A rhythm action shooter where you glide through cinematic levels, firing and dodging on the beat of an electronic soundtrack.
Pistol Whip is a rhythm shooter from Canadian studio Cloudhead Games, released in November 2019 on SteamVR and Quest. It is now available on the Meta Horizon Store, SteamVR and the PlayStation Store.
How it plays
Each level is a song. The game moves you forward automatically through stylized action-movie scenes while enemies appear on both sides. You shoot them with one or two pistols, and hitting shots on the beat raises your score. Enemy bullets fly toward you slowly, so you physically lean and duck to avoid them, which makes longer sessions a solid workout.
Modifiers and difficulty levels change how much aim assist you get, how fast enemies shoot, and which weapons you use. Leaderboards add a competitive layer.
Content and updates
Cloudhead has supported the game with a long series of free updates, including:
- Smoke & Thunder, a Western-themed campaign.
- Styles, modifiers that change weapons and visuals.
- 2089, a sci-fi story campaign.
- Encore, a party mode, and Voidslayer (2024), a fantasy-themed set with power metal music.
Soundtrack albums are sold separately on Steam.
Comfort
Although you move through each level, the motion is steady and on rails, and Meta rates the game as comfortable. It can be played seated, standing or in room scale, though standing makes dodging easier.
What to know before buying
The list price is $29.99 on every store. On PlayStation VR2, the game adds headset haptics and adaptive triggers, and owners of the original PS VR version get the PS VR2 version at no extra cost. Cloudhead cut most of its staff in January 2026, but the game remains on sale. It is rated PEGI 12.
