The 20 best PSVR games and experiences available now | EyeEngage | Virtual reality

The 20 best PSVR games and experiences available now – 2021 edition

Sony’s PSVR, though released back in 2016, is still one of the best selling VR headsets to date. It helped to propel the VR gaming industry in its early years, largely thanks to the fact Sony also had one of the best selling consoles in the world, the PS4, to play it on. Not only did this mean gamers didn’t need to purchase an expensive gaming PC, but they already knew Sony had access to an awesome games library.

Sony has leveraged more than 25 years of industry experience to create an impressive line-up for its PS4-based headset. The original PSVR headset will work with either the PS4 or PS5, and it’s bound to get even better once the the recently announced PSVR for PS5 hardware arrives next year, but there’s still plenty on offer for the time being.

The PSVR doesn’t have hand tracking (at least not yet), but it does have a few additional accessories to help improve the experience of some games, such as the Aim Controller. Check out the full list of aim controller compatible games here.

What are the best PSVR games you can play today?

We’ve compiled a list of the 20 best games that the Sony PSVR has to offer today. Each game or experience is so different to the next its hard to say which one is the ‘best overall’, so in no particular order;

The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners

Release date: January 2020
Price (some platforms may vary): $29.99/£29.99
Platforms: Oculus, Steam, Windows, PSVR
Developer: Skydance Interactive
Game time: ~15 hours

In this zombie infested world you’ll play as the Tourist, a survivor renowned for seemingly being immune to the fictional virus that has taken over the bodies of everyone in The Walking Dead universe. You work your way through the forsaken streets in the remains of New Orleans following a rumour about a limitless supply called the Reserve.

Just like the TV franchise the game is based on, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is a lesson in survival. Taking place in a place where death is everywhere, enemies are around every corner and friends are a very rare commodity indeed.

Saints & Sinners packs plenty of action into a full, intense, zombie killing VR campaign. Saints & Sinners will still be one of the best virtual reality games for some time to come.

Beat Saber

Release date: May 2019
Price (some platforms may vary): $24.99/£22.99
Platforms: Oculus, Steam, Windows, PSVR
Developer: Beat Games
Game time: Unlimited

With everything developers can make possible with VR, perhaps the one that is often referred to as virtual realities ‘killer app’ is this immensely fun rhythm-based game complete with knock-off Lightsabers.

Its almost seems ridiculous to put such a ‘simple’ game in our best list, but this is just one of those games that you simply have to play to understand just why it is such a popular hit. Beat Saber is a game where you must channel your inner Jedi to break oncoming blocks with certain actions. There will obstacles to dodge and the higher the level the more intense the workout. And we do mean workout – youll have so much fun playing you almost forget how this game can make you sweat. Throw in some of our favourite songs to the mix and you have a game you can play for hours.

You can purchase additional song packs to keep it fresh, and you can even add your own custom songs to Beat Saber using mod assistant for free.

Hitman 3

Release date: January 2021
Price (some platforms may vary): $59.99/£54.99
Platforms: PSVR
Developer: IO Interactive
Game time: 8 hours (the missions are repayable though and offer different outcomes)

This game wasn’t actually released just for VR, more like, as well as. The Hitman franchise has been around since 2000 and has proved to be a massive success on PC and console. The decision to take the game in virtual reality got us excited, and slightly disappointed. Excited because VR seems like a natural fit for the Hitman series, yet disappointed because it will only be available on PSVR.

Stepping into the shoes of Agent 47 in VR gives you plenty for your money. Every mission in the entire ‘World Of Assassination’ trilogy will be playable in VR, as long as you own the previous games. If you just own Hitman III, you’ll only be able to access the latest campaign. But, you can still go to the store page and purchase or download the access pass for Hitman and Hitman 2. The game will automatically import these levels into Hitman III for you so they can be played in VR.

The Hitman VR game is actually a display mode, not a special section of the game itself. Therefore, any and all progress you make inside VR is carried outside VR, and vice versa. So you can switch between regular gaming on the TV or in VR. Think of it as an alternate camera mode for the game.

Wipeout: The Omega Collection

Release date: March 2018 (VR, console release 2017)
Price (some platforms may vary): $19.99/£21.99
Platforms: PSVR
Developer: XDev, Clever Beans, Creative Vault Studios
Game time: Unlimited

The Omega Collection has actually been available since 2017 on console, but opened up its VR capabilities in 2018. It combines elements of the last three games in the series (HD, Fury, and 2048) under one game to create an exhaustive total package. It comes with a total of 26 tracks and 46 ships models – plus there’s another three added in VR. There also plenty to do across its nine game modes. All of this content can be accessed in PSVR as it comes as a free update for everyone that owns the game.

Everything we loved about Wipeout is here but with a new lease of life thanks to VR. You’ll take a seat in the cockpit, blasting around the circuits, air-braking around corners and letting guns fire out in front of you. Combine the extensive career mode with plenty of online play and it’s both Wipeout as you remember it, but experienced as you’ve always wanted. One of the very best games you can get on PSVR yet.

