BitSummit PUNCH, Japan’s largest indie game event, was held at Miyakomesse in Kyoto from May 22nd to 24th, 2026. I visited the venue on both the 22nd (business day) and the 23rd (first day open to the public).
The venue was packed with booths of all sizes, and as a first-time attendee, I was immediately overwhelmed by the atmosphere. Among them, the one that particularly caught my eye was “XR Yokocho,” with its large green logo shining brightly almost in the center of the venue.
XR Yokocho, produced by G-SMASH Co., Ltd., is, as the name suggests, a dedicated area for XR games (XR: a general term for VR, AR, etc.). When you put on a headset, virtual objects appear superimposed on real-world scenery, or you can jump into an entirely different world. Even though it’s all called XR, the experiences are incredibly diverse.
Following our participation last year, this year’s event has expanded to include 15 companies from 6 countries around the world, with a total of 14 booths.
In this article, I will share my impressions of each booth that I actually experienced.
■ Full-force punches cause muscle soreness: “Project Punch” and “Sausage Batting”
The booth that G-SMASH had set up in collaboration with two domestic studios featured two titles side-by-side.
“Project Punch” by UNIVRS is a game where you punch flying sandbags in time with the music and dodge approaching fences. Even I, who am usually out of shape, was running around with all my might. I was swinging my arms wildly to the music and finally defeated the boss with an uppercut. It was a very satisfying gameplay experience, but I was definitely sore the next day.
In stark contrast to that hard punching bag was “Sausage Batting” with CharacterBank. It’s a batting game where you hit a ball with a soft, squishy sausage. You can see the sausage’s trajectory as you swing, but its wobbly, wobbly movement makes it seem impossible to hit the ball, which I couldn’t help but laugh at.
Even with a sausage like that, once you get used to it, you can hit a home run, and that felt incredibly satisfying.
Developer’s official website:
https://g-smash.co.jp/
https://univrs.jp/
https://character-bank.com
■ Just like the protagonist of Pacific Rim, “Kaiju Battle Simulator”
“Kaiju Battle Simulator,” developed by Two Lives Left, is a game where you control a giant robot to battle monsters. Like the movie “Pacific Rim,” the robot’s arms move in sync with your own, making for intuitive controls.
When you put on the headset, you can move around as a robot pilot amidst a skyscraper-filled cityscape. Then monsters appear, and you just have to defeat them! The moment a gigantic, massive mouth opens up and fills your entire field of vision as it approaches you, the sense of realism is so intense that you can’t help but gasp.
On the other hand, the feeling of “riding a giant robot” was more subdued than expected. I think the sense of scale would be enhanced if the cityscapes and the robot’s actions were depicted in more detail, so I hope to see improvements in this area in the future.
Official website: Kaiju Battle Simulator
■ “Pets Forever,” a virtual pet you can pet endlessly.
“Forever Pets” by VIRTUAL BEINGS SAS is a game where you can interact with virtual animals. When you put on the headset, cats and small birds will appear right in front of you.
When I tapped on the desk, a cat that was some distance away trotted over. I gently stroked it so as not to startle it, and then I couldn’t stop. Every time I stroked its back and throat, it seemed to enjoy it. It was an irresistible experience for any cat lover. Even though I knew it was virtual, I couldn’t help but gently stroke it all over and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Official website: Forever Pets
■ A puzzle game that feels like you’re playing on a dance floor: “Lumines Arise”
“Lumines Arise” by Enhance Experience Inc. is a puzzle game where the music and visuals get more and more exciting with each combo you complete.
While waiting in line and watching gameplay videos, I honestly wondered, “Why bother playing a puzzle game in VR?”
However, once I put on the headset and started playing, I was immediately convinced. As I landed combos, the music enveloped me from all sides, and the changes in the visuals were directly transmitted to me. It felt as if I was on a dance floor, a gameplay experience that can only be enjoyed in VR.
Official website: Lumines Arise
■ “VOXL” – Creating the world with your own hands
VOXL studios’ “VOXL” is a creative game where you can freely create objects in a virtual space. It offers the fun of generating new objects, stretching them, and assembling them to create your own unique objects, much like playing with LEGO or Minecraft.
I wasn’t very good at it myself, but the people at the booth were amazing. They skillfully assembled the letters “BitSummit” for me. It’s a game that tests your creativity, where you can build a world with your own hands once you get the hang of it.
