Surgeon Simulator: Experience Reality
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| Surgeon Simulator: Experience Reality | |
|---|---|
| |
| Information | |
| VR/AR | VR |
| Developer | Bossa Studios |
| Publisher | Bossa Studios (original); Infogrames (current Steam listing); Atari Inc. (current PlayStation Store listing) |
| Platform | SteamVR, Oculus Rift (Platform), PlayStation VR |
| Device | HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, PlayStation VR |
| Operating System | Windows, PlayStation 4 |
| Type | Full Game |
| Genre | Violent, Gore, Action, Indie, Simulation, VR, Memes |
| Input Device | Tracked Motion Controllers (PC); PlayStation Move or DualShock 4 (PlayStation VR) |
| Play Area | Standing, Room-Scale |
| Game Mode | Single Player |
| Language | English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese-Brazil, Russian, Swedish |
| Rating | ESRB Teen (Blood, Violence) |
| Review | Mixed (Steam) |
| Release Date | December 3, 2016 (PlayStation VR); December 5, 2016 (Steam, HTC Vive); December 6, 2016 (Oculus Touch) |
| Price | US$19.99 (Steam and PlayStation Store, October 2026) |
| App Store | Steam, PlayStation Store |
| Infobox Updated | 10/09/2026 |
Surgeon Simulator: Experience Reality (also shortened to Surgeon Simulator: ER) is a VR-only comedy surgery game developed by Bossa Studios. It is a standalone virtual reality version of the studio's 2013 flat-screen game Surgeon Simulator, in which the player clumsily operates on a patient named Bob with a tray of surgical and improvised tools.[1][2] In VR the player picks up and uses the tools with motion controllers.[2]
The game was released on PlayStation VR on 3 December 2016, during Sony's PlayStation Experience event, then on Steam for the HTC Vive on 5 December 2016 and for the Oculus Rift with Oculus Touch controllers on 6 December 2016.[3][4] Guinness World Records lists it as the first virtual reality surgery videogame, with Bossa Studios as the record holder.[5] Critics were mostly negative about the PlayStation VR version at launch because of its tracking and controls, and Bossa released control updates over the following months.[6][7]
Gameplay
The player is a would-be surgeon operating on Bob. Procedures from the original game are performed in three settings: an operating theatre, the back of a moving ambulance and a spacecraft in outer space.[1][3] The trophy list for the PlayStation VR version names heart, double kidney, brain, eye and teeth transplants in each of those settings, and between operations the player returns to a desk to choose the next patient.[8][2] Bossa's patch notes also refer to an Alien surgery.[9] Tools range from scalpels and bone saws to hammers, a surgical axe, a hatchet and a drill, and the surgeries are timed and graded, with blood loss tracked during each operation.[2][8][7]
VR features
Bossa added several features for the VR version that were not in the original game: brain surgery performed in the dark, a hand-held camera for viewing the patient from any angle, a second hand for two-handed surgery, and a new set of achievements.[1][4] The PlayStation VR version has 48 trophies.[8]
Controls
On PC the game requires tracked motion controllers and supports standing or room-scale play through SteamVR.[1] At launch, picking up objects on the HTC Vive required holding the controller's side grip button and trackpad together, which UploadVR called "awkward and uncomfortable".[2]
On PlayStation VR the player can use two PlayStation Move controllers, one per hand, or a single DualShock 4 gamepad; both are tracked by the PlayStation Camera, and button presses close individual fingers to grip a tool.[10] The PlayStation Store lists the game for one player and requires the PS VR headset and PlayStation Camera.[11] At launch the PlayStation VR version used relative rather than one-to-one hand tracking. Bossa chief executive Henrique Olifiers told GamesBeat that "when you move your hands X amount in real space, that translate into 2X on VR", a choice the studio had made to make the game feel more "surgeony", and he said the studio would change it after player complaints.[12] Destructoid reported that the planned update would add absolute tracking and make collision detection on the hands "more gracious".[10]
Development
Bossa Studios' original Surgeon Simulator was released on Steam on 19 April 2013.[13] In a January 2016 interview with Pocket Gamer, Henrique Olifiers said the studio's first VR version of the game had been shown at EGX roughly three years earlier; designer Luke Williams said it ran on an Oculus Rift DK1 with Razer Hydra controllers, without camera-based positional tracking, and Olifiers estimated that about 600 people tried it across two shows.[14]