Superhot VR

Release date: July 2020 (VR, console release 2016)
Price (some platforms may vary): $19.99/£18.99
Platforms: PSVR, Oculus, Windows, Steam
Developer: Superhot Team
Game time: Unlimited

Superhot is one of the most instantly rewarding game to play in VR. In Superhot you kind of feel like you become Neo in the Matrix. Time moves only when you do. So when you stay still, the world around you stays frozen too. Every time you move your arm or your body, the world around you bursts back into life. It’s an experience in which you are aware of every inch of your body.

Superhot is one of those game you can jump in and out casually and still have great fun. The objective in every level is to hit all of the red crystal enemies that are trying to kill you. You can pick up anything you see around you and use it as a weapon – such as a bottle or a ninja star and turn them into pieces. You can even choose to go old school and punch them in the face, if they get too close. It doesn’t matter what you hit them with, as long as something makes contact with their red bodies they’re eliminated.

Skyrim VR

Release date: November 2017 (VR, console release 2011)
Price (some platforms may vary): $29.99/£28.99
Platforms: PSVR, Windows, Steam
Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
Game time: ~30 hours

Skyrim in VR is a great way to relive the wonder of the original game in virtual reality. If you’ve never played it before this is a great entry point to enjoy a classic. When diving into this virtual world, it’s clear that this is exactly the same Skyrim that many know and love. One criticism is that unfortunately, at this point the graphics do seem kind of dated. The game is a decade old and the gaming world moves fast, but we can forgive it a little here.

The story itself is great and the game has epic scale and freedom for you to roam across. The VR mechanics are very immersive and its both a challenging game, but one that’s also easy to play. The hardest part is standing on your feet for hours at a time – which believe us – you will, its addictive.

Star Wars: Squadrons

Release date: October 2020
Price (some platforms may vary): $29.99/£28.99
Platforms: PSVR, Windows, Steam
Developer: Motive Studios
Game time: ~10 hours for campaign

Star Wars: Squadrons VR has made many a nerds dreams come true. Putting players inside the cockpit of an X-Wing, TIE Fighters and other iconic Star Wars battle ships and letting them fight it out in a stunning single-player campaign or in multiplayer battles.

Squadrons is already a lot of fun to play on in 2D, but in VR, it quickly transforms into one of the most exciting and truly immersive experiences you can have in gaming. The superbly detailed cockpits and authentic Star Wars edge really do bring out your inner child. You’ll be flying around arenas with your squadrons blasting enemies right out of the sky. There are a few Star Wars VR experiences out there today but Squadrons is one of the best games period, let alone one of the best PSVR games.

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

Release date: January 2017
Price (some platforms may vary): $19.99/£19.99
Platforms: PSVR, Windows, Steam
Developer: Capcom
Game time: ~9 hours

Capcom’s 2017 reboot of its beloved horror franchise certainly scores hard in the scare department. Even on a flat-screen the game had it fair share of scares but the switch to first-person puts the horror right in front of you. You’ll want to close your eyes as you fight your way through the Baker mansion.

This epic horror is still one of the most high-profile VR games out there today. A truely huge AAA production feautring some of the best visuals you’re likely to find inside a headset. There’s a full campaign with plenty of variety to keep you on your toes. It’s certainly a well-paced thriller and incredibly tense at times with plenty of genuine scares.

If you’re looking for a top level PS4 game with full PSVR support, Resident Evil 7 should be top of your list. Available on the PS4, and despite being released a few years ago now, it still remains probably one of the scariest things you can see in virtual reality.

Blood & Truth

Release date: May 2019
Price (some platforms may vary): $14.99/£14.99
Platforms: PSVR
Developer: London Studio
Game time: ~5 hours

Blood & Truth takes place in modern day London but what makes Blood & Truth great is that it isn’t ‘just’ a simple shooter. Put on your PlayStation VR headset and become elite Special Forces soldier Ryan Marks, an ex-SAS soldier whose family run a London crime gang.

Every level has different types of interactions and mechanics to explore. And while its story might be a little on the cheesy side, its character models and set pieces are unmatched. Aside from simple shooting down enemies there is some variation to the gameplay through lockpicking and fuse-breaking mini-games.

Firewall: Zero Hour

Release date: August 2018
Price (some platforms may vary): $24.99/£19.99
Platforms: PSVR
Developer: First Contact Entertainment
Game time: Unlimited

PSVR’s Aim controller certainly makes Firewall Zero Hour a real standout title for VR. The feeling of holding an assault rifle in your hand makes playing the game feel even more immersive. Developers are still adding new content like more maps and perks to the game even years after release.

You choose from one of the 12 contractors who are hired by an anonymous group of handlers to take on objectives to either protect or obtain valuable data stored on a laptop which is located in a number of dangerous locations across the globe. This FPS doesnt have a campaign mode but the online play will keep you entertained for hours.

