What kind best VR games 2023 on PC? We've tested a few of them on major headsets, ranging from the good, the bad, to the stomach-turning - and we'll be looking to find new, weird and interesting content for this evolving platform. In the name of science... or something like that.
While there are many games out there, we'll be more picky about picking the best ones to play with the best VR headsets. At the end of the day, we only have room for the best VR games of 2023, and in the last year alone, there have been some downright fantastic titles.
Here is a list of the top 20 best VR games of 2023:
Half-Life: Alyx
A new Half-Life game has landed in our virtual circles, and while it's not Half-Life 3, it fits into the series chronologically between Half-Life 1 and 2. You play as Alyx Vance, who fights against the Combine alongside her father, Eli. While fans have questioned the decision to develop a game exclusively for VR, with Half-Life: Alyx, Valve has certainly taken a groundbreaking leap, creating a game that showcases what VR can do for gameplay without sacrificing what the Half-Life series does. so wonderful.
In his review of Half-Life: Alyx, Dustin describes how Alyx "deliver[s] two sets of high expectations", with "an atmosphere that falls somewhere between the intimate exploration of Gone Home and the daunting resource management of Resident Evil." He praises the satisfaction of prowling around, pushing open doors and catching grenades - and the last few levels, he says, are "extremely creative as both a culmination of game mechanics and a wildly varied presentation of new things."
Whether you're a die-hard Half-Life fan or don't know a crowbar from a crab, it's safe to say that Half-Life: Alyx is a must-have game for VR gamers looking to experience the latest in the genre.
Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners
Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners does a better job than almost any zombie game of making you feel like you're holding the undead horde at arm's length. And it does this because you can literally hold a zombie with one hand while you smash a bottle over its head, flip it over, and then stick the barbed end into its squelching skull.
The combat is really grim, with weapons getting stuck in walkers and you have to yank, yank and punch them out of or through enemies. The game features a free-flowing story-driven action set in post-apocalyptic New Orleans that forces you to take to the undead-infested streets of the city in search of new supplies. But the real gem of the game is the brutal hand-to-hand combat, allowing you to create your own close-quarters finishers and allowing for plenty of brutality as needed.
LA Noire: The VR Case Files
When VR first became, well, reality, there were a lot of games that came to mind that deserve all these exciting new dimensions. Breathtaking speed racing, perhaps. Perhaps the scale and spectacle of an open-world role-playing game. LA Noire, 2011's neo-noir action-RPG detective, however, may not have been the game you expected to stick to your nose.
However, LA Noire was technically advanced for its time, with its groundbreaking face capture helping you pick off villains from those who were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. If LA Noire's deductive, chin-hugging side earned Team Bondi praise, then its combat performance fell short. LA Noire: The VR Case Files, a truncated version of the LA Noire game, has arrived. a police game that not only improves the relatively weak aspects of shooting and driving, but is also one of the best VR games on PC.
Instead of fiddling around with a keyboard and mouse, you're leaning down, shooting goons, and physically reloading your classic Remington using the HTC Vive controllers—and it's invigorating. In virtual reality you feel better, stubbornly biting into every task. The heat of battle is much stronger - especially when you hit yourself in the face. No, it's definitely not us.
Among Us VR
You may already be familiar with games like Among Us, the viral social deduction phenomenon that surged in popularity during the pandemic and has since suffered a huge player downturn when everyone was allowed to go outside. It's essentially the same game, with the only difference being that you'll have to put on a VR headset. The transition to first-person perspective is already stressful, but imagine hearing an impostor make a voice while you're trying to get the timing right for a puzzle in the engineering department.
Thumper
For developer Drool, making a rhythm game wasn't enough: Thumper was supposed to be a rhythm-violent game. We were intrigued when she was announced and now we're captivated by her breathtaking hugs.
Piloting a metal beetle with a thirst for speed, this indie game takes you through trippy, psychedelic environments. The neon path is reminiscent of Amplitude and Guitar Hero, with the notes replaced by walls to slide on and obstacles to overcome. Each level brings a new twist to the gameplay, and your efforts will culminate in a fight with the giant animated skull CRAKHEAD. Hey, at Web54 we don't judge. Thumper is stunning in VR, its physicality and speed creating a heady mix with an original, pumping soundtrack. When it comes to music games, this is definitely one of the best VR games on PC 2023. Drool says, “To reach synesthetic bliss, you must go through rhythm hell.” To say that VR elevates gaming would be a gross understatement.
Superhot VR
Superhot rose to indie fame with a simple yet ingenious idea: time only moves when you move. Feeling overwhelmed? Stay still and time will freeze for as long as you need to catch your breath. A flurry of bullets may be ready to explode at you, but you can see them coming and plan your escape.