For the full VR version the team reworked the game around hand controllers. Because grabbing an object became trivial in VR, Bossa hid tools around the room in drawers for the player to find and brought over the defibrillator and heart-rate system from the iPad version. When a virtual hand collides with an object, a skeleton "ghost" version of the hand detaches and keeps following the real controller, so the player can still see where their hand is.[14] Pocket Gamer played an HTC Vive build with two operations set in operating theatres in March 2016.[15]
Meet the Medic
When the HTC Vive launched in April 2016, Bossa released Surgeon Simulator VR: Meet The Medic as a free Vive download on Steam. VRFocus described it as a teaser for the full VR game; the player takes the role of the Medic from Team Fortress 2 and operates on the Heavy.[16] Bossa later changed the grabbing in Experience Reality to work "the same behaviour as our Meet the Medic demo".[9]
Release
Sony announced that the game was available on PlayStation VR at the start of PlayStation Experience on 3 December 2016. The Vive version was available to pre-purchase on Steam for GBP 14.99 before its release on 5 December.[3] Gaming Nexus reported a Steam price of US$20 and that pre-orders included the original game for free.[17] At release the series had more than three million players, according to Bossa's announcement.[4]
| Platform | Release date | Store | Price (US) |
|---|---|---|---|
| PlayStation VR (PlayStation 4) | 3 December 2016 | PlayStation Store | US$19.99[11][3] |
| HTC Vive | 5 December 2016 | Steam | US$19.99[1][4] |
| Oculus Rift with Oculus Touch | 6 December 2016 | Steam | US$19.99[4][2] |
Updates
Bossa tested its control changes on an opt-in Steam beta branch before making them live.
| Date | Update | Main changes |
|---|---|---|
| 23 December 2016 | Beta branch | Bone saw rebalanced; any finger can hold items, as in Meet the Medic; Vive thumb only needs to rest on the touchpad; held items move less in the hand[9] |
| 22 February 2017 | Beta branch | Single-finger grabbing; thumb no longer has to be held down on Vive or Oculus Touch controllers; syringes can be used on the player; grades shown on the clipboard; tool rebalancing and bug fixes[18] |
| 27 March 2017 | Live update | The February beta changes pushed to all Steam players[7] |
| 2 March 2022 | Live update | Former beta build pushed live to fix a black screen issue[19] |
UploadVR's review, published on 22 December 2016, said the PlayStation VR version had "since been updated to alleviate the main issues" with Move controller hand movement.[2] In February 2017 Bossa announced "ER VR", a weekly Twitch show from Hyper RPG in which streamers competed in the game.[20]
Ownership
In August 2022 tinyBuild bought the Surgeon Simulator, I Am Fish and I Am Bread IPs from Bossa for US$3 million, after Bossa moved to co-op PvE games.[21] In June 2024 Atari, through its Infogrames label, acquired the Surgeon Simulator franchise from tinyBuild for an undisclosed price.[22] As of October 2026 the Steam page lists Bossa Studios and Infogrames as publishers, and the PlayStation Store lists Atari Inc.[1][11]
Reception
On Metacritic the PlayStation 4 version has a Metascore of 43 out of 100 from eight critic reviews, which the site classes as "generally unfavorable".[6] On Steam, the PC version's all-time user reviews were "Mixed" (63 percent positive of 957 reviews) as of October 2026.[1]
| Publication | Platform | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming Nexus | PlayStation 4 | 74/100[6] |
| God is a Geek | PlayStation 4 | 65/100[6] |
| PlayStation Universe | PlayStation 4 | 45/100[6] |
| Vandal | PlayStation 4 | 40/100[6] |
| Official PlayStation Magazine UK | PlayStation 4 | 40/100[6] |
| PlayStation LifeStyle | PlayStation 4 | 35/100[6] |
| Destructoid | PlayStation 4 | 3/10[10] |
| Critical Hit | PlayStation 4 | 30/100[6] |
Destructoid's Jordan Devore criticized the PlayStation VR version's overly sensitive hand collision and its camera tracking, and advised players to wait for the planned control update, while writing that "there's an entertaining VR experience buried in here".[10] In a review covering the Vive, Rift and PlayStation VR versions, UploadVR's David Jagneaux found tracking "finicky" on all three platforms and the controls imprecise, concluding that "too many debilitating blemishes, such as the poor controls, and lack of content" kept it from standing out.[2] PlayStation Universe criticized the PSVR implementation and the lack of new content over the earlier non-VR release, while Gaming Nexus, which reviewed it in May 2017, wrote that it "can give you a new way to play".[6]
Features
- Single-player
- Steam Achievements
- Tracked controller support
- VR only[1]
System Requirements
Windows
Minimum
- OS: 7,8,10
- Processor: Intel i5-4590 equivalent or greater
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 970 / ATI Radeon 290 equivalent or greater
- Storage: 3 GB available space
- Sound Card: Yes
