes
PlayStation VR (PS4)	Gamepad-based VR mode	January 20, 2021	Launched with Hitman 3; DualShock 4, no motion controls
PC VR (SteamVR)	Free update	January 20, 2022	Added to the trilogy on Steam and Epic
Meta Quest 3 / Quest 3S	Standalone (Hitman 3 VR: Reloaded)	2024	Separate release; poorly received
PlayStation VR2	Full motion-controlled version	March 27, 2025	Paid upgrade, requires PS5 base game

Reception

Reviews of the PS VR2 version were generally positive, framing it as the best VR version of the game. UploadVR scored it 4 out of 5, calling it the most refined VR experience the game has had and praising the dual-wielding, physical environmental interactions, and graphics that it found crisper than the Quest 3 Reloaded version. TechRadar called the result "an absolute delight" and said headset owners would not regret playing it.

Criticism focused on remaining rough edges. UploadVR noted that vaulting and ladder climbing still use face buttons and force a third-person view, that almost all cutscenes are flatscreen, that there is no quicksave support, and that long NPC wait times can drag in VR. It also reported that several modes from the flatscreen game, including bonus missions, escalations, Contracts, Sniper Assassin, and Freelancer, are not available in the VR version. It estimated roughly 20 hours for a methodical run of the three games, with far more for completionists.