Pistol Whip may be the new kid on the block but, for our money, its sharpshooting, sharp sounding, beat-based gameplay proves to be even more hypnotic than Beat Saber. In this neon-lit shooter, you stream down corridors, blasting bad guys to grizzly tunes, avoiding incoming fire and trying to rack up the best scores to the beat.
Pistol Whip’s key is to take influence not just from the VR sales king but also Superhot and, most prominently, John Wick. Whereas Beat Saber wants to make you a dancing Jedi master, Pistol Whip aims to teach you gun-fu with style, elegantly fusing the rhythmic and cinematic together into a pulsating, vibrant monster of its own. Pistol Whip is definitely one of the best VR games.
More Games Like This: Against
5. Demeo (Quest, PC VR)
Demeo isn’t a perfect tabletop game by any means. But it is a really good one and, more importantly, its first-rate four-player multiplayer VR experience makes it feel like a genuine social event in a way that no flatscreen game — and even few VR games — have ever really matched. You pick a class and tackle randomly generated dungeons, but the game’s punishing difficulty means sessions can last anywhere from a few minutes to multiple hours. Demeo is already cemented as one of the best VR games but, with more content on the way, including new dungeons and features, it’s only going to get better.
More Games Like This: Catan VR
4. Superhot VR (PC VR, PSVR, Quest)
Superhot is, without a doubt, the most instantly rewarding game to play in VR. The flatscreen original was great but, by bringing your whole body into this groundbreaking shooter, the developer completely flips the game on its head. In Superhot (stop me if you’ve heard this before), time moves only when you do. That means that when you’re still, the world around you is too. Every time you raise your arm or duck your head, the world crawls into life. You’re essentially a human video playback device.
Superhot gives you a stark realization of the physicality of VR and what that means for gaming. It’s an experience in which you are aware of every inch of your body. It also makes it effortlessly easy to feel cool in VR; every catch of a handgun or toss of a ninja star comes with an incredible strand of slick satisfaction you won’t find anywhere else. Superhot VR is currently the gold standard for VR shooters and, in our opinion, one of the very best VR games.
More Games Like This: Damaged Core
3. Astro Bot Rescue Mission (PSVR) – Read Our Review
Sony Japan’s Playroom VR compilation held a lot of delights when it launched on PSVR in 2016, but everyone agreed that the third-person platforming minigame, in which a small robot saved his friends with help from the player, deserved its own title. Astro Bot is the result of those requests, and it’s even better than many had imagined it would be. 26 levels of Mario-quality platforming await you here.
It sounds like hyperbole but it’s true; each one of Astro Bot’s levels packs new ideas that range from endearingly novel to properly groundbreaking. It’s an absolute joy to play from start to finish that never ceases to amaze you. Plus there’s power to the bond you’ll form with Astro on this adventure, breaking down the barrier between players and characters in ways not yet seen in gaming. For that reason, we’re crowning it as one of the all-time best VR games.
More Games Like This: Moss
2. The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners (PC VR, PSVR, Quest)
We would have never pegged a game based upon The Walking Dead to carry some of the best design and user-interaction you’ll find in VR, but Saints & Sinners delivers all that and then some. This sets the bar for VR zombie games with Boneworks-style, physics-based combat that has you wrestling with hordes of undead, throwing every ounce of effort you can muster into every swing and stab.
But this isn’t just a silly sandbox or wave-based survival game (though it now has that too). Saints & Sinners packs its action into a full, meaty VR campaign that sees you trekking through the remains of New Orleans. Add in human enemies, side-missions and the ability to kill zombies with a spoon, and you have one of the deepest native VR games on the market. Saints & Sinners will be one of the best VR games for some time to come.
Read More: The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners Review
1. Half-Life: Alyx (PC VR)
It might not technically be Half-Life 3 but, make no mistake, Half-Life: Alyx is a full-sized adventure worthy of the series’ past releases. Playing as Alyx Vance, you fight through City 17 in an adventure full designed for VR, relying on some of the series classic elements and introducing plenty of new features in the process.
