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The top-10 best VR games according to The Virtual Report team

The top-10 best VR games according to The Virtual Report team

We love VR games here at TheVirtualReport.biz and after five years reporting on the industry, we thought it was high time we shared our all-time favourites with you. These are the games that not only have that all-important 'Wow!' factor, but that we also find ourselves coming back to, time and again.

Presented in no particular order, we've included everything from sci fi shooters to puzzle games and racing sims to rhythm action, featuring games that are ideal for playing in short bursts, as well as campaigns that will take hours to complete.  

Note that this is not a list of the biggest-selling games, nor perhaps of the most innovative - and you'll doubtless remark that some of the most popular titles are nowhere to be found. But that's okay - remember these are just our favourites.

What are yours?


Click here to view the list »
  • Half-Life: Alyx (PC VR)

    Half-Life: Alyx (PC VR)  logo

    The consensus had it that what VR most needed was a AAA title with a solid single player campaign that would take hours to beat. And that's exactly what Valve delivered in 2020.

    As one of the companies developing the HTC Vive - and now selling its own Index premium headset - the only surprise was how long it took Valve to release a full-length VR game. The Lab compiled some enjoyable proof-of-concept minigames in 2016, but players had to wait another four years for this highly-anticipated return to the Half-Life universe.

    It was worth the wait.

    Set between the events of the previous flatscreen Half-Life games, the campaign offers around 15 hours of highly polished gameplay and storytelling. Upon release, critics hailed it as VR's killer app and it went on to win numerous awards, including Game of the Year


  • Moss (PS VR, PC VR, Quest)

    Moss (PS VR, PC VR, Quest) logo

    'VR must be played in first person perspective!', the out-of-date tenet would have had us believe. 'Not so!' said Polyarc for 2018's release of Moss on PS VR. Okay, there have been other third person VR games - even third person platformers like the Rift-bundled Lucky's Tale in 2016 - but none have been so beguiling, nor made us fall in love as much as Quill, the diminutive star of Moss.

    This platform puzzler is remarkable not only for its beautiful presentation and magical setting, but also for the way it invites the player to engage with the world - both in terms of manipulating objects, but also looking into and around the scenes.

    The platforming itself is robust if not overly taxing, while the puzzles are well conceived and it's a beautiful world in which to spend time. We can't wait for the sequel, Moss: Book 2, which is due for release in the first quarter of this year (2022).


  • Beat Saber (PS VR, PC VR, Quest)

    Beat Saber (PS VR, PC VR, Quest) logo

    Of course there have been rhythm action games before, but Beat Saber is such a blissful combination of vibe, movement and light sabers that it remains the pinnacle of the genre for many since its release in 2018. Not that blissful doesn't mean active - you'll certainly work up a sweat as you sweep your way through songs from original artists that include (via DLC at least) Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, Green Day, Linkin Park and more.

    As one of the crossover games that has managed to capture the imagination of the mainstream, Beat Saber is the VR game you're most likely to catch on TV shows such as Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.

    It's safe to say that this release from Czech developer Beat Games has become something of a poster child for VR. It perfectly encapsulates that age-old pedigree of being easy to pick up and difficult to master, which explains why it not only makes a great introduction for VR virgins, but also keeps the high score hounds coming back for more.

    Our CEO Chris James said, "The game I just keep coming back to (and the one I always show new VR friends) is Beat Saber. It might not be the most original choice - and there are no doubt more exciting variations [Ed: consider Pistol Whip and Synth Riders, both also on this list] - but in terms of ease of 'drop in' play and reliable endorphin-inducing entertainment, I think it's very hard to beat".*

    *The best puns are unintentional, right?


  • Synth Riders (PS VR, Quest, PC VR)

    Synth Riders (PS VR, Quest, PC VR) logo

    Dann Sullivan, Editor at our sibling site PocketGamer.com said, "Where Beat Saber has you waving your arms around as though you're landing planes, directing traffic or - in some of the DLC songs - playing drums in a convincing manner, it's Synth Riders that I truly enjoy when it comes to rhythm games on Quest.

    "While it features a lot of the ducking and dodging of Beat Saber, the beats are about correct positioning rather than swiping through the right space. This means that Synth Riders actually becomes incredibly close to dancing and vogue-style hand gestures alongside step-dance style movements - you can often twist your wrist to move to the right position, and it'll often require you to move both hands next to each other for a combined beat.

    "I'd never call myself a dancer, but the rush that comes from suddenly realising that you're pulling off a very convincing little dance while building up a combo is immense. There are a few interesting DLC tracks available alongside the core synth offering, including some heavier metal and songs from The Offspring - these make it more than a great respite when the selection in Beat Saber grows tiresome."


