VR games are unique, although they can be a bit clumsy. Because of the perspective, they can immerse you into the craziest, scariest, and most creative experiences. But adjusting to the platform can take you some time. The way it feels and plays is strikingly different from regular gaming. For example, characters move by pointing arrows rather than moving with analog sticks. And to help you get the best out of your headset, we’ve compiled the list of the best VR games available for PlayStation.
Selecting the Best 22 PSVR Games in 2022
From games that make you dance to action-back shooter games, PSVR games have a lot to offer. The library is wide, but there’re not many games that jumped to mainstream status. Now, the PS5 is compatible with the PSVR, and it can play every PSVR game. Then, the newer PSVR 2 has a 2023 release date, but there’re not many details yet. So, while we wait, regardless of the platform, let’s find the PlayStation VR games boasting the best fan and critical scores. Some of these made noise and represent must-play experiences. Others, though, are less-known titles we recommend. In any case, the games we selected must use VR as a way to tell a game that could not happen in the traditional sense. Overall, the titles on the list should feel smooth and mechanically refined rather than a nuisance. More importantly, it should be immersive but, at the same time, easy to grasp. Now, sometimes, these games are ports, re-launches of older games for VR. Other times, these are newer and AAA games with a native version for headsets. Lastly, some of these games are exclusive to traditional reality, which means they can’t work elsewhere.
Best 22 PSVR Games in 2022
No Man’s Sky
No Man’s Sky is already a massive, complex, immersive, and ever-expanding MMORPG. It’s a procedurally generated sandbox universe that allows you to explore any star and any planet for quests, mysteries, and crafting resources. On VR, although it doesn’t feel as smooth as it regularly does, it feels immersive. You play with the PS Move controllers, but there’re no limitations on what you can do. You can move, mine, shoot, drive and build just as you do on the console. There’re almost no interfaces, so everything happens via your HUD. The best part of playing No Man’s Sky on VR is the heads-on-display. You’ll see all the information your suit displays right in front of your eyes. Information like suit integrity, resources, upcoming stores, fuel, and more will make you feel like you suddenly became a space explorer.
Minecraft: Bedrock Edition VR
Minecraft is a video-game behemoth with different versions for the many platforms it has visited. The VR version is the Bedrock Edition, which is the same that exists on consoles. In VR, there’re other differences. Rather than seeing your whole blocky avatar, you’re going to see two floating arms. One is your main hand, for your main weapons and tools, and the other is your off-hand. However, you play as always with the DualShock controllers. And if you needed some extra info, Minecraft is a sandbox crafting/survival game with a procedurally generated world. In its main mode, Survival, you use the day to mine resources, craft tools, build your bases, and level up. And at night, you fight and survive against zombies and monsters.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR
The Elder Scrolls 5 is a massive open-world sandbox RPG. You customize an avatar with class, gender, and sex and join in a lengthy adventure. You can follow the main quest (defeating an elder dragon) or pursue endless side questlines and adventures. Skyrim on VR works similarly to the original platform. It’s only the jump in perspective that changes. Even so, it uses the game’s latest build, which stands and remains one of the best games you can play. It’s a good excuse to revisit the game and create a new character class on VR. You can combine melee weapons and magic, big swords and stealth, or ranged abilities and runes. The possibilities are endless, and the world is surprisingly reactive for its age.
Tetris Effect: Connected
Tetris Effect is the newer version of the block-dropping arcade game. Explaining the game itself is probably unnecessary, as it’s as old as video games and as popular as oxygen. The newer version is the best it has ever been. Its visual and audio design has received praise from fans and critics. As you play, gorgeous graphics and music will be playing o the background, and they cue your successes and failures. The game includes thirty stages, and gameplay mechanics go alongside music beats. There’s also a “Zone” mechanic allowing you to stop time, multiplayer game modes, and more.
Gran Turismo Sport VR
Gran Turismo Sport is a racing video game and the 13th entry in the Gran Turismo saga. There’s a newer one, but either could belong to the best racing games for PS4 and PS5. The title focuses on online competitions within the FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile). So, there’re 29 real-life tracks, 168 real-life cars, and plenty of content to chew. I mean, drive. In VR, you play with VR steering wheels. The gameplay is fluid, fast, and realistic, and there’s a system that accounts for multiple variables to determine your driving.
SUPERHOT VR
Superhot is a first-person shooter from an indie developer. It has traditional mechanics, as in you take out enemies with guns. But then, it progressively adds bunker elements that blend well with its minimalist style. For example, a key mechanic is how time moves slowly, which allows you to move bullets and do Matrix-like stunts. Then, the game moves faster when you shoot or look around. Lastly, the game has no plot, but you go back to the beginning if you die. Also, weapons break, ammo is scarce, and the controller scheme is through the PS Move peripherals. It’s hard to play, but it’s worth it.
