Cyan is bringing Myst and Riven to PS5 and PS VR2 this month

Cyan is launching the modern remakes of Myst and Riven on the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation VR2 on May 19, according to an announcement on the PlayStation Blog. Both puzzle adventure games will cost $34.99 each and include support for standard flatscreen play alongside full virtual reality modes. Players can switch between the two viewing methods depending on their hardware setup.

These remakes have been rolling out across different hardware for a little while. The Riven remake originally launched on PC and Meta Quest headsets in June 2024. If you play on Microsoft hardware, the Riven remake is also launching on Xbox Series X/S on May 19, 2026. The original Myst remake followed a similar staggered path before arriving on Sony's current hardware. Bringing these titles to modern consoles ensures they remain playable long after the original CD-ROMs have degraded.

Playing Myst in VR might actually be a good use of VR. The original 1993 release relied on pre-rendered static screens to build its lonely, surreal atmosphere. You clicked the edge of the screen, and the image swapped to a new perspective. Walking around those exact same islands in full 3D space with a headset feels like the logical endpoint of what brothers Rand and Robyn Miller were trying to achieve over thirty years ago. Flipping heavy mechanical switches and turning valves with motion controllers translates perfectly to Cyan's tactile puzzle design.

Lessons from Firmament

Getting both standard and virtual reality modes to work seamlessly on the same console requires some technical balancing. Cyan applied development lessons from Firmament to improve the performance and graphical fidelity of both new ports. Firmament was another puzzle adventure game from the studio. Its PlayStation 5 and PS VR2 versions released on July 2, 2025. The developers took the interaction mechanics and rendering techniques from that project and retrofitted them into the classic island environments. They also brought some of the new optimizations built for Myst and Riven back into Firmament through patches.

$700 hardware enhancements

Both games carry the official PS5 Pro Enhanced label. If you own the upgraded console that launched in late 2024, the games run with increased base render resolutions and improved textures. The draw distance is also pushed further out. This is highly useful in a game where spotting a tiny lever on a distant clocktower is a core puzzle mechanic. The developers also included a Power Saver Mode for players who want to reduce the energy draw of their console during long puzzle-solving sessions.

Best-selling PC game for a decade

The original Myst was a massive cultural event when it debuted. It held the title of the best-selling PC game in the world for nearly ten years until The Sims eventually dethroned it. Riven followed in 1997 and expanded the lore with much more difficult puzzles and complex world-building. Sony and Cyan actually re-released the untouched classic PlayStation 1 versions of both games digitally last year. Those emulated versions are still available for purists. These new remakes are built entirely from the ground up in real-time 3D. They replace the old HyperCard-style navigation with modern first-person movement.