What makes Alyx special is its polish. It’s 10+ hours of immaculate, AAA-level VR shootouts, puzzles and narrative design. It might not be as groundbreaking as Boneworks or Walking Dead, but it’s got some of the best firefights you can have inside a headset and there’s some truly memorable moments within. Half-Life: Alyx is definitely one of the best VR games to date, though we hope to see more from Valve in the future.
Read More: Half-Life: Alyx Review
What do you make of our list of best VR games? Let us know in the comments below!
Update 02/09/22: Star Wars: Squadrons, Ghost Giant, Moss, The Room, Gorn and Walkabout were removed from the list. Zenith, Unplugged, Ultrawings 2, A Township Tale and Resident Evil 4 were added.
This post was originally published January 15, 2021.
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- Source: https://uploadvr.com/best-vr-games/
Looking for a list of the all-time best VR games? We’ve got you covered with our full list.
For the past few years at Upload, we’ve kept separate, regularly updated lists of the best VR games on individual platforms, including Quest, Rift, SteamVR and PSVR. But, as the industry continues to grow, the content library feels strong enough to now compile each of those lists into a master list of the best VR games of all-time. If you are looking for the best VR games on individual platforms, though, see our lists below.
For each game on this list we’ve noted which platforms you can play on and linked to more coverage if you want to find out more. But enough talk, let’s run down our list of the best VR games! You’ll find these titles available to buy on the Oculus Store for Quest and Rift, Steam and the PlayStation Store.
The Best VR Games – Ranked
25. Zenith: The Last City (Quest, PSVR, PC VR)
Zenith is the new kid on the block and, right now, people are very excited about it. And it’s easy to see why; it’s easily the best stab at a VR MMO yet, with an extensive leveling system, huge world to explore and plenty of great social interactions. Plus the sword combat and cooking elements to the game play to VR’s strengths in ways you might not expect.
So why not higher? Well, simply put, Zenith isn’t finished. In fact, it’s literally labeled as early access on PC. There’s an ocean of bugs to iron out, not to mention far more to add in terms of classes, quests, systems and locations. This is just the start of the road for Zenith, but it’s definitely off to a good start and, for fans of the genre, one of the best VR games out there.
Read More: Zenith Review
24. Unplugged (Quest)
When you think of VR music games, your mind races to Beat Saber. We’ll get to that in a bit, but first let’s talk about this hugely innovative and highly entertaining air guitar game. It uses Quest’s hand tracking to deliver a Guitar Hero-like experience that can be empowering, even if the tech doesn’t always keep up with you.
Still, with a killer setlist and great production values, Unplugged more than earns its keep. Also keep in mind that we’re strictly talking about the Quest version of the game here. You can play Unplugged on PC VR using Valve’s Index Controllers, but we really don’t recommend trying that experience that way if you already have a Quest headset available to you. Only there is it one of the best VR games.
Read More: Unplugged Review
24. Until You Fall (PC VR, PSVR, Quest)
A stylish and effortlessly cool VR rougelike that has you tackling runs of a randomized dungeon and starting fresh every time you die. A fast-moving progression system keeps the game rewarding and addictive, while the lively arcade action is easy to pick up and difficult to master. Combat might not be as realistic as other VR melee titles, but it’s rock-solid and incredibly fun. If you’re looking for a VR game you’ll revisit time and time again, look no further than Until You Fall. It’s one of the best VR games.
Read More: Until You Fall Review
23. A Fisherman’s Tale (PC VR, PSVR, Quest)
As great as VR is, its initial novelty is bound to wear off after your first few weeks or so. If you want to recapture the magic of putting on the headset for the first time, there’s one destination that’s bound to deliver: A Fisherman’s Tale. This is a mind-bending puzzle game unlike anything you’ll see elsewhere. That alone makes it one of the best VR games.
In A Fisherman’s Tale, you solve intricate, scale-based puzzles in which you work… with yourself. Its best puzzles utilize a miniature model of the lighthouse the game’s set in. Lift the roof of the model and you’ll see a mini-you, imitating your every move. Just try and keep your brain from breaking as you hand yourself giant objects, or reach down to poke your own head. It’s a trip to say the least. Throw in a poignant story about self-acceptance and you have a short, sharp VR game that will stay with you much longer than most multi-hour epics.