Borderlands 2 VR
Borderlands 2 is one of the best looter shooter games available. The story happens five years after the original game, and the setting is again the planet Pandora. Here, you play as a Vault Hunter on a quest to stop the evil Handsome Jack. The sci-fi shooter starts by picking one of the available classes. Each has an active skill plus a unique skill tree. Then, you play through linear but wide levels, level up, gain skill points, and loot thousands upon thousands of gear. On VR, the game lacks multiplayer but introduces the “BAMF ” mode (Bad Ass Mega Fun). It allows you to slow down the game to plan the attack. Also, you can play with gestures through the PS Move or play it regularly with the traditional controllers.
Star Wars: Squadrons
Star Wars: Squadrons is a first-person space combat game. The setting is after the Return of the Jedi movie. Then, the campaign alternates between the New Republic and the Galactic Empire. If you play camping, it’s a story-driven story where you play as pilots from either side of the war. The gameplay is smooth, acrobatic and loyal to the franchise. Because of its complexity, you play the game with controllers rather than motion controllers. The main experience is the multiplayer, though. The game offers 4v4 matches, and each team plays as the Empire or the Republic. Each team has various ship classes, and these classes offer skills and maneuvers.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard VR
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard changed the saga’s third-person perspective for a first-person perspective. Then, it leans further into survival and into horror. You’re Ethan, a helpless civilian, and you’re looking for your wife in a decrepit mansion. Testing out Resident Evil 7 in VR feels disturbingly real. It’s as if you could smell the rubble, touch the old photographs, and hear Mia as if she were right next to you. See, the game is slow-paced, dark, and low on action. It’s a natural companion for VR. Because this Capcom franchise is shooter series, you still play with the controllers. So, none of the gameplay is limited by the platform. It’s, in essence, the same game, only that you’ll play with the screen right up in your eyes.
Resident Evil 4 VR
Resident Evil 4 VR is a port of the transcendent third-person survival horror shooter. The title debuted as a GameCube exclusive and has debuted for almost every platform ever since. People acclaim it for its gameplay, story, acting, and characters. It’s one of the best games you can ever play, even today. You’re Leon Kennedy on a mission to rescue the president’s daughter from a creepy village. It’s a linear adventure full of zombies, puzzles, and explosions. Fans don’t appreciate the VR version as much as it takes away dialogue and scenes some would consider incorrect. However, some of the changes developers included are quite good. That includes using an off-weapon, reloading with a gesture, and playing in first-person rather than first-person.
Hitman 3
Hitman 3 achieved high levels of immersion when Sony pushed back the technology to give way to the PS5. You can play as Agent 47 on Hitman 3, but the entire Hitman trilogy is available on VR. These are sandbox semi-open first-person stealth games. Playing the game in VR is awkward compared to the regular version. Other actions are a hit and miss, as your gestures with the PS Move differ from the Agent’s moves on screen. As a result, the game is not very precise, but we acknowledge the work IO Interactive put into the port. So, even though the game is not as refined as it could be, it’s still one of the best stealth games available. It’s worth a try if you’re a fan of the saga. You play as a skilled agent on various semi-open-world hubs if you’re unfamiliar. On each level, you must infiltrate and assassinate your target.
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is an arcade combat flight simulation game. The VR version is available for PlayStation only. While it doesn’t add PS Move compatibility, it does add new missions. Flying the jets and fighting against enemy vessels in VR can blow your mind away. Because of how close it is to your eyes and ears, it’s incredibly immersive, fast, and smooth. Also, there’re 28 different real-life ships to drive. Also, the gameplay is flawless. You can choose Novice or Expert control settings to add or remove its complexity. Then, you execute realistic maneuvers to pursue, fight, and take down enemy aircraft across missions.
Moss: Book II
Moss: Book II is an adventure virtual reality game debuting as a PSVR exclusive. It follows Quill in a battle to save Moss’s fantasy and magical land. The gameplay is similar to the first entry but has various additions, like an NPC companion. You play with an overhead perspective that approaches an isometric view. However, the perspective simulates that your head is in the game. So, you can move your head to see around, zoom in, and zoom out as you move the character and issue orders. You’ll go through ruins, abandoned castles, pits, and dungeons. You’ll fight against creatures with simple combat and magic as you play and solve riddles to get past obstacles.
