Copyright 2021 UVR Media LLC.
Looking for the 25 best PC VR games on Steam and Oculus? We’ve got you covered with our top 25 list.
The PC VR landscape has changed dramatically over the years. It used to be the front-and-center focus on an entire industry, but new headsets across different categories have since seen developers and publishers split their attention. But we’re often still rewarded with a handful of new gems every year that push the fidelity of VR experiences in ways you just couldn’t see on lesser hardware.
What’s nice about the list of the best PC VR games, then, is that even some of the oldest games on this list — now some six years old — remain some of the best-looking and playing titles in all of VR today.
You’ll find most of these experiences on both the Oculus Store and SteamVR. Take note, though, that we have included a few Oculus exclusives in this list because we felt the games were simply too good to ignore. We’re also including early access titles in the list for the first time, as some of PC VR’s best games are still in pre-release to this day.
If you’re looking for our other lists, you’ll find those here.
We’re grouping in the first two installments of Cloudhead Games’ compelling adventure series together as the first episode is on the shorter side and the two together cost about as much as a normal VR game. The Gallery has its roots in Henson-esque dark fantasy, transporting you to amazing worlds of impossible landscapes and crazy characters on the hunt for your sister. Imaginative design makes these some of the best PC VR games despite their age. We’re just hoping Cloudhead one day gets to make Episode 3.
More Games Like This: Myst VR
It’s hard to make a VR shooter feel genuinely adventurous and not too overwhelming for the player. Compound does this by calling back to a classic era of shooters that set a slower, more manageable pace. The result is a hugely enjoyable roguelite FPS that roots you in the action, with vintage visuals that pop inside VR headsets. Plus, developer Not Dead has kept the game consistently updated since its initial launch in 2018, making this one of the best PC VR games despite still being in early access.
Read More: Compound Impressions
If you’re able to go back and seek out the lost era of Oculus PC VR exclusives (back when, y’know, Oculus was still a thing), we strongly recommend Wilson’s Heart as your first stop. Twisted Pixel’s VR debut is a brilliant throwback to 1940’s horror that makes incredible use of VR motion controls whilst proving out VR storytelling in fresh ways. If Meta had a heart, it’d let the game live again on SteamVR and Quest.
Read More: Wilson’s Heart Review
A Fisherman’s Tale remains, to this day, one of the smartest and most striking uses of VR. You’ve no doubt heard its premise, which leans heavily on recursive puzzling as you play cooperatively in single-player, passing things between bigger and smaller versions of yourself. It’s a stunning spectacle, but the game is also anchored by a curious tale of fatherhood and a warm visual style. It’s still a treat and still one of the best PC VR games to date.
More Games Like This: Maskmaker
The best thing you can say about Wanderer is that it’s an escape room game that doesn’t always feel like an escape room game. Its puzzles make great use of VR interactivity and its ambitious setup sees you jumping between timezones across (and sometimes off) the world at a moment’s notice. It’s also one of the best-looking games to release in recent memory and a real showcase for the power of PC VR. Don’t miss Wanderer – it’s easily one of the best PC VR games.
More Games Like This: I Expect You To Die 2
There have been a lot of decent attempts to bring the survival genre to VR but, with its native mechanics, focused structure, and earthy atmosphere, Song in the Smoke is the best of them by some way. You progress through multiple zones in a prehistoric wilderness, hunting and crafting whilst tackling unique new challenges in every area that teach you new tricks and abilities. If you don’t like the aimlessness of some survival games then you’ll appreciate Song in the Smoke’s focused campaign, making it one of the best PC VR games.
More Games Like This: The Forest VR
Valve isn’t bringing Counter-Strike to VR anytime soon but, fortunately, we have a worthy replacement in Pavlov VR. Consistently developed over multiple years, Pavlov has turned into the fast-paced competitive shooter to beat, with tons of weapons and environments spanning multiple eras and new game modes being added at a dizzying pace. The future remains bright for Pavlov and, for multiplayer fans, it’s one of the best PC VR games out there today.