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22. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (PSVR) – Read Our Review
Capcom’s 2017 soft-reboot of its beloved horror franchise hit hard in the scare department. Switching to first-person put the horror right in front of you, daring players to fight their way through the Baker mansion. But on PS4 it went a step further with full PSVR support. To this day it remains probably the scariest thing you can see in VR.
This is very likely still the most high-profile VR game out there. It’s a huge AAA production with some of the best visuals you’ll find inside a headset and a full campaign with heaps of variety. It’s well-paced and incredibly tense, harking back to the series’ roots with a focus on limited resources and genuine scares. Plus it proves that, even with gamepad controls, first-person VR can be truly compelling. If you’re looking for a top tier PS4 game with full PSVR support, Resident Evil 7 is as close as it gets, making it one of the best VR games.
More Games Like This: The Exorcist: Legion VR
21. Onward
Multiplayer VR shooters are a dime a dozen these days. And there’s definitely something for everyone from the Counter-Strike-inspired madness of Pavlov to the Fornite-aping antics of Population: One. But, for our money, Onward’s focus on realism still holds it above all others. On Quest especially, the wire-free gameplay really comes into its own, opening up new tactics like easily going prone.
Yes, the game’s suffered visually to get onto the headset, but when you’re aiming down your sights, scanning for targets, you won’t notice. Onward pays close attention to realism, making it a game that can be hard to get to grips with, but absolutely rewarding to master. For that reason, it’s one of the best VR games.
More Games Like This: Pavlov VR
20. Blood & Truth (PSVR)
The London Heist minigame in PlayStation VR Worlds remains one of the most polished and engaging pieces of story-driven VR content out there. Lucky for us, developer Sony London decided to take its short tale of crime capers and turn it into a full game. The result is Blood & Truth, one of the most polished and immersive shooters yet seen on any VR headset, let alone PSVR.
What makes Blood & Truth great is that it isn’t ‘just’ a shooter. Every level has new types of interactions and mechanics to explore, fleshing the virtual world out and bringing it closer to the real one. Its story might be on the cheesy side, but its character models are unmatched and the stunning setpiece moments are often Uncharted-worthy. Don’t let the Guy Ritchie accents fool you; Blood & Truth is one to take seriously and one of the best VR games.
More Games Like This: Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond
19. Ultrawings 2 (Quest 2, PC VR to follow)
Everyone agrees that flight games make perfect sense for VR, the question is how you approach it. Do you do the full Mircosoft Flight Simulator approach? Or do you aim for a much more accessible, arcade-style experience like Star Wars: Squadrons? Ultrawings 2’s answer is simple: a bit of both. This has the authenticity of cockpit interaction with the thrill of arcade combat, races and more.
Ultrawings 2 is an endlessly entertaining experience with accessible, pitch-perfect controls for five different aircraft that each feels genuinely different. With hours upon hours of missions to complete and the promise of more to come, Ultrawings 2 earns its spot at the most recent entry in our best VR games list.
More Games Like This: Star Wars: Squadrons, Microsoft Flight Simulator
18. Eleven: Table Tennis (PC VR, Quest)
If you want the most accurate, authentic representation of a sport in VR today, Eleven: Table Tennis is easily your best bet. This simulation-level game offers the most convincing take on a sport that makes perfect sense in VR. Whether you’re serving up hotshots or getting in desperate returns, Eleven’s physics behave exactly the way you’d expect in real life, and tapping the ball with your controller starts to feel as natural as if it were a paddle.
More than just a great game, Eleven is one of the rare VR experiences that feels like a genuine replacement for our reality. Yes, it’s that good and one of the best VR games.
More Games Like This: Walkabout VR Minigolf
17. Beat Saber (PC VR, PSVR, Quest)
Who would have guessed that, with everything developers could do, the closest VR has yet gotten to a ‘killer app’ is a rhythm action game with knock-off lightsabers? It seems ridiculous but just one go on Beat Saber and you’ll understand why it’s such a hit; it’s an utterly entrancing experience that makes you feel like a master. That’s all you need VR to be. You slash notes that arrive on time with a beat. It sounds simple but, in practice, there are few things more satisfying to do in VR.