Moss
Moss is a virtual reality puzzle adventure game. Via the VR headset, you play with a blend of third-person, isometric, and first-person perspectives. You command the titular character on a fantasy land inside of a book. Your goal is to help the kingdom fight against Sarffog, a throne usurper, and a fire snake. You are an orb rather than a character, and the protagonist Quill is aware of your existence. You control him as you navigate environments, fight, and solve puzzles.
Blood & Truth
Blood & Truth is a VR first-person shooter. It’s the type of game that can convince fans to test shooters on the VR platform, particularly because it has a plot similar to a Hollywood film. The story follows Ryan Marks, a special soldier operative infiltrating London’s underworld crime network. The plot contains glamor, hypocrisy, grit, and deep questions. Specifically, your mission is about saving your family from a crime boss. The action is bloody, fast, and all over the place. You use the PS Move controllers to reload, aim, and shoot your pistols, lockpick, climb, and pilot vehicles. You can also play with the DualShock controller, but it won’t feel as immersive. Still, you move as usual: by pointing to a place and pushing a button.
Farpoint
Farpoint is a VR first-person shooter with a sci-fi setting. The space adventure happens on an Alien planet, and you experience the story via the PS VR Aim controller. After the protagonist crashes into an alien world, you use holographic logs you reunite with your colleagues and escape. But as you travel the area, you’ll uncover secrets and blast your way through the indigenous population. Aside from the main story, the game features 1v1 game modes and co-op adventures. Other elements include character progression, weapon progression, and additional difficulties you can unlock.
Marvel’s Iron Man VR
Iron Man VR is an adventure shooter game based on the titular Marvel Comics superhero. You play through the headset, which simulates the suit’s heads-on-display. The story revolves around a mysterious computer hacker, Ghost. He becomes Tony Stark’s enemy after a set of Stark weapons harmed his family. This happened before Tony became Iron Man. Then, the gameplay happens from a first-person perspective. You can fly and use various weapon systems for aerial combat. You can also navigate through linear levels, interact with characters, unlock armor upgrades, and progress the main story.
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners
Saints & Sinners is the first VR game in the Walking Dead universe. Like so, it’s a survival horror shooter where you play as an original character around the community of Alexandria. In the Alexandria city/shelter, you’ll see some characters you’d recognize from the show or the comics. Names like Michonne guide you through the game and point directions to complete the quest. Most of the gameplay revolves around exploring the city for resources. You’ll either scavenge in silence or go guns blazing. However, resources are scarce, and enemies are all around you.
Sniper Elite VR
Sniper Elite VR is a first-person virtual reality shooter. You play as a sniper during WW2, a member of the Italian resistance fighting the German occupation. The gameplay is similar to previous entries. You explore open levels, find the best cover, and use long-range rifles to take enemies from afar. You must remain in stealth, and you can use your rifle as a melee weapon for silent takedowns. Lastly, you can play the game either with the PS Move controllers or the traditional controllers. In any case, there’s a slow-motion option you can use when you aim your shots.
Beat Saber
Beat Saber is a rhythm virtual reality game. It happens in a surreal neon setting, and your goal is slicing blocks representing musical beats. On PlayStation, you play with the VR motion controllers. They simulate glowing sabers, which are red and blue. Then, each song presents an array of incoming blocks, and you must mark them with specific directions while following the beat. There’re other elements to challenge your gameplay. They include bombs, obstacles like walls, underneath blocks, and more. There’s also a “hp bar,” so you’ll lose the game if you make too many mistakes.
Astro Bot Rescue Mission Adventure
Astro Bot Rescue Mission is a platform adventure game. And it’s exclusive to the PlayStation VR platform. The protagonist is the titular Astro Bot,m and the quest is to rescue your stranded robot crew. Then, you go through a 3D platforming adventure. He’s a small robot, and you control him via the DualShock 4 rather than the PS Move set. You can hover, punch, jump, charge the punch, and make a spin attack. The game is the same on VR. However, you can move the camera by moving your head. Also, on the platform, you exist as a giant robot following Astro, and you can interact with the environment. For example, in VR, you can destroy walls, dodge enemy attacks, or blow into the headset’s mic to spread flower petals.
Doom 3 VR Edition
No fan would tell you Doom 3 is the best game in the saga. However, revisiting the evil first-person shooter on VR could make you feel differently. It’s exciting, scary, gory, and very, very loud. You play as the badass space marine on a quest to vanquish the hellspawn from a ship. If you’re unfamiliar, Doom 3 is not a sequel to Doom 2; rather, it’s a newer version of the original title. So, it’s on 3D, and the VR version has improved graphics. You play this game with the Aim controller, a plastic gun. The character moves by itself, and you’re to aim and shoot like you would on an older arcade. Still, there’s a wide arsenal of alien weapons, sound effects, enemies, and about 20 hours of heavy-metal action.
