VR games are becoming increasingly popular, and although it was rumoured that Microsoft were working on a VR headset for the Xbox One—and more specifically the Xbox One X—this rumour turned out to be false, or at least nothing has been announced by Microsoft up to now, so the only console that you can currently play VR games on is the PS4.
The problem with VR games is that there’s a lot of rubbish games out there, games that feel more like demos designed to show off what VR is capable of without ever actually giving you the full experience, so weeding through the good and bad can be time consuming. Luckily for you then, we’ve done the hard work and have listed the best games that are currently available on the PlayStation VR below:
Superhot VR
I’m going to start with one of my personal favourites, and this game is great even if you’re not playing in VR. Superhot puts the power of time in your hands quite literally, as time will only progress when you shoot or move. The object of the game is to kill all enemies before they kill you, which sounds easy enough considering the fact that you control time, but it’s strangely difficult and will make you rage more than once.
The VR port of the game has been done amazingly well. Sure, there’s a few tracking issues (which are present in almost every VR game) but these are few and far between. All in all it’s one of the best VR ports we’ve seen, especially from a smaller developer like the ‘SUPERHOT Team’.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR
There are very few games that are played by so many people seven years after their initial release date, but Skyrim is one of those games. It’s crazy how popular the game still is, especially on console where there are no mods available; how have these people not seen and done everything there is to do in the game already? Playing Skyrim in VR is a truly unique experience, one that makes an overly familiar game feel fresh again. If you can look past the slightly blurry graphics, this might just be the most fun you can have in Tamriel.
Regardless, Skyrim is a classic and will go down in history as one of the best Elder Scrolls games of all time, and the VR port of the game solidifies this fact as it’s been implemented flawlessly.
Astro Bot: Rescue Mission
If you enjoy platformers such as Mario then you’ll love playing them in VR, and Astro Bot: Rescue Mission is without a doubt the best VR platformer out now. You’ll fall in love with the charming Astro Bots as you travel through the beautifully crafted worlds and tackle fearsome bosses, all in the hope to rescue all of the Bots from certain death. The innovation here is stellar, the developers SIE Japan Studio have added things that we haven’t yet seen in a platforming game, let alone in VR, and the integration of the Dual Shock controllers is impeccable.
WipEout Omega Collection
The first experience I had of the WipEout series was on the N64 (WipEout 64) and I was instantly hooked. The sheer speed of the gameplay was like nothing I had played before and I absolutely loved it. Admittedly, I became a little obsessed, so much so that I would beat my siblings using only my toes while doing a handstand, and if I lost I’d beat them with the controller. After my initial obsession with the game I never really played the franchise again, that is until WipEout Omega released and allowed me to play arguably one of the best racing games of all time in VR. After such a long break from the franchise, the nostalgia hit me hard the first time I placed the headset upon my abnormally large head, and it’s hardly left my head since (mainly because it’s stuck).
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Everyone has heard of, and hopefully played, a Resident Evil game during their lifetime, but very few have played it in VR, and this is where the game really comes into its own. If you played some of the earlier Resident Evil games and found yourself jumping and letting out a deafening scream when an enemy would run at you out of nowhere, or if you got the chills when you heard the chanting monks (Resident Evil 4) in the background, then just imagine experiencing all of that in VR. Sure, you might end up shitting yourself or throwing up from the nausea caused by motion sickness, but at least you’ll have fun doing it, unless of course you don’t like horror games, and if that’s the case you probably shouldn’t buy it.
Firewall Zero Hour
If first person shooters like Rainbow Six are more your thing then Firewall Zero Hour has you covered. It doesn’t have a single player campaign but it does have intense multiplayer action which heavily revolves around working as a team to complete the objectives. The gameplay is most comparable to Rainbow Six in the sense that you have no respawns and the gameplay is slower and more stealth based. And yes, it’s much better than Bravo Team.
If you’re thinking of purchasing Firewall Zero Hour then you should also consider purchasing an ‘Aim Controller’. It makes playing the game so much more fun and you can usually pick up an Aim Controller and Firewall Zero Hour bundle for a decent price.
Farpoint
The visuals in Farpoint are stunning, the world is immersive, and the 360° gunplay is outstanding. In many ways Farpoint set a benchmark for VR shooters that is still yet to be broken in my opinion. Farpoint is an offline-only FPS game that focuses on the visuals, so much so that there’s no HUD or UI while playing. This, coupled with the impeccable sound effects, makes Farpoint a truly immersive experience.
Although you’re able to play Farpoint with a regular controller, the game plays best when you pair it with the Aim Controller, similar to Firewall Zero Hour. Without the Aim Controller things can feel a bit clunky and you lose some of the immersion that Impulse Gear have worked so hard to create.
Tetris Effect
Every ‘gamer’ that has ever walked this Earth since 1984 has played Tetris at some time in their lives, even their parents have played it, and who would have thought that it would be so, so, much better in VR. At its core it’s still the same old Tetris that we all know and love, but it’s got some serious visual and audio upgrades along with some great music. If you were never a fan of Tetris then it goes without saying that you won’t like Tetris Effect either as the actual gameplay hasn’t changed too much, but if you’re a life long fan then Tetris Effect is a must buy.
Job Simulator: The 2050 Archives
Nobody looks forward to going to work, do they? Well, actually I quite like work, but that’s not the point. I wouldn’t choose to carry on working when I get home, well, actually I do but again, not the point. What I’m trying to say here is that I wouldn’t have thought I would enjoy playing a game that involves you completing mundane tasks at work, but it’s actually a lot of fun and the tasks aren’t so mundane after all. Players perform tasks associated with tongue-in-cheek approximations of real occupations. Will you be an ‘Auto Mechanic’ or maybe a ‘Gourmet Chef’. Most tasks you complete are comical, whist others try to be more realistic. One things for sure, eating doughnuts in a virtual job is more fun than anything I do in my real one.
So, there we have it, my personal favourite PSVR games that are out now. Don’t agree with one of the games I’ve added to the list or think a game deserves to be here that’s not? Let me know in the comments and I’ll modify the list accordingly.
Leave a Reply