It won’t be long until you’re throwing your motion controllers around like a ninja. Plus you’ll be working up a sweat and instinctively dancing to the given track. Many people will tell you Beat Saber is one of the best VR games, and they’re absolutely right. Want more? Check out our custom mods guide.
More Games Like This: Synth Riders, OhShape
16. A Township Tale VR (PC VR, Quest)
If you’re looking for your Minecraft fix in VR — or at least the resource gathering and social element of it — we’d definitely give A Township Tale a look. It’s an incredibly deep survival game in which you mine rock, chop wood and fight off enemies as you strive to rebuild a once-abandoned town in your own image.
Like some other titles in our Best VR Games list, this is still technically in early access. But the experience already offers far more content than most other VR games, and the strict focus on immersive interactions puts A Township Tale a step ahead of the competition. We look forward to what’s next from the game.
Read More: A Township Tale Review (Quest)
15. Wipeout: The Omega Collection (PSVR)
Since the day PSVR was announced, Wipeout seemed like an obvious fit for the platform. This would be the chance to realize the dreams we’ve all been had since the sci-fi racing series began on the original PlayStation. But even then we didn’t quite expect Wipeout: The Omega Collection to be quite the tour de force for PSVR it ended up being. It’s easily one of the best VR games.
Sony expertly tweaked several of its older games to fit inside the headset here. The result is a package with heaps of content, all of which you’ll want to see because the game is a flat-out thrill to experience. Shooting around circuits, air-braking across corners and letting machine gun fire rattle out in front of you is unbelievably exhilarating. Pair the extensive career modes with online play and you have one of PSVR’s meatiest and most polished games.
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14. Skyrim VR (PC VR, PSVR)
It turns out that the Skyrim of VR is, well, Skyrim in VR. There are definitely some awkward quirks to Bethesda’s port of its ever-popular fantasy RPG, but we were more than willing to put them to the back of our minds as we explored Tamriel like never before. With hundreds of hours worth of content, full autonomy to make the kind of character you want and an enormous world to explore, Skyrim VR is the closest we’ve come to fulfilling every adventurer’s dreams (outside of taking an arrow to the knee).
Plus, on top of the original game, mod support makes this an unending fountain of brilliant fan-made content that can turn you into entirely new characters or even let you experience whole other games that are every bit as good as the original. Skyrim VR is going to be hard to top for some time, and retains its crown as one of the best VR games.
Read More: Best Skyrim VR Mods
13. Blade And Sorcery (PC VR, Quest 2)
If you’re not hot on VR violence then, fair warning, Blade And Sorcery is not the game for you. It’s a bloody mess of stabbing, slicing and electrifying. But the game finds the fun in this chaos in a way that flatscreen games simply couldn’t replicate. It’s sandbox, physics-driven combat gives your character real heft, giving every blow a truly tactile sensation. Of course, there’s a long way for Blade And Sorcery to go.
It’s still in early access and buggier than the underside of a boulder, but it’s getting there thanks to regular updates including the recent inclusion of a dungeons mode. Plus the unparalleled mod support for the game turns it into a fan’s dream, making it an essential pick for the best VR games.
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11. No Man’s Sky VR (PC VR, PSVR)
No Man’s Sky promised to bring its entire universe of billions of procedurally generated planets connected by unending oceans of space that can be explored with friends all into VR. It’s had a few technical hiccups, but you can’t deny it delivered on that hugely ambitious premise. You can lose endless hours here journeying to the top of mountains, scouting below the oceans and duking it out in spaceship battles.
Better yet, Hello Games put incredible effort into this VR update, making it feel native to the game instead of tacked on. Still, remember this is No Man’s Sky; there are plenty of beautiful sights and sounds, but also a fairly punishing survival loop and resource-gathering grind to fight back against. If that sounds up your street, No Man’s Sky will probably be one of your most beloved VR games. The console version is slightly toned down from the PC release, but it’s still one of the best VR games.
