Highlights

• Virtual reality offers immersive gaming experiences with control refinement, providing unparalleled action and adventure.
• Top VR games like No Man's Sky, The Walking Dead, and Beat Saber deliver intense gameplay with seamless VR integration.
• From survival shooters to puzzle games, VR titles like Into The Radius and Tetris Effect offer unique sensory experiences.

Video games, as a whole, already offer a more immersive way to experience modern media. But virtual reality is what makes it seem real. Button presses and analog sticks don't feel the same as seeing a sword in your own hand, moving as you move. The action is exciting, the worlds are massive, and the most mundane of horrors become heart-stopping.

Virtual reality allows us to experience gaming to the absolute fullest. So why not experience the best there is to offer? Maybe you're new to the platform, or maybe you're a veteran looking to see what you might be missing. From the HTC Vive to the Meta Quest 2, these are the best VR games of all time.

Updated on Febuary 7, 2024, by Branden Lizardi: The VR industry is steadily growing. Sequels are being developed, trends are setting, and Triple-A studios have been getting into the fold. This has been nothing but great news for VR fans. We're seeing games with a level of quality and polish never seen before! But are these new games good enough to achieve "best VR game of all time" status? We've updated this list to only showcase the best virtual reality games. The rest is for you to decide.

13 No Man's Sky

A Sci-Fi Open-World Epic

By this point in time, No Man's Sky has evolved into something far greater than what it was at launch. After several years of developer support and seemingly constant content updates, there's an ever expanding plethora of things to do in this Sci-Fi space exploration game.

One of those update implemented VR support for PC and PlayStation consoles. And Hello Games didn't do the bare minimum for it, either. It offers completely revamped interfaces and controls that make the VR mode super intuitive. Pair this with an already impressive expanse, and you have one of the best open world VR games of all time.

12 The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners

Tense Zombie Survival

The Walking Dead has seen plenty of different media formats, from live-action HBO shows to decision-based narrative video games. Why not VR, too? You play as an unlucky tourist in the now zombie-riddled swamps of New Orleans. Sneak past walkers, collect food and water, and craft new weapons and equipment as you progress through a dead world in hopes of survival.

What Saints & Sinners really nails down is 'pacing.' The way things are paced hits a perfect flow, from the narrative progress to how to best fight the zombies. It all feels natural and fair, striking the right balance to let you really become immersed in the experience. It's a level of consideration to the VR format you don't always see in a game.

11 Walkabout Mini Golf

Travel To Mystical Lands, Then Mini-golf In Them

There is beauty in simplicity, two things that Walkabout Mini Golf has in spades. Traverse through a selection of low-poly themes mini golf courses, aiming to get under par. Put through space, past pirate treasure, and even on the Island of Myst via one of their various reference DLC add-ons. When not putting, you can search for hidden ball patterns or solve secrets to unlock new putters.

There are also several different courses based on the literary works of Jules Verne as DLC.

There's a certain level of smart game design happening here that enhances the general gameplay in a way you might not even notice. Small aspects like automatic putter length and customizable power settings allow you to perform as expertly as you feel like you would, instead of the unfortunate reality.

10 Blade And Sorcery

High Fantasy, High Precision Combat

Blade And Sorcery is one of the older VR titles available. Originally a purely magic-based game, it eventually developed into a full physics-based sword-fighting game. Now with a slew of medieval combat weapons, magical effects, and even dungeon delving, it sets an impressive standard for VR combat. There's a certain disconnect that VR games have in that you can move your arms with the force of an empty hand. The weighted swings of a heavy maul don't really flow the same.

But that's not a problem here. Large weapons move slowly and hit with a heavy clunk. A weapon hilt will stop a blade, and an axe's hook can catch (and even pull away) the edge of a shield. You're capable of complex combat maneuvers that are only possible in VR, and the game handles them tremendously.

The Meta Quest version of the game is different, titled Blade and Sorcery: Nomad. Designed with the Quest in mind, you may find some differences between this and the PC version of the game.

9 Beat Saber

Laser Swords, Sick Beats, And Great Gameplay

The most famous and best-selling VR title of all time, Beat Saber is something that is far easier to understand firsthand. You wield two light swords. As a musical track plays, cubes will fly toward you. You must slash through the cubes of each sword's color in the direction indicated on the block. It's your standard rhythm game experience, placed in a neon 3D landscape. It's easy to follow, fun to play and will keep you feeling pumped.

If you're playing on PC, you can also access a massive collection of community-made tracks and playlists. From meme tracks to dance classics, this creates a seemingly endless supply of fresh content to experience and explore. Just make sure you stay hydrated. This game is a real workout.

8 Job Simulator

A Quirky, Open-Ended Playground

Often considered the forefather of VR gaming, Job Simulator was a launch title for nearly every single VR headset to hit the market. And it remains the king for a reason. This quirky sandbox game places you in a common office job. However, you're from the far future, where the details of each job have become a bit muddled by time. It's not just an office job, either. You can also experience the concept of jobbing as an auto mechanic, chef, and convenience store clerk.

Owlchemy Labs also developed a sequel of sorts called Vacation Simulator, which follows a similar but more open and interconnected play style. It's also about vacationing efficiently, of course.

Tremendously charming humor aside, the level of sandbox interactivity available on each map is unforgettably fun. Seemingly every item can interact with every device in some way, promoting creativity for each goal given. It'll have you so engaged that you'll forget you're at home.

