
Nearly one million users purchased a new VR headset just to play Half-Life: Alyx, which is all but confirmed to be a million-seller itself. Related: Half-Life Alyx: 100% Achievement GuideĪs reported by PCGamesN, the Steam Hardware Survey indicated that 950,000 new VR headsets were connected to Steam in the wake of Half-Life: Alyx's launch. Upon release, Half-Life: Alyx was met with near-universal acclaim, though some were wondering if the game would move the needle in terms of VR headset sales, or if it would only appeal to the existing user base. The decision was met with a mix of praise and scorn, considering the high financial barrier to entry, but the video game community was thrilled at the prospect of a new Half-Life title. Unlike previous titles in the series, Alyx was a VR exclusive, and could not be played like a regular video game. In a surprise announcement last year, Valve announced Half-Life: Alyx, an interquel set between the events of Half-Life and its sequel.
ALYX HALF LIFE SERIES
While the adjacent Portal series carried the torch for a little while, the last true Half-Life game released in 2007, ending with a shocking cliffhanger that many feared would never be resolved. Following a pair of episodic sequels set in the aftermath of Half-Life 2, the franchise inexplicably disappeared without a trace. The 1998 original proved the potential for storytelling within the action-packed FPS genre, while the 2004 sequel wrote the book on physics and immersion in gaming.

Few names are as revered in the gaming industry as Half-Life. The VR hardware market experienced a surge in sales following the release of Half-Life: Alyx, the highly-anticipated return of the venerated video game series.