More Games Like This: Elite: Dangerous
10. Lone Echo/Echo VR (Rift, Quest (Echo VR Only))
As standalone packages, Lone Echo and Echo VR represent two of the most immersive, engaging experiences you can have in VR today. As a combined package (which they essentially are on Rift considering the latter is free), they make for one of the best VR games to date. This is a fully immersive, atmospheric thrill ride with the best production values you’ll find on the platform. Lone Echo uses amazing zero-gravity traversal and builds a relationship between the player, a robot named Jack, and his captain, Olivia, to deliver a tight campaign with thoughtful interactions and a compelling narrative. Echo VR takes the same control scheme and applies it to one of VR’s most immediately fun multiplayer experiences that’s unlike anything you’ll find it traditional gaming. Throw in the $10 Echo Combat expansion and there’s hours of entertainment to be had with this package. Quest only has Echo VR, but that’s still enough for a high-ranking spot.
More Games Like This: Lone Echo 2
9. Asgard’s Wrath (Rift)
T0 While Skyrim in VR is a wonderful experience, we can pretty much all agree that it would be better to have an RPG of similar ambition built from the ground up for VR. Asgard’s Wrath might not match the Bethesda classic in terms of size and scale, but it more than makes up for it thanks to its VR-first design. This polished adventure delivers on the dreams that many people hoped VR would offer when they first picked up a headset. Asgard’s Wrath is as AAA as native VR gaming gets. It’s got a meaty, 30+ hour campaign littered with secrets of uncover and eye candy to gawk at. It’s got a refined menu and combat system that really put you in this gorgeous world of Norse mythology. More importantly, though, it’s got incredible moments of heart-pounding action, intense connection and profound growth that could only be achieved in a VR game. That makes it one of the best VR games.
Read More: Asgard’s Wrath Review
8. Resident Evil 4 VR (Quest 2)
A Resident Evil 7 might be the flashier of the two, but this deeply considered port of arguably the best Resident Evil game to date stands out in some more important ways. Developer Armature went back to implement VR at a meticulous level, with motion-controlled aiming, physical attacks and new interactions to really route you in Leon’s journey.
This is still very much a port of a 2D game, with a lot of virtual window watching and some bothersome QTEs, but Resident Evil 4 VR successfully captures the intensity of the original game in a new way. Given the original is one of the best games of all time, it’s only right that this should be one of the best VR games of all time too.
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7. Boneworks (PC VR)
I If you want to see how far VR design has come since 2016, look no further than Boneworks. Stress Level Zero’s third VR game might not have the most masterfully designed of shooter campaigns, but its physics-based combat sandbox is a true marvel to behold. In this virtual reality shooter, every object, from broomsticks to bin lids, can be picked up and wielded as a weapon. Every item has a physical presence in the world, meaning you can hook crowbars to edges and then climb up them, or nudge doors open with the end of a gun. The result is a stunning showcase of things to come.
Boneworks truly changes the game not just for VR combat but also world design, with fantastic puzzles that require player invention to be solved. Take a good hard look at Boneworks, because it’s laid the foundations for the future of VR gaming and is one of the best VR games around. Knuckles support, in particular, makes it one of the best Index games.
Read More: Boneworks Review
6. Pistol Whip (PC VR, PSVR, Quest)
Pistol Whip may be the new kid on the block but, for our money, its sharpshooting, sharp sounding, beat-based gameplay proves to be even more hypnotic than Beat Saber. In this neon-lit shooter, you stream down corridors, blasting bad guys to grizzly tunes, avoiding incoming fire and trying to rack up the best scores to the beat.
Pistol Whip’s key is to take influence not just from the VR sales king but also Superhot and, most prominently, John Wick. Whereas Beat Saber wants to make you a dancing Jedi master, Pistol Whip aims to teach you gun-fu with style, elegantly fusing the rhythmic and cinematic together into a pulsating, vibrant monster of its own. Pistol Whip is definitely one of the best VR games.