7 I Expect You To Die - 1, 2, Or 3

Exciting Puzzles Presented In A Secret Agent Format

The I Expect You To Die games are a golden example of finding what you're good at and refining it to perfection. In each game, you are a secret agent extraordinarre equipped with special telekinetic powers. Each level is an escape room, styled after various scenes one might find in a super spy movie. But for every step forward, two more steps into the grave present themself, granting the game it's namesake.

All three games, I Expect You To Die, IEYTD 2: The Spy and The Liar, and IEYTD 3: Cog in the Machine, follow the same protagonist in a linear story against evil scientist Doctor Zoraxis. Each game is as good as the last. And given their consistent design and continuity, we can't bring ourselves to pick just one out of the three. So this entry is for the entire game series.

The antagonist of the second game is voiced by acclaimed actor and known nerd Wil Wheaton.

6 Superhot VR

A Unique Mechanic Perfect For VR

Superhot already turned heads when it initially released. This incredibly stylized indie game introduced a fascinating concept for a first-person shooter: time only moves when you move. This creates the intensity of a non-stop action fight scene with the time and consideration of a puzzle game. Wrap all of it up in a very cyberpunk narrative and unique art style, and it'll be a game that burns the words "SUPER... HOT..." in your memory long after playing it.

While originally a standard PC game, it was eventually remade for virtual reality. The freedom of motion, both in your head and your hands, takes the movement-time mechanic to a whole other level. You're doing more than playing in this world; you're living through it with your own eyes.

5 Phasmophobia

Scary Ghost Hunting With Friends

This is another 'hit indie game given VR' title. In Phasmophobia, you (and up to 3 friends) are tasked with investigating a haunted house. You have to use a variety of ghost-hunting tools and your ghost encyclopedia to determine what variety of ghost is present. Think of it like Clue, but far more terrifying. It's a perfect balance that promotes bravery but responds to it with more terror.

You can play PC VR games with a Meta Quest headset. Here's what you need to know.

Phasmophobia is already a very heart-pounding experience, with sporadic paranormal behavior causing countless frights over an encounter. And it's all cranked up to 11 on the scare factor when presented in VR. Now you're actually in a decrepit hospital, and the ghost is actually whispering in your ear when you speak their name. The level of immersion takes an already engaging multiplayer horror game and makes it one of the best horror experiences available in VR.

4 Tetris Effect

You'll Be Seeing These Beautiful Puzzles In Your Sleep

Tetris Effect is one of the most artistic and graphically impressive iterations of the timeless puzzle game we've ever seen. The rules are simple, and just about everyone knows them by now. Rotate and stack blocks, with a full horizontal line disappearing. Keep going until you run out of room.

What makes Tetris Effect so special is the absolute sensory journey it sends you on. Each level has a unique visual experience, with everything from the colors to the music dynamically interacting with each move you make. All of that is already impressive in on it's own. But it's in VR where you truly get the full effect. The engaging gameplay and enrapturing artistic experience make this one of the most enthralling VR games we've ever experienced.

3 Into The Radius

This Open World Survival Shooter Is No Roadside Picnic

Inspired by stories like Roadside Picnic, Into The Radius is a survival shooter game based within a large anomaly zone somewhere in Russia. Every day, you have to trek into the Radius to collect supernatural objects, ammunition, and food. All the while, strange and unnerving monsters, fragments of human life now distorted and dangerous, are roaming the equally broken land.

The game blends gunplay, danger, scavaging, and survival elements perfectly, all catering to the overall narrative and world-building. It allows for an engaging and thrilling narrative fit around an open design, where every memory you make is one you made yourself. If you're a fan of survival horror shooters, this is a must-play.

While still early in development, Into The Radius 2 has been confirmed and is shown to support co-op gameplay.

2 Pistol Whip

John Wick Meets DDR

Often described as 'Super Hot Meets Beat Saber,' Pistol Whip is a rhythm-based rails shooter that blends the genres to near perfection. You, equipped with a pistol, move forward along a track. Each level is hand-crafted to tell a small story, set to some of the most bumpin' techno and EDM tracks you'll ever hear. Enemies will appear along the track to try and shoot you, dodge, and fire back, all to the beat of the song.

It has a surprisingly deep level of customization, ranging from simple modifiers to new mechanics and weapons. The neon style and unique story behind each track make each level tremendously immersive for the context, and the rhythm-centric design means the action will stay consistently exciting. It's a perfectly condensed showcase of how fun VR can be, all boiled down into four-minute segments.

1 Half-Life: Alyx

The Best Half-Life Game You'll Get This Decade

Half-Life: Alyx is what happens when you take one of the most beloved PC game developers of the past era and combine it with one of the most immersive gaming platforms of modern times. Half-Life: Alyx is a sci-fi action-adventure game based on the titular game series. You play as Alyx, who, in search of her father, stumbles across a plot far greater than she anticipated.

This game takes everything that we all love about a narrative shooter adventure and melds it perfectly into the VR perspective. Utilize your freedom of movement during intense combat sequences, feel and control your weapons and equipment in ways not possible on a flat screen, and use the true 3D perspective to solve unique puzzles. With absolutely stunning graphics, fantastic music, and a plot that will really pull you in, Half-Life: Alyx will have you contemplating whether the eye strain is worth going for yet another hour in the VR headset.