More Games Like This: Contractors, Zero Caliber
Until You Fall isn’t focused on the realistic melee physics of a Saints & Sinners or Boneworks, and it’s all the better for it. This arcade-infused roguelite uses on-screen indicators to force you to hone your reflexes, blocking and attacking with split-second precision. Developer Schell Games nails the moreish gameplay loop, making Until You Fall a game that’s hard to put down. And that’s a good thing considering the game is a fun workout too.
Read More: Until You Fall Review
Third-person VR games might not make much sense at first glance, but Moss shows you why the opposite is the case. This platformer action game is a really solid adventure in its own right, but it’s the bond you build with protagonist Quill over its few hours that shines through. Moss is showing its age a little in 2022, but hopefully, Moss 2 will be ready to replace it just as soon as it launches.
Read More: Moss Review
We still can’t quite believe Star Wars: Squadrons was a thing. A full Star Wars flight action game with both a single-player campaign and a huge multiplayer component… in VR? Are we sure we’re not dreaming? Well, if we are, we don’t want to wake up because Squadrons’ highly immersive cockpits and blistering space dogfighting make for everything we ever wanted out of VR in the first place, making this, in turn, one of the best PC VR games.
Read More: Star Wars: Squadrons Review
There aren’t many sports that current VR technology can perfectly replicate but table tennis is one of them and, for our money, Eleven: Table Tennis is easily the best realization so far. That’s thanks to the pinpoint precision of its physics and robust multiplayer and single-player options, which ensure we’ll never need another VR table tennis game again.
More Games Like This: Walkabout VR Minigolf
If Pavlov is VR’s answer to Counter-Strike, then Onward is closer to something like Arma, with a focus on hyperrealism that paved the way for the mechanical complexity VR can add to the shooter genre. Though it’s still labeled as early access, Onward has felt like a full game for years now and is easily deserving of its place on the best PC VR games list.
Read More: Onward Quest Review
Another long-in-development early access project, A Township Tale has slowly but surely built up a loyal following thanks to its deep focus on interactive VR mechanics and cooperative multiplayer. You’re tasked with building up a village, gradually adding in new features as you mine ever-rarer resources and upgrade your weapons. A genuine sense of risk to your adventuring and a huge amount of content make this one of the best PC VR games you can currently play.
Read More: A Township Tale Review (Quest)
Skyrim VR successfully transplants the entire RPG into headsets with full motion controls. It’s not the most in-depth implementation, but just that fact alone makes this something you won’t want to miss in VR. Along with bestowing you with a keen sense of adventure, there are bits of Skyrim that genuinely work incredibly well in VR, like the moment you first encounter a dragon or inspect a sword you’ve worked hard to earn in tireless detail. There are better, more native VR games out there, but Skyrim VR is Skyrim… in VR, and that makes it worth a look.
Read More: Best Skyrim VR Mods
Beat Saber has become such a sensation on basically every headset that’s it’s easy to forget the games’ humble beginnings as an early access PC VR title. But, despite Beat Games’ acquisition by Meta years back, the PC VR version of the game remains the sharpest place to play Beat Saber and its ever-growing catalog of songs. Still one of the best PC VR games, then, but Beat Saber is a must wherever you enjoy VR.
More Games Like This: Synth Riders, OhShape
If you’re looking for an uncompromising VR combat simulator that doesn’t spare you any gory details, look no further than Blade And Sorcery. Though still very much in early access, you won’t find more instantly rewarding combat on PC, with truly gruesome results. Plus the recent addition of the Dungeons mode gives the game some much-needed structure and the added power of the PC makes this the version to play over the Quest edition, labeled Nomad.
More Games Like This: Gorn
No Man’s Sky went the extra mile with its VR support. Hello Games honed in on what makes VR integration feel seamless and natural, delivering an experience that almost felt like it had been designed for VR from the start. Add to that the frankly enormous number of new features and upgrades the game’s implemented since launch and it’s impossible to deny No Man’s Sky its place on the best PC VR games list.
