9 great games for your VR headset from 2022

Although the tech surrounding VR headsets has stagnated somewhat, there are still plenty of fantastic titles that make great use of the technology available, and we’ve chosen some of our favorites for you to try now and over the coming year. You might notice that several of our top picks are a bit long in the tooth, but we still consider them to be some of the best experiences for the greatest variety of headsets — that is, until the release of the PlayStation VR 2 in February.

While there are plenty of options for enjoying VR, the Meta Quest 2 remains the most popular by far, even with this year’s $100 price hike and the release of the Meta Quest Pro. As a result, that is the headset that we used to try out all the games listed below. Some of our favorites include hits like Beat Saber and Resident Evil 4 VR, but we’ve also included excellent, lesser-known titles as well, such as Cities: VR and Battlegroup VR.

Most of the games on our list are compatible with all modern VR headsets, including the Meta Quest 2, HTC Vive Pro 2, and PlayStation VR. We’ve noted the specific compatibility for each title.

Beat Saber features an existing library of free songs but also features songs from popular artists like Skrillex and Billie Eilish that are available for purchase individually or as part of a bundle. Furthermore, with a little bit of elbow grease, you can even add your own tunes.

At a base level, Beat Saber is relatively simple, having you cut through incoming cubes in specific directions to the rhythm of the song. However, like most rhythm games, Beat Saber has a remarkably high skill ceiling, becoming downright relentless on the higher difficulties.

Compatible with: Meta Quest, Meta Quest 2, Meta Rift, HTC Vive Pro, HTC Vive Pro 2, PlayStation VR

Harmonix, the same studio that brought us Rock Band and Guitar Hero, knows how to make us look ridiculous in our living rooms while making us feel incredibly cool. Dance Central VR is the logical evolution of this franchise, which debuted on the Kinect, and anyone familiar with the classic Dance Dance Revolution or Just Dance titles will know what to expect here.

The game features 32 songs and several remixes that bridge eras and genres from ’80s hip-hop to modern alternative. There are a dozen or so DLC songs available; however, the store is no longer receiving updates, and there is presently no way to add your own, unlike Beat Saber.

Dance Central VR is by far the most active game on our list and even has a rudimentary built-in fitness tracking function that provides you with a rough estimate of how many calories you’ve burned.

Compatible with: Meta Quest, Meta Quest 2, Meta Rift

Definitely not for the acrophobic (those with a fear of heights), The Climb 2 leverages the same engine used for the Far Cry franchise into a game focused on mountaineering — or, more specifically, rock climbing. The Climb 2 features 12 peaks of steadily increasing difficulty spread across four distinct environments, ranging from Alpine mountain ranges to urban cityscapes. Each ascent features multiple routes to the top and a scoring system to keep you competing against the best of the best with a global leaderboard.

The mechanics of the game are simple and intuitive — using your hands to grip and climb is something that comes pretty naturally. There are some wrinkles that appear as you progress through the game, however, forcing you to leap across gaps and perform tricky “technical holds” to extend your grip on trickier ledges. While not fitness-oriented, playing The Climb 2 for extended periods will definitely have you work up a sweat or, at the very least, clammy hands.

The Climb 2 also features seasonal events that rotate every few months and can net you exclusive cosmetic rewards, and while the gameplay isn’t terribly deep, there’s still enough incentive to keep you playing year-round.

Compatible with: Meta Quest, Meta Quest 2, Meta Rift

This classic entry in the Resident Evil franchise has been rereleased more times than we can count, but making the leap to VR platforms has given this aged game a new lease on life. This iteration keeps most of what made the entry great to begin with while excising some parts that have perhaps not aged well.

Besides moving the action to a first-person perspective, Resident Evil 4 VR also ups the tension significantly by turning many of the actions that would be relegated to a button press, such as reloading, into manual efforts. It takes more than a few failed attempts before you can successfully reload without panicking.

