It’s been a long time since the first VR headset was announced by Sega in 1991, and despite being canceled and never released, it gave us a glimpse of what virtual reality could be, gamer or not. While there were some bumps along the road, VR has finally reached the point where it can be enjoyed by anyone who wants to try it out! As technology advances, we’re going to see more powerful hardware, richer environments, and a whole new way of experiencing video games.
Do you want a game where you can be an astronaut? Covered. Do you want an epic battle against zombies? Covered twice. Do you want to explore abandoned buildings? How about fighting dragons? Or maybe just hanging out with friends on a virtual couch? No matter what kind of experience you want from your VR headset, VR gaming has something for everyone — and if it doesn’t, some developers out there are probably working on it right now!
Meanwhile, why don’t we explore some of the titles already available? From racing simulators to first-person shooters, here are some of the best VR games you can play solo or with friends.
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#1 Beat Saber
Beat Saber is all about slicing up beats like they’re the best, most delicious fruit you’ve ever tasted! You have two lightsabers (one in each hand), and you have to slash the blocks that come at you. The game contains several original songs and packages with hit successes by popular artists and bands, including Imagine Dragons, Green Day, Linkin Park, BTS, and Lady Gaga.
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33points
#2 Arizona Sunshine
A zombie apocalypse? Couldn’t get more classic than this! Arizona Sunshine is a first-person shooter that puts you in the shoes of a survivor stranded inside a cave in a river valley in Arizona. Fight off zombie hordes, scavenge for supplies, and defend yourself on your own or with the help of other players.
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31points
#3 Astro Bot: Rescue Mission
Astro Bot: Rescue Mission is a fun and engaging platform game you shouldn’t miss and one of the best PlayStation VR games. The mission is to help Astro, a tiny and adorable robot, to save his crew members who are scattered across five different worlds. A sequel has been released and pre-installed in every PS5 during launch and served as a tech demo for the new DualSense controller.
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30points
#4 Half-Life: Alyx
Set five years before the events of Half-Life 2, you will play the role of Alyx Vance, who is attempting to steal a weapon from the Combine. This VR masterpiece has been praised for its visual graphics, voice acting, and the atmosphere that surrounds the player and keeps them glued right to the end of the game. You can’t go wrong with this one.
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29points
#5 Batman: Arkham VR
Batman: Arkham VR has been out for a while but still holds up as one of the great VR games. Played from a first-person perspective, you’ll guide Batman through a new adventure made of puzzles and mysteries to solve. Don’t expect action or fighting: Unlike previous Arkham games, Arkham VR features no combat sequences and instead focuses on solving puzzles to find clues that will advance the story.
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28points
#6 Elite Dangerous
Elite Dangerous is a groundbreaking title in virtual reality gaming, one of the first major titles to offer great VR support, fully engaging players in the game universe. It’s totally playable even without VR, but where’s the fun in that? Elite Dangerous is awesome as a co-op and by far one of the greatest space games available on the market.
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27points
#7 Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes
I honestly burst out laughing the first time I read the title of this one. Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes is another fascinating puzzle game in which you’ll have to disarm bombs with the assistance of other players reading the instruction manual. The nature of the game is such that it requires at least two players (including you), so gather your friends and get to work!
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26points
#8 I Expect You To Die
Released in 2016, this puzzle game is a fun and worthy VR experience. It’s not a particularly ambitious project, but it’s a great way to get started with virtual reality games, and you’ll have a blast solving the puzzles by trial-and-erroring your way through them. Of course, as announced by the game title, you’ll die over and over again, but that’s how I Expect You To Die works!
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25points
#10 Lone Echo 2
In this sequel, Liv and Jack are faced with a new enemy: the ticks, mobile biomass that feed on energy sources, which you’ll have to distract and avoid as much as possible. Like its predecessor, Lone Echo II features an environment where gravity doesn’t exist, and you can move around by grabbing and pushing objects.
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23points
#11 Lost Recipes
If cooking in real life no longer satisfies your hunger for culinary adventures, get ready to do it in virtual reality! Lost Recipes is a chill and cozy game in which you’ll master the fine art of cooking, discovering unique ingredients and new cooking techniques as you jump through different cultures and ages. Take all the time you need to enjoy it: This game rewards your skills and precision, not your speed.
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22points