  • Pistol Whip (Quest, PC VR, PS VR)

    Pistol Whip (Quest, PC VR, PS VR) logo

    Cross Beat Saber with Superhot and you get the final entry in our trio of music-based games on this list; Pistol Whip from Cloudhead Games

    Instead of swiping at coloured blocks a la Beat Saber - the music game by which all others shall be measured - Pistol Whip has you shooting at polygonal bad guys in stylised environments that are reminiscent of that other VR shooter, Superhot (see next on this list). But where Superhot's USP is that time only moves when you do, Pistol Whip rewards players with points for taking them out enemy waves in time to the music. That's where this game is hugely replayable.

    With automatic movement through the game's levels similar to Beat Saber, Pistol Whip removes any concerns over locomotion, making it ideal for inexperienced players, but the addition of ranged weapons makes it feel more like a conventional game. Don't expect this to be a less energetic session though - you'll still be dodging incoming fire and obstacles alike.

    I normally eschew pointless controller add-ons, but this game is so much fun that there's a pair of plastic pistols on my desk right now…


  • Superhot VR (PS VR, PC VR, Quest)

    Superhot VR (PS VR, PC VR, Quest) logo

    Dating all the way back to the first year of consumer VR in 2016, Superhot may be a bit long in the tooth now, but it still deserves a place on this list thanks to its unique gameplay mechanics and excellent implementation.

    Looking at screenshots, you'd be forgiven for dismissing Superhot as just another wave shooter, but you'd be wrong. While the guns are the focus, this game centres around the conceit that time only moves when you do, resulting in gun-based gameplay that is more cerebral than adrenal.

    This is not an FPS as we know it - think of Superhot more as a puzzle game where you need to determine a sequence of actions - move, duck, shoot, punch - that will overcome a given set of obstacles. Indeed, developers SUPERHOT Team aptly describes the game as a 'Bullet time puzzler'.

    Superhot was first released as a (hugely enjoyable) flatscreen game, but it was with the release of all-new levels for VR that the game realised its potential. Instead of interacting via a joypad, players were free to duck, dodge, aim and punch in real-time. Or should that be unreal time? Or stylised time?

    Between the unique gameplay, evocative world-building and stylised graphics, Superhot VR could just as easily have been released today and it would still be an incredible experience. Where Pistol Whip makes you feel like John Wick, Superhot mainlines The Matrix.


  • Raceroom Racing Experience (PC VR)

    Raceroom Racing Experience (PC VR) logo

    This may be a controversial choice among the racers out there, but as a sim racer myself with hundreds of hours into various driving games, I've plumped for Raceroom over the competition for one simple reason - this is where I find myself having the most fun.

    A much-maligned game, R3E is free to try with users purchasing the tracks and cars they want to use, rather than paying one outright price for 'a game'. The total will be in triple figures for completists, but this title is often on sale for about the same as a full-price console release. Sector3 Studios' pricing structure confuses some and seems to offend others, but how many liveries of the same car does anyone really need?

    While the graphics are no longer cutting edge, Raceroom has the best audio of any driving sim out there, from the stirring title music to the raspy engine notes, road noise and environmental details such as birdsong that you'll only notice if you happen to take a break after spinning in a corner.

    With recent extensive updates to the physics engine and revamped feedback for steering wheel controllers - an essential accessory in my book - R3E is right back up on top of the podium again. What matters most is the racing itself - and it is sublime. You really get the feeling that you're bundling through the turns with other cars jostling for position. It's just a shame there's no career mode.

    Studio 397's R-Factor 2 arguably has better physics, but it's a dog to get running and looks even more dated by comparison. If graphics are important to you, then Project CARS 2 from Slightly Mad Studios is a stunner, but the slightly more arcade handling, inconsistent gameplay and feel combine to keep it off my regular roster.


  • Assetto Corsa (PC VR)

    Assetto Corsa (PC VR) logo

    Racers on a budget would do well to pick up the original Assetto Corsa, which is often on sale for pocket change and still enjoys a hugely active online community, kept fresh even eight years after release with an unrivalled number of mods.

    Think of a car/track combo and chances are that there's a mod for it, as well as completely fictional circuits, routes and open maps too. The custom shader patch and Sol should be essential for any new player, adding environment and weather details that give AC the measure of many much newer games.

    The racing is slightly more forgiving than other sims, while still being more hardcore than the likes of Gran Turismo Sport on PS VR - which itself boasts a superb VR mode, even though lacking full races. Hopefully, that looks to be fixed with the forthcoming GT7, due out March this year (2022).

    With such an established heritage, KUNOS-Simulazioni's AC has a huge player base and it's one of the best choices for online racers. Assetto Corsa 2 is now in development for a 2024 release - no mention of whether VR will be supported.

