Best VR games in 2024 – TechRadar

The best VR games intend to take your gaming experience one step further, bringing the dream of stepping into your favorite games to life. But, with the number of titles on the market, it can be hard to know which ones are worth your time and energy, so we've pulled together the best of the best so you know which adventures in VR are worth embarking on.

VR technology is becoming better, too headsets are becoming more ergonomic, and developers continuously improve reaction times and measures against nausea so that your time playing feels smooth and you can concentrate on having fun. Because of this, VR gaming is becoming more accessible to a wider audience, making it even more important to be playing the best games on the platform.

By now there are not only a lot of games to choose from, but also different headsets to consider if you havent made your choice yet, let us help you find the best VR headset with our definitive list. Whether youre playing on a Meta Quest 2, Valve Index, or PSVR 2 headset, this list has games for any kind of VR platform. If youre looking for something more specific, check our lists of the best Meta Quest 2 games, best VR fitness games, and best VR horror games.

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Essential zombie slaying

Platforms: PSVR 2

For fans of the best zombie games, Arizona Sunshine 2 is a must-play. You'll need to optimize the tactile gunplay the game offers while facing off with hoards of the undead, making for a fast-paced frenzy of zombie slaying. It's intense, but the gameplay feels so fluid that you can really lose yourself in its content. Plus, you can pet the dog - and that's always a good sign.

In addition, the environment of Arizona Sunshine 2 is enough to sell it alone. As you'd expect from one of the best VR games, a solid setting helps enhance the experience, which Arizona Sunshine 2 definitely delivers.

The best VR rhythm game

Platforms: Meta Quest 2, Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, PSVR

Dance Dance Revolution meets Star Wars, Guitar Hero meets Tron; thats the best way to describe Beat Saber. This rhythm game has players slashing around glowing sabers to the beat of a musical track. It challenges players to keep up with the tune while cutting through colored blocks and dodging obstacles.

This game was one of the first VR titles to hit mainstream notoriety, because it looks so much fun to play, and its still one of the best VR games today thanks to an impressive library of DLC tracks that expand the song selection. Hooking up external headphones (our list of the best headphones can help you there) is a must so you can enjoy tracks from Billie Eilish, Skrillex, and Beat Saber's genre mixtapes to the fullest extent.

Become an international superspy

Platforms: Meta Quest 2, Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift

I Expect You to Die 2 is the perfect James Bond simulator, putting you into the shoes of a bonafide international superspy on a mission to take down a criminal organization no matter what convoluted traps stand in your way.

During this escape room-like experience, youll have to deflect hidden lasers, avoid heat-seeking missiles, and serve drinks so you can thwart the criminal mastermind before their plan comes together. The traps can leave you feeling more like Austin Powers than 007, but even when you fail the game is full of humor to keep you entertained. With its delightful characters including the brilliant voice acting of Wil Wheaton and spy-clich story, I Expect You To Die 2 delivers a VR experience that will have you feeling like a super spy.

Perfect with friends (or enemies)

Platforms: Meta Quest 2, Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, PSVR

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is the new Mario Party, at least in the sense that it will make your friends hate you.Developed by Steel Crate Games, this game requires careful attention from a recommended 2 to 6 players. While one player works to defuse a bomb, the others have to provide clear instructions on how to do so, but neither team can see what the other is looking at.

Demanding some intense cooperation from your peers, Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is a fun game with the right group of people, and one of the best VR games thanks to how well it translates.

A relaxing cooking sim

Platforms: Meta Quest 2

A lot of the best VR games are somewhat frantic, but they don't always have to be. Lost Recipes is a wonderfully relaxing cooking simulator that's a great pick whether you've been playing games for as long as you can remember or are a complete newbie. Each level tasks you with creating a historically accurate dish using a variety of cooking methods and ingredients to please a ghost NPC who is guiding you through the process. It's a weird, yet excellent, blend of Assassin's Creed Nexus VR and Cooking Mama in VR.

Schell Games combines elements of these games with approachable VR gameplay, charming NPCs, and highly detailed VR object interaction to create a concoction that is greater than the sum of its parts. Because of this, Lost Recipes is an excellent entry point into the world of VR gaming, that will also entertain experienced users with its meditative gameplay and historical tidbits.

Explore planets

Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Valve Index, PSVR

No Man's Sky took a while to iron out its kinks, but now it is a game like no other. In VR, no game comes this close to what it could feel like to explore actual alien planets, and that alone deserves a spot among the best VR games.

Fight aliens, build your base, or explore planets the freedom in No Man's Sky can feel daunting, but it's also exhilarating. Traversing and discovering its generated worlds is already one epic adventure many gamers would gladly immerse in. However, Hello Games has taken it to the next level by making No Mans Skys VR experience better than most other developers have on their games.

Platform: Meta Quest 2

Resident Evil 4 VR is an incredible remake of the classic survival horror game for the Meta Quest 2 platform. Armed with nothing but a knife, handgun, and the tools you can scavenge on the way, youll have to fend off parasite-infected brutes and monsters on your mission to rescue the U.S. Presidents daughter.

Thanks to the great array of comfort options available, this is a game that will leave you frightened instead of queasy. The immersive controls are awesome, too: youll really feel like Leon S. Kennedy as you stare down a horde of angry villagers trying to tear you limb from limb its enough to get your heart racing. it would make sense that one of the best survival horror games would also make one of the best VR games.