More Games Like This: Elite: Dangerous
You could group in Lone Echo 2 with this pick to get the whole experience but, given that’d be a rather expensive proposition, we’re sticking with the groundbreaking original and its free multiplayer companion right now. Lone Echo paved the way for immersive zero-gravity movement in VR and set a bar for PC VR visuals that arguably still hasn’t been surpassed. It’s slow-paced, but the focus on building a link between your character and those around him pays off, as does the enormous spectacle of it all. We’ll be calling Lone Echo one of the best PC VR games for years to come.
More Games Like This: Lone Echo 2
Asgard’s Wrath might not have Skyrim levels of content but, for our money, the focus on native VR sword fighting and character progression make this the more important of the two VR games. This is an immaculately produced Norse adventure split into three parts that captures the heart of the RPG genre and realize it in its full glory using the power of PC VR, helping it vanquish its opponents in the fight for the best PC VR games. Now, how about a sequel? Please?
Read More: Asgard’s Wrath Review
Of all the physics-driven VR combat and puzzle games out there, Boneworks easily is the most polished and impressive. Its single-player campaign offers plenty of fun sandboxes to experiment with, whether your swinging robotic headcrabs around by their legs or beating up mindless zombies with a broom handle. Or you can just rely on the classics and find a lethally accurate shooter. Boneworks is one of the best PC VR games and a glimpse of where the future of VR interactivity is headed.
Read More: Boneworks Review
Rhythm games are a dime a dozen in VR but, for our money, Pistol Whip is the most inventive and overall best of the lot. The focus on firing to the beat as you duck and weave through blinding neon obstacle courses makes the game a joyous assault on the senses that requires genuine skill to master. With new updates arriving at a constant pace, Pistol Whip has a comfortable position in our list of the best PC VR games.
More Games Like This: Against
Fancy board game night in VR? Then Demeo will serve up pretty much all you could want from that concept and then some. This is a brilliant cooperative dungeon crawling turn-based RPG played with friends, letting you roll the dice to tackle its fiendishly difficult levels. But you can also scale the game up and down to your liking, adding an extra dimension to a fantastic social VR experience. With plenty of free content already delivered and more on the way, Demeo still ranks highly on our list of the best PC VR games.
More Games Like This: Catan VR
We’ll stop ranking Superhot VR so highly in our list of the best PC VR games (and pretty much all our other best of lists) the moment we play a shooter as intricatly designed to maintain immersion and utilize your full body in ways that you simply couldn’t in a flatscreen experience. The ‘time moves when you move’ mechanic remains ridiculously entertaining to this day, and the game achieves a perfect balance of slapstick action and stylish stunts. At this point we think only a long, long overdue sequel could top it on the list of the best PC VR games.
More Games Like This: Damaged Core
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners doesn’t quite have as robust a physics system as Boneworks, and its campaign isn’t as tightly designed as Half-Life: Alyx. But its best of both worlds approach makes is a game that really communicates the potential for VR action to offer something different whilst giving you hours in a fantastic sandbox to realize that potential. This is a wide-open world which will constantly surprise you with its possibilities, and Saints & Sinners is easily one of these PC VR games on the market today.
Read More: The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners Review
Half-Life: Alyx ultimately might not be as groundbreaking an experience as Boneworks or Saints & Sinners, but you simply won’t find a bigger, more polished native VR game on the market today. Valve’s long-awaited return to City 17 lived up to the hype with a varied campaign including ferocious firefights with The Combine and uncomfortable encounters with headcrabs, not to mention some incredible VR-first interactions, an unforgettable ‘boss’ level, and, of course, that ending. Half-Life: Alyx remains the best PC VR game to this day. More, please. Much, much more.
Read More: Half-Life: Alyx Review
And that’s our list of the best PC VR games right now. Do you agree? Have we missed anything out? Let us know in the comments below!
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Jamie has been covering the VR industry since 2014 having come from a gaming and technology background. While he loves games, he’s most interested in experiential VR that explores narrative, human connection and other such themes. He’s also the host of Upload’s VR Showcases, which you should definitely watch.
Copyright 2021 UVR Media LLC. All RIGHTS RESERVED.
