Face Jumping Promises Eye-Tracked Surrealism From The Stranger Things VR Studio

Face Jumping promises a surreal VR adventure where you swap perspectives with others via eye contact on Quest Pro.

Developed by Tender Claws, the studio behind Virtual Virtual Reality and Stranger Things VR, Face Jumping is a short 30-minute VR experience where you leap between the minds of other humans, animals, objects, and more. The game aims to explore the “desire and impossibility of seeing through the eyes of another,” alongside how “seeing and being seen shapes reality, perception, and self.”

A home release date is currently unconfirmed, though Face Jumping will premiere at this month's SXSW XR Experience Exhibition. Directed by the Tender Claws co-founders, Danny Cannizzaro and Samantha Gorman, the experience aims to consider questions around perception, consciousness, and “the desire for and power of connection.”

You can find a brief description below to learn more.

Two strangers' eyes catch in an elevator — what transformational powers does that moment hold? Face Jumping is an interactive VR short that uses eye-tracking technologies as both muse and platform to explore the impossible desire of seeing through another’s eyes. Visitors navigate a journey of rebirth and evolution by meeting the gaze of other characters and swapping perspectives – including those of birds, rocks, delivery bots, ghosts, cowboys, and clouds.

Given how integral eye tracking is to the premise, it's unclear if we'll see this available more widely on headsets like Apple Vision Pro and PlayStation VR2. Furthermore, it's unclear if Tender Claws will adapt the gameplay for VR headsets without eye tracking support, such as Quest 3. As soon as we learn more, we'll keep you updated.

Face Jumping will premiere at the SXSW XR Experience Exhibition between March 9-11. A home release date is currently unconfirmed.