Essentially, this is the gaming industry's answer to The Matrix. Neo fans rejoice: Superhot VR takes the effortless cool you felt in the original game and takes it to the next level. Dodging bullets and attacks physically rather than using the keyboard or analog stick really enhances the game's immersion, turning simple mechanics into one of the best VR games in the world.
Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes
Unlike many of the best VR games, Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes is a chaotic co-op game: one player is a bomb defuser, able to see and interact with the explosive device through a VR headset. At the same time, other players are "experts" in defusing, with a physical manual (printed or available as a web page) at hand which they must use to advise the defuser.
VR is the perfect platform for this concept. Successfully defusing a bomb within the allotted time, completing numerous modules with colorful wires, logic puzzles and Simon Says games is great fun when played with friends. If you can't resist the urge to praise your buddy after a successful round, then you're not capable of joy.
I Expect You To Die
Have you ever imagined yourself as a suave secret agent? I Expect You To Die is a VR puzzle game that puts you in dangerous situations. Perhaps the car you are in is bomb-laden. The submarine may have developed a leak. If you're lucky, you might even get a cross-India ride on a luxury train. If you're unlucky, a tank may appear outside your window and shoot into your cabin.
The sequel to the game I Expect You To Die 2 offers even more difficult scenarios that you will have to get out of, improving on the original with even more exciting and hilarious missions. While it may take you a few tries to avoid the danger you're in, you'll feel like 007.
Star Trek: Bridge Crew
We are always told that the Kobayashi Maru is impossible to beat. But of course, like Captain James T. Kirk, we know that we have the skills to win and become the best space pilot the Federation has ever seen. Star Trek: Bridge Crew allows us to live out those dreams in glorious virtual reality.
First, bring up to three friends with you to take on the role of Federation officers, determining the fate of your ship and crew with every fateful decision—it's a game that thrives in crisis. You and your intrepid space crew will brave an unknown sector called "The Hollow" to assess its potential as a new Vulcan home planet.
However, we could simply carry out modest intergalactic assignments if we did not care. Star Trek: Bridge Crew is a game built from the ground up for VR. The cockpit environment is amazingly accurate, and it's a wonderful feeling to simply exist in this world, interacting with the ship's controls and making decisions like real space pilots. This is one of the best VR games you can find - a game that everyone should experience, not just Trek fans.
Elite Dangerous
If you only play one game in VR, let it be Elite Dangerous: it's simply one of the best VR games to attach to a skull. Its scale is difficult to comprehend, as it offers the Milky Way galaxy at a scale of 1:1. A galaxy that doesn't have time to load and is populated by human players with their own commitments, agendas, and minute-by-minute missions. .
No matter how varied or complex the action, your position is always fixed, and this helps to eradicate any possibility of motion sickness. During long gaming sessions, you can roll, lean, and roll unfortunately (the latter seems to happen frequently) at the mercy of Frontier's Newtonian flight model without feeling sick.
Recommended: Elite Dangerous Update 14: The Thargoid War Returns Home
This is absolutely essential to maintaining Elite Dangerous' appeal as a long-term game. The Cambridge-based studio has been one of the most forward-thinking when it comes to supporting VR, and it shows in every second spent in the cockpit.
Assetto Corsa
Assetto Corsa is not only an exquisite racing game, but also one of the best VR games of 2023 on PC, thanks to its solid physics model, beautiful graphics and fan-requested features. The latter naturally means that Assetto Corsa can be played in VR. It supports Oculus Rift natively, so there's no need to scour the dark corners of the internet for a mod or middleware.
Conceptually, sports car racing is one of the few time-tested video games that requires a VR adaptation. Third-person shooters require a lot of rethinking to function as VR games, but games like Assetto Corsa thrive with a fixed camera point and the ability to look into mirrors, apexes, or towards opponents. In addition, the game uses lasers.
No Limits 2
If you want to take the idea of being somewhere else to the extreme, then No Limits 2 is for you. Rollercoaster from creator Ole Lange The simulation game is a testament to the psychosomatic strength that only the best VR games of 2023 can provide. Your legs feel weak as you rush down incredibly steep slopes, as if they were being acted upon by physical forces. The same goes for your poor stomach as you work your way through the corkscrew—as far as your body knows, you're on that rack.
And yet, No Limits 2 is not the motion sickness rally it could have been. Having a stationary camera helps, and it's clear that designing the game specifically for VR has minimized the possibility of vomiting. A remarkable feat considering the game's theme. With a fairly advanced design tool and more types of coasters you never knew existed, No Limits 2 is the only game you need to visit if you want a theme park simulation experience.
Beat Saber
Beat Saber is basically a Star Wars game with a heavy dose of Guitar Hero. This is a VR rhythm game in which you use two lightsabers to cut oncoming glowing cubes that fly towards you to the beat of the music. Each cube also has an arrow symbol indicating which direction it needs to be cut, adding an extra layer of difficulty.