If you own a PSVR headset, why not try out Resident Evil 7: Biohazard? This game features a lot of whats great about Resident Evil 4 in VR, facing you off against equally terrifying odds as you try to escape the ranch of the wicked Baker family. Resident Evil: Village is the next game in the series with a planned VR version, so it's going to be one to watch for the PSVR2.

Revisit Skyrim

Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Valve Index,PSVR

At this point, Skyrim should need no introduction as a game that's been rereleased more times than we can count. This time, its come to the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR, and, in doing so, it offers one of the biggest adventure games weve ever seen in VR.

Not only do you get to re-live the entire base game of Skyrim in VR, but the game includes the Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn DLC as well. Even if Skyrim VR isnt one of the best VR games on a technical level, with its dated graphics (that can be improved with mods) and slightly rough translation to VR, its still an adventure easily worth diving into especially if you're an Elder Scrolls fan.

Feel like you're in the Matrix

Platforms: Meta Quest 2, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Valve Index, PSVR

Super addictive first-person shooter Superhot has come a long way since its humble beginnings one of the best free web browser games in 2013. It's found its natural home on VR headsets, where it makes the most of 360-degree tracking by having enemies flank you from all sides.

Because time moves in slow motion when you do, Superhot VR benefits from the flexibility of a bigger play space. As the difficulty ramps up, you'll need every inch of cover to dodge incoming fire, bullet-time style, while crushing faceless enemies using guns, shurikens, and most satisfyingly your clenched fists.

A classic reimagined

Platforms: Meta Quest 2, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Valve Index, PSVR

It's hard to put the Tetris Effect experience into words. Fundamentally, youre playing a regular game of Tetris, except that the environments you're playing in change - it's trippy as heck.

Each level has its own distinct flavor, with music and visuals tailored to its theme. For example, you can play an underwater level and hear soothing underwater noises, while sparkling whales float around your head.

It's a psychedelic and hypnotic experience, and one that everyone should have the privilege to play especially if you're looking for one of the best VR games that gives you a more meditative VR experience to enjoy.

Golf with a VR twist

Platforms: Meta Quest 2, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Valve Index

Walkabout Mini Golf is an excellent golfing simulator, offering you eight varied courses (plus DLC) set in unique locations from a pirate cove to outer space.

Its expertly crafted golfing mechanics make it feel like you're playing the real thing and whether you're a more cautious or brazen golfer you'll find that your playstyle will be perfectly translated into this virtual world.

While it might not be the most mind-blowing offering on this list Walkabout Mini Golf is no less deserving of its place here it is without a doubt one of the best VR games we've played and you should absolutely give it a try.

Spellbound

Platforms: Meta Quest 2

If you're after a competitive multiplayer shooter set in VR, then look no further than Wands Alliances: it's quite possibly the best example of the genre on Quest 2. As a member of either The Ministry or The Watchers, you and two teammates will do battle on the streets of a steampunk London as you use your spells and unique abilities to arm or disable a magical explosive or eliminate your opponents.

The magical tricks at your disposal and the way they are used in combat both offensively and defensively make this so much more than a reskinned Call of Duty, and the tactical movement gives Wands Alliances an almost chess-like quality. It can be a lot to take in, but you'll be eased into the game gently thanks to an in-depth, yet quick tutorial. Wands Alliances is a must-play VR game that everyone with a Meta Quest 2 headset should play.

Back in the game

Platforms: SteamVR

Half-Life Alyx wasn't quite the game many had been expecting when it was announced, but it more than proved itself upon launch. The thing is, Half-Life and VR is a marriage made in heaven, with the new platform giving the developers more space to innovate and try out new types of mechanics. Playing it is genuinely transformative, as you peak from cover, manipulate objects from afar, and get into tense shootouts.

Absolutely worth trying if you have a headset to play it on. Here's hoping it's ported to be a bit more widely available though, as many simple don't have the hardware to run it.

To find the best VR games, your choice will mostly be down to preference. Only you know whether you find shooting games or space exploration games or mystery puzzle games fun. But there are some other factors to consider, too.

The most obvious is finding out whether the game you have your eye on works with your virtual reality system. To help you out we've listed what platforms these games are on under their entry with links to their storage.

Another consideration is whether the game allows you to both sit and stand. If you have a lot of room and want to play a high-energy game, it might be a no-brainer that you'll want to stand up and move about. Those with smaller spaces who aren't playing action games might want the option to stay seated and stationary though.

If you're prone to motion sickness, you might also want to check whether there are accessibility controls to change movement settings. Most people get used to VR after a few plays, but some people can still experience a lot of dizziness if they move quickly in VR or have to fly, hover or spin.

All the games featured in this guide are well worth your time, but what the best VR games ultimately depends on your personal tastes. there are many more VR games out there for you to try, take this list as inspiration and once you know which of these experiences you like best, it's time to look for more.

The team at TechRadar Gaming spend a lot of time testing out the best VR titles, and with hundreds of hours spent across different headsets, so we know exactly which titles are worth recommending.

Our experience with VR gaming, alongside the time we have spent within the games themselves, mean we have opinions you can really trust when it comes to recommendations.

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Best VR games in 2024 - TechRadar