The VR space is still somewhat niche compared to traditional console and PC gaming but has advanced very quickly from its early experiments.
We’re seeing headsets in their third iterations now with some seriously impressive tech powering them and equally stunning games besides just great FPS games. Now, some of the best horror games and best RPGs are appearing in VR. Even though it is a smaller market, the library of games is arguably stronger and more creative than any other platform. With the exception of PlayStation VR2 for now, there are few exclusive games for any individual headset, and most games made for earlier headsets are fully compatible with the newest versions. If you need some new experiences to get immersed in or show off what the future of gaming could look like, here are the best VR games on the market.
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There are a few upcoming video games that will have VR modes as well, so this list will only continue to grow.
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
86%
Platforms
Meta Quest 2, Windows Mixed Reality, PlayStation 4, Linux, Gear VR, PlayStation VR, Android, PC (Microsoft Windows), iOS, SteamVR, Mac, Meta Rift, Daydream, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Meta Quest
Genre
Puzzle, Simulator, Indie
Developer
Steel Crate Games
Publisher
Steel Crate Games
Release
July 16, 2015
You might think VR games would be isolating experiences, and you’d be mostly correct. However, Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes takes advantage of the fact that one person is essentially in another world apart from those around them and makes it part of the game. The player in the headset is trapped in a room with an explosive they need to disarm while those around them have the instructions to disarm it. The two groups have to work together with partial information to successfully guide the player in VR to disarm the bomb before time runs out.
Half-Life: Alyx
93%
Platforms
Windows Mixed Reality, SteamVR, Meta Rift
Genre
Shooter, Puzzle, Adventure
Developer
Valve
Publisher
Valve
Release
March 23, 2020
No, it isn’t Half-Life 3, but Half-Life: Alyx is undoubtedly a fantastic entry into this series we all thought was dead and buried. Valve shows that, when it wants to, it can still design a masterpiece of a game using new technology that requires all new ways to structure a game. This series has always been a little creepy, but in VR it borders on straight-up horror in many levels. You don’t know fear until you’ve wildly shot at a headcrab leaping right at your face. All the control decisions, the way movement, aiming, and using weapons works, and just manipulating objects in the environment all feel amazing. Just like the first Half-Life showed us what the future of FPS games could be, Half-Life: Alyx was the first real example of what a complete VR experience, and not just a tech demo or arcade experience with no story, should be.
Metro Awakening VR
Platforms
Meta Quest 2, PlayStation VR2, SteamVR, Meta Quest 3
Genre
Shooter, Adventure
Developer
Vertigo Games
Publisher
Vertigo Games, Deep Silver
Release
November 07, 2024
The Metro games have always prioritized immersion above anything else. Bringing this postapocalyptic world into VR felt like such a perfect blend that we’re surprised it took this long to happen. Set before the events of Metro 2033, you follow a new character who is venturing through the deadly tunnels to find their lost wife. You need to be just as precious with your resources as before, but now with the added stress of physically aiming each shot and needing to wipe the fog from your gas mask with your hands.
Asgard’s Wrath II
Platforms
Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3
Genre
Role-playing (RPG), Adventure
Developer
Sanzaru Games
Publisher
Oculus Studios
Release
December 15, 2023
Take everything I just said about Alyx and apply it to Asgard’s Wrath 2 except for RPGs. The grand vision for VR has always been transporting you into a world you wanted to live in, but no game before this has really tried to achieve that. Thanks to the power of the Meta Quest 3 and its commitment to trusting the player to invest in deeper RPG systems, Asgard’s Wrath 2 is another leap forward for the entire VR platform. Combat naturally revolves around moving your arms to attack, block, and otherwise battle as you would expect, but with the same RPG layers you would find in a console game, such as gear, perks, crafting, and more. It’s a fully-featured RPG, though also designed knowing that people may not be ready to strap on a headset for hours on end just yet.
Resident Evil 4
92%
4.5/5
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, iOS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Genre
Shooter, Puzzle, Adventure
Developer
Capcom Development Division 1
Publisher
Capcom
Release
March 24, 2023
After Resident Evil 7 added VR support for the game, Capcom has been consistently paving the way for VR by including excellent VR versions of each mainline title. Each one only gets more impressive, but the Resident Evil 4 remake in VR might actually be the best way to play the game. This is an amazing game already, but being in the action and able to directly aim and interact with the enemies raises the tension to new heights. It’s something of a marvel how well this game can function as both a first- and third-person game, but we aren’t complaining. If Resident Evil 4 wasn’t already replayable enough, playing it in VR will keep you coming back for another playthrough or two just to really engross yourself in the world and practice all the crazy tricks you can pull off with the new controls.