    (NB: While the physics are superb, the later Assetto Corsa Competizione is notoriously hard on lower-spec GPUs in VR and best avoided unless you have powerful hardware.)


  • A Fisherman's Tale (PS VR, PC VR, Quest)

    A Fisherman's Tale (PS VR, PC VR, Quest) logo

    Khai Trung Le, Editor at our sibling site PocketGamer.biz said, "Many VR experiences promise bombastic, outlandish spectacles. A Fisherman’s Tale, a perspective-warping narrative puzzler, offers something more contemplative but no less transformative.

    "InnerspaceVR's diminutive puzzler sees you traversing a lighthouse by manipulating a tiny diorama of rooms. The core puzzle-solving dynamics comprise changes to each scene, such as a door opened or an item moved, that are reflected in your own environment – and possibly further than the two perspectives you can perceive.

    "There's a lot to say regarding elegant solutions to some mechanical difficulties with VR games, the confident delivery of its story, and the off-kilter solutions to its puzzles. But as with the best VR games, the true strength of A Fisherman’s Tale is in how successfully it transports you to its world.

    "This game revels in the easy, confident joy of opening a cupboard to reveal a miniature singing fiddler crab asking for a tiny sailor’s hat, which you have to break dimensional laws to provide."


  • Tetris Effect: Connected (PS VR, PC VR, Quest)

    Tetris Effect: Connected (PS VR, PC VR, Quest)  logo

    Yes, this is 'just' Tetris in VR. No, that doesn't do it justice.

    To quote our own review, "This is one of the most purely playable incarnations of everyone's favourite brick puzzler since the original".

    The core gameplay mechanics are excellent, with well-implemented controls and a host of online multiplayer modes with regular events from Enhance Experience to keep things fresh. But where Effect excels is the incredible, trippy and absorbing backgrounds that add an indefinable quality to the experience.

    As we said before, "It's all set dressing at the end of the day, but that doesn't do justice to the experience, which is in turns trippy, relaxing, absorbing and frantic. This is one of those times where VR can add another dimension to a game, even if the core experience remains unchanged".

    It's easy to lose yourself in a blissed-out state of block-dropping nirvana in Tetris Effect: Connected for far longer than you realise.


  • Honourable mentions

    Honourable mentions logo

    We could wax lyrical for an absolute age here about some of the best VR games that didn't make it into the top 10, but let's keep it focused with some titles that we're confident would make a great addition to any library. 

    Accounting+: Potty-mouthed anarchic cartoon antics that will either have you laughing like a loon or reaching for the swear jar

    Astro Bot: Rescue Mission: It may be short, but the polish on this cute platformer is sheer PlayStation perfection

    Boneworks: There was another physics-based shooter before Half-Life: Alyx, you know

    Elite Dangerous: Possibly the space flight sim of your dreams - if you have patience

    Farpoint: Quite why this fantastic Aim peripheral sci fi shooter isn't more popular is beyond us

    I Expect You To Die: Not as bleak as the title sounds, this is an enjoyable stylised riff on being a secret agent

    Job Simulator: Definitely more fun than working in an actual office, the simple tasks are particularly enjoyed by noobs

    Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes: If anyone tries to tell you that VR is antisocial, get them to play this glorious co-op multiplayer game

    Lone Echo: Sublime sci fi story that also spawned an online multiplayer version, as well as a recent sequel

    Microsoft Flight Simulator: Totally playable in pancake mode, it's only in VR you really appreciate that landscape rolling by beneath your wings

    No Man's Sky: Okay, it's still a bit of a grindfest, but the sensation of launching from a planet surface into orbit is sublime

    Onward: The original credible FPS is still the best, according to many. Its slower pace and strategy makes a welcome change

    Phantom: Covert Ops: A stealth FPS in a canoe - yes, you read that right - doesn't sound like it should work, but it really does

    Population: One: Did the world need another battle royale game? When it's this slick and playable, we can make room for ONE more

    Resident Evil 4: Now out on just about every platform since release, this is the most compelling case for a re-imagining yet

    Star Wars Squadrons: If you don't want to fly an X-wing or TIE Fighter, we don't want to know you

    The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners: By rights, this TV tie-in should have sucked, but it's even great on the relatively humble Quest 2


Managing Editor

Steve is an award-winning editor and copywriter with nearly 25 years’ experience specialising in consumer technology and video games. He was part of a BAFTA nominated developer studio. In addition to editing TheVirtualReport.biz, Steve contributes to BeyondGames.biz, PocketGamer.biz, PCGamesInsider.biz and BlockchainGamer.biz, as well as creating marketing content for a range of SMEs and agencies.