Official website: VOXL
■ Becoming an animal doctor in the savanna — “WILDLIFE DOCTOR”
A440’s “WILDLIFE DOCTOR” is a veterinary simulation game where you treat wild animals in the savanna. First, you administer an anesthetic to put them to sleep, then you disinfect and suture the wounds, following each step in a realistic, step-by-step manner.
According to the staff, even large animals like giraffes are treated with a realistic sense of scale. Dealing with those long necks sounds challenging, but just imagining it would be a dynamic experience. I also appreciated that they made an effort to avoid making it too realistic, given that it’s a game about treating animals, which broadens the range of players.
Official website: WILDLIFE DOCTOR
■ “Dance Laser”: An empty space transforms into a thrilling stage.
Thomas Van Bouwel’s “Laser Dance” was my favorite piece of the show. The moment you put on the headset, an empty space instantly transforms into a laser trap stage straight out of a spy movie.
The device recognizes the surrounding space and creates an appropriate course, allowing players to enjoy different stages depending on where they are playing.
The rules are simple: just press the goal button while avoiding the laser. However, as the difficulty increases, you’ll have to crouch, jump, and use your whole body to time your movements perfectly. The sense of accomplishment when you manage to press the button in the brief moment when the laser is out of focus, after patiently waiting, is truly special.
Official website: Laser Dance
■ “ProtubeVR,” a gun-shaped device with a realistic feel.
On display at the ProtubeVR booth was a realistic gun-shaped controller made with a 3D printer. It could be operated with the same actions as a real gun, including reloading, cocking, and blowback. The recoil felt in your hand with each shot was tangible. It’s a cool item that significantly enhances immersion in games.
Official website: ProtubeVR
■ Fishing in a virtual ocean! “Real VR Fishing × DAVE THE DIVER”
“Real VR Fishing × DAVE THE DIVER,” a collaboration between Real VR Fishing and Devs United Games, is a fishing game set in beautiful natural environments. Cast your bait, observe the fish, and reel in the line—it might seem easy at first, but it’s surprisingly difficult, and the sense of accomplishment when you finally catch a fish after many attempts is immense.
Although I wasn’t able to play it myself, this game is packed with features, including the ability to make sushi with the fish you catch.
Official website: Real VR Fishing
■ The passion of next-generation creators: “BitSummit Game Jam XR Division”
Adjacent to XR Alley, a booth showcased the newly established “BitSummit Game Jam XR Division.” Teams of students and young creators had developed games that were playable. Their passion was palpable as they experienced these games alongside professional works.
Here are a few examples.
「TORIMA HEADBANG」
The gameplay is simple and straightforward. You put on a headset and headbang like a heavy metal musician to advance through the game at lightning speed. You move forward using the air pressure from your headbanging, meaning the back of your head is at the front, so the scenery you see between headbangs rushes further and further away. It has a strong element of being a novelty game, but I was surprised by the idea of using the headset itself as a controller in a sense.
Official website: TORIMA HEADBANG
「Make with Puppet」
This is a game where you play as a puppeteer and manipulate puppets using hand tracking. You have to take on poses as instructed according to the story of a puppet show, but this is quite difficult, and I struggled to make finger shapes that I don’t normally make. It was an ambitious work that made full use of the hand tracking function.
Official website: Make with Puppet
■ A place that showcases the current state of XR.
Monster battles, fishing, virtual pets, music puzzles, escape games—XR Yokocho offered a truly diverse range of games, in terms of genre and gameplay.
Looking back, I’ve noticed several common points.
What was immediately striking was the prevalence of action-oriented games that involved large body movements. Many titles, like Project Punch and Laser Dance, utilized the entire body, and games that took advantage of the large space allowing for free movement also caught the eye. It felt like the focus of XR experiences is gradually shifting, from games played while seated to games where you stand up and run around.
Next, I was surprised by the different approaches to “immersion” used in each game. Some, like Lumines Arise, deepen the experience by enveloping you in sound and visuals, while others, like Laser Dance, use MR to transform the reality in front of you into the game stage. I was amazed at how wide the directions can be, even within the same XR technology.
And it was an interesting discovery that a quirky title like Sausage Batting stuck in my memory. It’s a funny title, “Hitting with floppy sausages,” but it made a memorable impression. I feel that encountering such edgy ideas is one of the unique charms of indie events.
Finally, in the BitSummit Game Jam XR section, which was run by students, a variety of projects were created with the free-thinking ideas unique to students, giving us hope for the future expansion of XR as a whole.
This year’s XR Yokocho (XR Alley) had a strong presence as an area dedicated to XR. I think it was a place where you could fully experience the wide range of XR experiences available today. I’m already looking forward to next year’s XR Yokocho!