The color and light in Beat Saber give the game a futuristic vibe. Each hit gives off nice sparks on impact, and your multi-colored targets glow brilliantly in the surrounding darkness. Each cube is perfectly matched to the beat, so you'll need a pair of VR headphones to get the feel of Beat Saber's rumbling electronic soundtrack.
Horn
When the creators of Genital Jousting and Broforce make a VR game, you can assume that it will be exceptionally stupid. fighting game Gorn is a brutal first-person fighting game where you play as a muscle warrior whose only goal is to gouge out the eyes of other muscle warriors. Yeah. Eyes.
You can draw weapons, parry attacks, and hold an enemy in place while you pulverize them into a crimson paste. The controls are quite simple and intuitive, but the mechanics of Gorn's movement will take some getting used to. Instead of teleporting or using a stick to move, you swing your arms as if you were walking. This results in bloody combat with bar-brawl-level clumsiness as you and your enemies stagger back and forth, desperately trying to land punches. Gorn is pure goofy fun that's worth checking out.
Moss: Book I
Moss: Book II is a single-player adventure game in which you must directly influence the world to help Quill stop the ruthless reign of the Arcana. As a benevolent avatar, you'll work with the largely autonomous Quil to fight monsters, solve puzzles, and explore strange new places. If you haven't played the original Moss, we recommend you do so before this game comes out, as it takes place directly after the events of the first game. Both games are absolutely charming tales, full of charm and whimsy, and are great examples of how VR works well with third-person platformers.
Lone Echo
One of the biggest strengths of VR is that it can put you in otherworldly scenarios and still make them real. For example, we've never experienced space travel, but if Lone Echo's travel mechanics let us know that, then we're missing out on some serious fun. You can bounce off surfaces to navigate your environment, or use small wrist boosters to navigate open spaces.
Of course, it's not just about movement. Lone Echo is a narrative adventure where you play as Jack, an android servant aboard a mining station above Saturn. You work together with the only person left, Olivia, to keep the station running. Naturally, things don't go as planned, and we have a lot of mechanical glitches to work out in convincing zero-gravity VR. space game. Lone Echo is a good story wrapped in a great control system that wouldn't be possible in anything other than VR.
in-death
Gaming addiction and masochism go hand in hand - just look at games like Dark Souls - few genres demonstrate this more clearly than roguelikes. In Death is a VR roguelike whose sole purpose is to kill you every time you play it.
You control an archer, making his way through the armies of opponents, armed only with a bow and shield. The maps and enemies you face are procedurally generated, so each run feels different, and reaching the next level with each new life is especially impressive in VR. In Death is crushingly difficult and frustrating at times, so don't expect to beat it without some serious practice. Luckily, archery is so enjoyable that the moment-to-moment gameplay keeps you from relaxing after countless deaths.
bonelab
Bonelab is the sequel to Boneworks, an experimental VR game that uses physics and action to give players an unparalleled experience. You'll shoot enemies with cannons, ride a minikart or go-kart, swing on ropes, and throw enemies away using your special abilities. As you complete each challenge, you will uncover more secrets of the MythOS city and the exact purpose of testing this underground laboratory.
Budget Cuts
For those who like a little more sneaking in their first-person shooter games, you'll want to strap on your headphones for Budget Cuts. The idea is that you are the only human employee trying to sneak or shoot your way past robots with revolvers.
Your pistol can also be used to teleport short distances to overtake patrolling guards and watch gallons of oil slosh out of them after stuffing stationery in their eye sockets. Budget Cuts 2: Mission Failure is a thing too, so it's worth a look too, but we're partial to the former.
Tetris Effect
If there's one thing that sets Tetris Effect apart from countless other Tetris games, it's the music and great particle effects. And if there's one thing that separates Tetris Effect VR from its standard counterpart, it's the performance feel that comes with it.
Each level of the Tetris Effect game is based on a separate track, the rhythm of which reflects the speed of the falling blocks. As you progress through the track, you must respond to the change in tempo by changing the placement speed of each tetromino to keep up with the music. But it's not just about keeping up the pace, as the rhythm responds to every move and placement of the tetrominoes, adding new elements to the soundscape.
As this unfolds, a light show awaits you that forms the backdrop of the Tetris board. From slow pop music framed by blue bursts of particles that form the outline of a dolphin, to a jazzy composition against the backdrop of a city at night, whose rays of light stream across the board like a continuous stream of traffic. The visuals are amazing, and playing Tetris Effect in VR allows you to fully immerse yourself in them as they surround you completely.
This concludes our collection of digital worlds that you can teleport into your gelatinous eye spheres with the help of a great VR game environment. You can also check out best VR headsets for PC. If you prefer to keep your face in front of a traditional monitor, we recommend that you best pc games, all of which require a plain old computer and no fancy glasses. But if you think screens are a bit of a thing of the past, now you've discovered VR.