Compatible with: Meta Quest 2

Superhot VR is the best John Wick video game that isn’t about John Wick. Just like its non-VR predecessor, Superhot VR has you constantly outnumbered and outgunned in scenarios where a single bullet can kill you — with one twist. Time only progresses when you move. It definitely suffers from the VR problems where “your hands are just guns,” but the time distortion mechanic makes the experience a little more cerebral than your average shooter.

Superhot VR is really a puzzle game where bullets and the environment make up the pieces. It challenges you to find creative ways out of tough situations where you’re hopelessly outgunned. Out of bullets? Throw your gun. Don’t have a gun? Pluck an incoming bullet out of the air and fling it at the bad guys.

Compatible with: Meta Quest, Meta Quest 2, Meta Rift, HTC Vive Pro, HTC Vive Pro 2, PlayStation VR

Considered to be a masterpiece by some, the BAFTA-nominated Rez: Infinite is a trippy VR experience that’s available on all VR platforms. This VR port is a rail shooter at heart, but the unique aesthetics, sound, and music combine to transform Rez: Infinite into an experience like no other — especially when played in VR.

You control Rez: Infinite primarily through head-tracking and controller inputs, which allows you to simply look where you want to aim and press a button to shoot. This makes the experience feel remarkably fluid, especially when paired with the amazing techno soundtrack. The score is driven by the action as enemies release a flurry of loops and beats when they’re destroyed.

Compatible with: Meta Quest, Meta Quest 2, Meta Rift, HTC Vive Pro, HTC Vive Pro 2, PlayStation VR

Put Dark Souls into a VR environment and pair it with your favorite roguelike, and you’ve summed up the gameplay of In Death: Unchained. The story is a bit slim, and the difficulty is absolutely brutal, but In Death: Unchained is a punishing game that keeps you coming back for more. While combat is limited to bows and different types of arrows, In Death: Unchained excels in making its weapons feel incredibly satisfying to shoot.

While the original In Death was made for the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, Unchained is a remake made exclusively for the Oculus Quest 2. This version definitely compromises the graphics a bit to accommodate the hardware but comes packed with some additional levels to bridge the difference.

Compatible with: Meta Quest, Meta Quest 2

While you can definitely play Tetris Effect without VR, this musically charged entry in the classic block-stacking game is different than anything else you’ve experienced from previous iterations. The core experience of Tetris Effect remains unchanged, but Tetris Effect VR is also driven by a euphoric combination of musical rhythms and vivid colors. This means your experience can vary wildly from intense to meditative, depending on which level you play. The VR component does a good job of adding depth and dimension to each level and encapsulating your periphery with the sights and sounds that make Tetris Effect VR feel distinctly different from its more standard counterpart.

Compatible with: Meta Quest, Meta Quest 2, Meta Rift, HTC Vive Pro, HTC Vive Pro 2, PlayStation VR

A clever VR adaptation of the incredibly popular Cities: Skylines, Cities: VR gives you a new perspective on city-building simulations by allowing you to manage things from a bird’s-eye view all the way down to the pedestrian level. Not every feature of the larger Cities: Skylines, like terrain editing or natural disasters, are brought over to the VR version, but fans of the original game will still feel immediately familiar with the interface and systems of Cities: VR.

Compatible with: Meta Quest 2

While it’s still technically in development, Battlegroup VR is a must-play for fans of The Expanse or spectacular space battles in general. You command and upgrade your small fleet from the bridge of your flagship, which offers a cinematic view of battles as they unfold. Battlegroup VR gives you a surprisingly granular amount of control over each ship, allowing you to manage things like firing arcs and power distribution in addition to their movement through three-dimensional space. A modest narrative-driven campaign moves the action of Battlegroup VR along at a reasonable pace, but the game also features a randomized skirmish mode based around territory control. There aren’t many real-time strategy games available for VR, but this is by far one of the best.

Compatible with: Meta Quest, Meta Quest 2