'Star Wars: Tales From The Galaxy Edge' VR Experience Will Expand The Mythology Of The Black Spire Outpost

Following the release of Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series (which is coming to PlayStation VR sometime this summer), the creative minds at Lucasfilm's immersive entertainment studio ILMxLAB are working on another Star Wars VR project, this time centered around the Black Spire Outpost locale at the center of the Disney theme park land Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.

ILMxLAB announced development of Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge, a new VR experience in collaboration with Oculus Studios. And the good news is that it will launch sometime later this year. Here's a glimpse at some concept art for the new production:

As you can see, there's a winding path through some greenery and large rock formations. In the distance, you can see buildings in the same style of those found in the Black Spire Outpost in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, and this new project will take us there in virtual reality.

Vicki Dobbs Beck, ILMxLAB's Executive-in-Charge, said in a statement:

"We are so excited for fans to step into Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge later this year. This action-packed adventure not only speaks to the promise of connected and complementary experiences by extending the lore around Black Spire Outpost, it represents another meaningful step in ILMxLAB's quest to transition from storytelling – one-way communication – to storyLIVING, where you're inside a world making consequential choices that drive your experience forward."

Oh boy, "storyliving" is going to become a buzzword for virtual reality now, isn't it? That wouldn't be inaccurate since virtual reality feels like a level up from regular video games by making players feel truly immersed in a given digital world.

Star Wars: Tales from Galaxy's Edge will offer an original story set between the events of The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker that will bring in some iconic characters from the Star Wars universe along with some brand new characters too. The adventure takes place on the outskirts of the Black Spire Outpost on Batuu, where the Galaxy's Edge theme park land is situated in the Star Wars universe. It will feature multiple styles of gameplay and difficulty settings so everyone can give it a whirl, from the most hardcore Star Wars fan and gamer to your uncle who still has motion smoothing on his television. That's good since there are probably a lot of people who won't be too keen on heading back to theme parks anytime soon.

Scott Trowbridge, Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Executive, added:

"The rich storytelling in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge has redefined what a Disney park experience can be, and we are thrilled fans will have an opportunity to discover new stories, meet new characters and explore new regions of the planet Batuu in Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge,. Now our guests can immerse themselves in these stories both inside and outside our parks."

Stay tuned for more news on Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge as it becomes available.