PS VR2: Eight Essential Games To Check Out

It is literally impossible to make a list of the best VR games without starting with Beat Saber. It is the Wii Sports of VR gaming; it’s easy to learn, hard to master, and is a perfect use of motion-controlled technology. Even those who normally don’t take to VR games can enjoy Beat Saber’s straightforward gameplay, and it’s a surprisingly good workout to boot. I mean, it’s dancing with swords, what’s not to like?

Alternatively, if you like the idea of Beat Saber but don’t have cash to spend now, Synth Riders offers a similar rhythm game experience and is included with a PlayStation Plus Premium subscription. So if you have Sony’s subscription service and need something to tide you over, be sure to give that game a look.

Horizon Call Of The Mountain honestly feels like a PlayStation VR2 tech demo, but it’s still really fun to play. As the name suggests, this is more a mountain climbing simulator than a VR-ified version of Sony’s flagship Horizon franchise. However, mountain climbing works very well in VR, especially since you can take in all the beautiful AAA-quality sights and get those tingles in your feet when you look down. I’m deathly afraid of heights and still enjoyed my time with this one.

It’s not a game that’s worth the standalone price of $60, in my opinion. However, since many Sony PlayStation VR2 headsets currently include this game as a pack-in at no additional cost, you’d be silly to pass it by. I liked it a heck of a lot for free.

Look, I get it, not everyone is necessarily chomping at the bit to play racing games unless there are red turtle shells involved. Despite that, you really have to give Gran Turismo 7 a try if you’re looking for an immersive VR experience. It’s exhilarating to feel yourself in the driver’s seat as you race at 100+ MPH, and the Dualsense controller makes for a great motion-controlled steering wheel with its haptic feedback.

There’s never been a better time to try Gran Turismo 7, as Sony recently released a free VR2-compatible demo of the game called My First Gran Turismo. Even if you just play it for ten minutes for the sheer novelty, you’ll enjoy your time.

Currently available with a PlayStation Plus Premium subscription

Before Your Eyes is more of an interactive movie than a game, but it’s a journey well-worth taking. Controlled entirely with your eyes and head movements, Before Your Eyes is both a celebration of life and a somber reflection about how we move forward in the face of tragedy. All I’ll say is that I had to clean the tears off my headset’s lens after I was finished.

It’s a good experience worth its asking price, but if you can get it for free via PlayStation Plus, this is a no-brainer.

Tetris Effect is already an incredible audio and visual feast for the senses, so you’re doing yourself a disservice if you haven’t played this one in VR. Also, I mean…it’s Tetris. You know you like Tetris, I know you like Tetris, so trying to explain why Tetris is great is like trying to explain why sunrises are great.

Currently available with a PlayStation Plus Premium subscription

Synapse asks the question “what’s the most fun thing someone can do in VR” and lands on the answer “do cool telekinesis stuff with one hand while you shoot bad guys with the other.” It’s an incredibly playful use of the technology, and it innovates with its motion controls beyond the usual point-and-shoot antics of other games. This one’s a roguelike too, so even if you have a rough time getting the hang of it, you’ll at least enter your next run stronger.

Unfortunately, Synapse lacks a bit in content. That might make this one a tough sell for $34.99, but it’s a perfect grab for PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers.

Resident Evil 4 is one of the most replayable games ever made, so it was no surprise that 2023’s Resident Evil 4 Remake would go down as one of the year’s best games. And now, thanks to a free downloadable update that reimagines the game in VR, you can experience this all-time classic horror adventure in a brand new way. The motion-controlled aiming made me recall fond memories of playing Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition, and parrying attacks with your knife is so, so satisfying in VR.

You will be regularly reminded that Resident Evil 4 Remake was not originally designed for a first-person perspective. Cutscenes will play out as they did in the original flat screen version of the game, and actions like melee attacks will occur in third person (which is probably for the better, just thinking about Leon’s roundhouse kick in first person makes me motion sick). Regardless, if you need a reason to dive back into the world of survival horror, this is it.

I typically don’t double-up on games in the same franchise on lists like this, but Resident Evil 4 Remake and Resident Evil Village are both so uniquely good as VR experiences that it’d be an injustice to not include both. Especially in this case, because Resident Evil Village actually was designed with a first-person perspective in mind. Key cutscenes will play out in VR, the combat feels simultaneously scary and enthralling, and the interface looks surprisingly natural. I’ve actually never seriously played Resident Evil Village until I tried it in VR, and even people watching me playing asked if the game was VR exclusive. It’s that good!

I will say the VR mode isn’t a perfect conversion. For example, you can twist your head around during cutscenes and view character models floating around that the player clearly was never meant to see. Still, Resident Evil Village reigns as my favorite experience with the PlayStation VR2, and it’s an incredibly easy recommendation if you want a bonafide adventure in the virtual world.