Elite: Dangerous
81%
Platforms
PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), SteamVR, Mac, Meta Rift, Xbox One
Genre
Shooter, Role-playing (RPG), Simulator, Strategy, Adventure
Developer
Frontier Developments
Publisher
Frontier Developments
Release
December 16, 2014
While Elite Dangerous is a bit of a hardcore game on the surface, if you have any desire to pilot your own spacecraft, then you need to give its VR mode a shot. This game still looks magnificent and is touted as being a 1:1 scale recreation of the entire Milky Way galaxy. You don’t fully grasp the scale and sense of awe that space travel can evoke until you get into the cockpit yourself.
Tetris Effect: Connected
93%
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Meta Quest, Meta Quest 2, PlayStation VR2
Genre
Music, Puzzle, Indie, Arcade
Developer
Monstars, Resonair
Publisher
Enhance
Release
May 14, 2020
How could a puzzle game possibly be improved by VR? By making it a fully sensory experience, that’s how. Tetris Effect: Connected in VR is such a powerful blend of sights, sounds, and gameplay that many claim it is the definitive VR experience. You already know what Tetris is, so that part won’t be a surprise, but the visualizations and music of each stage enhance your flow-state to almost meditative levels. It’s something you need to feel for yourself to really get, but even if it doesn’t hit as hard for you as it does for others, you still get a fantastic version of Tetris.
Demeo
Platforms
Meta VR, Meta Quest 2, PlayStation VR2, visionOS, PC (Microsoft Windows), iOS, SteamVR, PlayStation 5, Mac, Meta Quest
Genre
Role-playing (RPG), Strategy, Adventure, Indie, Card & Board Game
Developer
Resolution Games, Resolution Games
Publisher
Resolution Games, Resolution Games
Release
May 06, 2021
Demeo is a VR gem that brings the tactile experience of table-top RPG gaming to virtual reality. With its turn-based mechanics and co-op capabilities, it’s an immersive and strategic adventure for up to four players.
Boneworks
58%
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), Meta VR, SteamVR, Meta Rift
Genre
Shooter, Puzzle, Simulator, Adventure, Indie
Developer
Stress Level Zero
Publisher
Stress Level Zero
Release
December 10, 2019
A physics-based game that is best for players who are familiar with VR already, Boneworks features an advanced engine and allows for many different approaches to combat. Everything from energy weapons and guns to old-school clubs and swords is at players’ disposal, and they can interact with nearly every object as well. Despite the heavy focus on gameplay, there is still a story here, with an advanced AI causing trouble at a mysterious corporation. Boneworks is perfect for anyone who sees current VR games as amusement park rides rather than real games in their own right.
No Man's Sky
71%
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, SteamVR, PlayStation VR, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Meta Rift, PlayStation VR2
Genre
Role-playing (RPG), Simulator, Adventure, Indie
Developer
Hello Games
Publisher
505 Games, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Hello Games
Release
August 09, 2016
It didn’t launch with VR support, but No Man’s Sky received it later as part of one of its many giant free updates. The entire game can be played in virtual reality, and seeing as the game’s initial promise was of an expansive and immersive universe, it’s a perfect fit. Updates over the years have added base-building mechanics, more story content near the beginning, better user-interface options, and even full multiplayer. No Man’s Sky was certainly disappointing at launch in 2016, but now the game has evolved even beyond what was initially promised.
Beat Saber
86%
Platforms
Windows Mixed Reality, Meta VR, SteamVR, PlayStation VR, Meta Quest, Meta Rift, Meta Quest 2, PlayStation VR2, Meta Quest 3
Genre
Music, Sport, Indie
Developer
Hyperbolic Magnetism, Beat Games
Publisher
Hyperbolic Magnetism, Beat Games
Release
May 21, 2019
Who could have predicted that a dancing game that uses two virtual lightsabers would be among VR’s biggest hits? Beat Saber tasks you with slashing incoming blocks using color-coded saber swings, and the intensity varies depending on the song you select. There are plenty of options for customization even including your own songs on PC, and you’ll be able to get a great workout by merely doing what you’ve already pretended you could do for decades: swing a lightsaber. With content added regularly, Beat Saber is a game you’ll be playing for months or years on end.