- VR Support: SteamVR. Standing or Room Scale[1]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 "Surgeon Simulator: Experience Reality on Steam". Steam. Valve. https://store.steampowered.com/app/518920/Surgeon_Simulator_Experience_Reality/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 David Jagneaux (2016-12-22). "'Surgeon Simulator: Experience Reality' Review - Trust Me, I'm A Doctor". UploadVR. https://uploadvr.com/surgeon-simulator-vr-review/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Peter Graham (2016-12-03). "Surgeon Simulator: Experience Reality Slices onto PlayStation VR and HTC Vive". VRFocus. https://web.archive.org/web/20161205125916/http://www.vrfocus.com/2016/12/surgeon-simulator-experience-reality-slices-onto-playstation-vr-and-htc-vive/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Kyeongbeom Kim (2016-12-04). "Bringing the ER to VR: Surgeon Simulator: Experience Reality". Inven Global. https://www.invenglobal.com/articles/523/bringing-the-er-to-vr-surgeon-simulator-experience-reality. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ "First virtual reality (VR) surgery videogame". Guinness World Records. https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/513005-first-virtual-reality-vr-surgery-videogame. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 "Surgeon Simulator: Experience Reality critic reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/surgeon-simulator-experience-reality/critic-reviews/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Bossa Studios (2017-03-27). "Surgeon Simulator: Experience Reality - Update Now Live!". Steam Community. https://steamcommunity.com/games/518920/announcements/detail/562228356583339179. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Peter Graham (2016-12-13). "Surgeon Simulator: Experience Reality: Achievements, Cheats, Tips & Tricks". VRFocus. https://web.archive.org/web/20161214161836/http://www.vrfocus.com/2016/12/surgeon-simulator-experience-reality-achievements-cheats-tips-tricks/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Bossa Studios (2016-12-23). "We've made some changes, tell us what you think!". Steam Community. https://steamcommunity.com/games/518920/announcements/detail/600500712292720626. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Jordan Devore (2016-12-08). "Review: Surgeon Simulator: Experience Reality". Destructoid. https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/review-surgeon-simulator-experience-reality/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 "Surgeon Simulator: Experience Reality". PlayStation Store. Sony Interactive Entertainment. https://store.playstation.com/en-us/concept/225777. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ Jeff Grubb (2016-12-06). "Surgeon Simulator for PlayStation VR controls like a drunk doc - but not for much longer". GamesBeat. https://gamesbeat.com/surgeon-simulator-for-playstation-vr-controls-like-a-drunk-doc-but-not-for-much-longer/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ "Surgeon Simulator on Steam". Steam. Valve. https://store.steampowered.com/app/233720/Surgeon_Simulator/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Jake Tucker (2016-01-15). "Virtually speaking: Bossa Studios". Pocket Gamer. https://www.pocketgamer.com/surgeon-simulator/virtually-speaking-bossa-studios/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ Jake Tucker (2016-03-07). "'You've gotta crack the ribs!' Hands on with the VR version of Surgeon Simulator". Pocket Gamer. https://www.pocketgamer.com/articles/069312/r/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ Peter Graham (2016-04-05). "Surgeon Simulator VR: Meet The Medic Launched on HTC Vive for Free". VRFocus. https://web.archive.org/web/20160408065403/http://www.vrfocus.com/2016/04/surgeon-simulator-vr-meet-the-medic-launched-on-htc-vive-for-free/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ John Yan (2016-12-03). "Surgeon Simulator finally comes to VR". Gaming Nexus. https://www.gamingnexus.com/News/38815/Surgeon-Simulator-finally-comes-to-VR. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ Bossa Studios (2017-02-22). "We're going through (even more) changes!". Steam Community. https://steamcommunity.com/games/518920/announcements/detail/576862522015529457. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ Bossa Studios (2022-03-02). "Update notes for March 2022". Steam Community. https://steamcommunity.com/games/518920/announcements/detail/3135073259453011081. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ Bossa Studios (2017-02-24). "Who Is America's Top Virtual Surgeon?". Steam Community. https://steamcommunity.com/games/518920/announcements/detail/576862522024211845. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ Alex Forbes-Calvin (2022-08-26). "TinyBuild buys Bossa's IPs for $3m". PCGamesInsider. https://www.pcgamesinsider.biz/news/73261/tinybuild-buys-bossas-ips-for-3m/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ Alex Forbes-Calvin (2024-06-26). "Atari buys Surgeon Simulator from TinyBuild". PCGamesInsider. https://www.pcgamesinsider.biz/news/74544/atari-buys-surgeon-simulator-from-tinybuild/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.