More Games Like This: Against
5. Demeo (Quest, PC VR)
Demeo isn’t a perfect tabletop game by any means. But it is a really good one and, more importantly, its first-rate four-player multiplayer VR experience makes it feel like a genuine social event in a way that no flatscreen game — and even few VR games — have ever really matched. You pick a class and tackle randomly generated dungeons, but the game’s punishing difficulty means sessions can last anywhere from a few minutes to multiple hours. Demeo is already cemented as one of the best VR games but, with more content on the way, including new dungeons and features, it’s only going to get better.
More Games Like This: Catan VR
4. Superhot VR (PC VR, PSVR, Quest)
Superhot is, without a doubt, the most instantly rewarding game to play in VR. The flatscreen original was great but, by bringing your whole body into this groundbreaking shooter, the developer completely flips the game on its head. In Superhot (stop me if you’ve heard this before), time moves only when you do. That means that when you’re still, the world around you is too. Every time you raise your arm or duck your head, the world crawls into life. You’re essentially a human video playback device.
Superhot gives you a stark realization of the physicality of VR and what that means for gaming. It’s an experience in which you are aware of every inch of your body. It also makes it effortlessly easy to feel cool in VR; every catch of a handgun or toss of a ninja star comes with an incredible strand of slick satisfaction you won’t find anywhere else. Superhot VR is currently the gold standard for VR shooters and, in our opinion, one of the very best VR games.
More Games Like This: Damaged Core
3. Astro Bot Rescue Mission (PSVR) – Read Our Review
Sony Japan’s Playroom VR compilation held a lot of delights when it launched on PSVR in 2016, but everyone agreed that the third-person platforming minigame, in which a small robot saved his friends with help from the player, deserved its own title. Astro Bot is the result of those requests, and it’s even better than many had imagined it would be. 26 levels of Mario-quality platforming await you here.
It sounds like hyperbole but it’s true; each one of Astro Bot’s levels packs new ideas that range from endearingly novel to properly groundbreaking. It’s an absolute joy to play from start to finish that never ceases to amaze you. Plus there’s power to the bond you’ll form with Astro on this adventure, breaking down the barrier between players and characters in ways not yet seen in gaming. For that reason, we’re crowning it as one of the all-time best VR games.
More Games Like This: Moss
2. The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners (PC VR, PSVR, Quest)
We would have never pegged a game based upon The Walking Dead to carry some of the best design and user-interaction you’ll find in VR, but Saints & Sinners delivers all that and then some. This sets the bar for VR zombie games with Boneworks-style, physics-based combat that has you wrestling with hordes of undead, throwing every ounce of effort you can muster into every swing and stab.
But this isn’t just a silly sandbox or wave-based survival game (though it now has that too). Saints & Sinners packs its action into a full, meaty VR campaign that sees you trekking through the remains of New Orleans. Add in human enemies, side-missions and the ability to kill zombies with a spoon, and you have one of the deepest native VR games on the market. Saints & Sinners will be one of the best VR games for some time to come.
Read More: The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners Review
1. Half-Life: Alyx (PC VR)
It might not technically be Half-Life 3 but, make no mistake, Half-Life: Alyx is a full-sized adventure worthy of the series’ past releases. Playing as Alyx Vance, you fight through City 17 in an adventure full designed for VR, relying on some of the series classic elements and introducing plenty of new features in the process.
What makes Alyx special is its polish. It’s 10+ hours of immaculate, AAA-level VR shootouts, puzzles and narrative design. It might not be as groundbreaking as Boneworks or Walking Dead, but it’s got some of the best firefights you can have inside a headset and there’s some truly memorable moments within. Half-Life: Alyx is definitely one of the best VR games to date, though we hope to see more from Valve in the future.
Read More: Half-Life: Alyx Review
What do you make of our list of best VR games? Let us know in the comments below!
Update 02/09/22: Star Wars: Squadrons, Ghost Giant, Moss, The Room, Gorn and Walkabout were removed from the list. Zenith, Unplugged, Ultrawings 2, A Township Tale and Resident Evil 4 were added.
This post was originally published January 15, 2021.
