Resident Evil 7 developer Capcom has spoken about how virtual reality might make the upcoming horror sequel too scary.

Resident Evil 7 was officially announced during this year’s E3 gaming expo. Coming to Xbox One, PS4 and PC, it shifts the action to a first-person perspective and can be played on a regular TV with a controller, or with a virtual reality headset.

PlayStation Plus members can get a taste of the new direction by downloading the Beginning Hour demo on PS4.

The new style isn’t without its doubters, however, including Capcom’s Katsuhiko Ichii, who suggests that it might actually be too scary in virtual reality.

His views were echoed by Capcom’s Antione Molant, who pointed out that the game was actually developed as a non-virtual reality release, which means it’s packed full of jump scares.

“Honestly, I find it a bit too scary,” Ichii told MCV. “It depends on the person. Some people might play part of it in VR, some might play it entirely in virtual reality, and some might play it entirely on the screen. It’s a choice.”

Molant added: “When creating the game, the entire development team approached it as a normal non-VR game, and put in plenty of frightening jump moments. 

“Having said that, obviously from a testing standpoint, we are making sure we are not putting people in danger for real.”

Resident Evil 7 is set after the events of Resident Evil 6, taking place in modern day and revolving around a foreboding, derelict plantation mansion in rural America. 

Players must explore and survive the horrors within the mysterious, sprawling estate when the game launches next January.

If it’s anything like the PS4-exclusive demo, the full game will be packed full of secrets. Fans are still trying to solve the mystery of the dummy finger, which can be found in a drawer in the demo.

Capcom has hinted that the mystery of the dummy finger will be revealed in September.