Pistol Whip

Release date: November 2019
Price (some platforms may vary): $24.99/£19.99
Platforms: PSVR, Oculus, Steam, Windows
Developer: Cloudhead games
Game time: Unlimited

In Pistol Whip, you stand on what is essentially a virtual moving platform – the kind you might find in an airport – and glide through the various environments. You wont just stand still though, you’ll be ducking and shifting side-to-side as you attempt to dodge oncoming bullets and walls.

Pistol Whip is similar to Superhot or Beat Saber, but whereas Beat Saber wants to get you dancing like a Jedi master, Pistol Whip aims to be a rhythmic shoot-out fused with a cinematic scenery of its own. Pistol Whip is great fun even on the easiest difficulty setting, making it suitable for VR players no matter their skill level. Like any videogame of this type, there can be an overly repetitive value to the gameplay.

Your job is to survive by shooting every bad guy down, all while trying to dodge their slow-moving bullets. It sounds easy but the catch is that just randomly shooting the bad guys down will give out fewer points. To maximize your score, you must try to shoot your gun to the beat of the music being played into your ears. Its all a bit mad really.

No Man’s Sky VR

Release date: August 2019 (VR, console 2016)
Price (some platforms may vary): $49.99/£49.99
Platforms: PSVR, Steam, Windows
Developer: Hello Games
Game time: ~30 hours

In No Man’s Sky you’ll be tasked with trying to piece together cryptic clues and events which will unfold across multiple planets, star systems, and systems in order to find out just what’s going on in the galaxy – and what you can do to help. It has plenty of quests to complete and after some updates from the developers, it’s actually a very guided adventure if you do choose to follow those bread crumbs.

Hello Games put in some incredible effort for this VR update, making it feel so much more native to the game rather than simply fudged together. In the universe that is No Man’s Sky, there is plenty of beautiful scenery and sounds, but also a somewhat punishing survival loop and resource gathering grind to fight back against. No Man’s Sky will probably be one of your most played VR games once you get into it. Some may say the console version is slightly toned down from the PC release, but it still reamins one of the best PSVR games.

Iron Man VR

Release date: July 2020
Price (some platforms may vary): $39.99/£34.99
Platforms: PSVR
Developer: Camouflaj
Game time: ~5 hours

When you think of the possibilities gaming in VR can bring, being Tony Stark is in many peoples minds. Donning Iron Mans suit and taking flight was worth the wait. This is a PSVR exclusive which offers a full campaign mode that has plenty of combat at the core of an interesting story. As you’d expect with anything Marvel there’s also plenty of cinematic moments and now they’re designed specifically with VR in mind.

This Sony title was developed by studio Camouflaj, the same guys behind République. They’ve done a fantastic job of bringing Iron Man to VR and despite PSVR’s tracking limitations they’ve found a way to allow players to spin around on the spot and fly in any direction. Combine this with the combat mechanics and we have been given something that brings a genuine joy of being Iron Man with the kind of gameplay we expect from more traditional games. We shouldn’t need to sell this one too much. You. Are. Iron. Man. This is easily one of the best PSVR games from 2020.

Moss

Release date: February 2018
Price (some platforms may vary): $24.99/£24.99
Platforms: PSVR, Oculus, Windows, Steam
Developer: Polyarc
Game time: ~4 hours

Moss is one of a handful of games that proved that third-person VR experiences can still become some of the best content out there. This game first came out in 2018 and is still one of the favourites gamers enjoy on the newer VR headsets like the Quest 2.

In this somewhat sweet adventure game you will help guide an adorable little mouse named Quill through many diorama-sized levels. By solving puzzles of varying complexity you’ll also be taking on other characters in some sword-based combat and you’ll build a bond with Quill over the course of your adventures together. It will feel very much like a team effort.

Farpoint

Release date: May 2017
Price (some platforms may vary): $9.99/£8.99
Platforms: PSVR
Developer: Impulse Gear
Game time: ~5 hours

Farpoint is so cheap its hard not to include it on our list. In this game you crash land on an alien planet and must survive hordes of spiders in order to find a way home. You play as a pilot who is tasked with transporting two scientists back home. They’re stranded on the Pilgrim, a space station designed to investigate a radiation anomaly near Jupiter. Naturally, things will soon go awry, with a wormhole opening that takes our character and the two scientist far away to a land inhabited by giant spiders.

The story is cheesy but has some good moments too. The action really ramps up when you get towards the back end of the campaign. There’s also an arcade mode and co-op mode included. This game works best with Sony’s PSVR Aim Controller.

Five Nights At Freddy’s VR: Help Wanted

Release date: May 2019
Price (some platforms may vary): $14.99/£14.99
Platforms: PSVR, Oculus, Windows, Steam
Developer: Steel Wool Games
Game time: ~8 hours

If you enjoy being (really) scared then Five Nights At Freddy’s VR is the closest you’ll get to that experience while in the comfort of your own home. You’ll often find that most VR horror games try to be at least a little cautious with their jump scares so that people can actually play them, but not FNAF. This game has great visual impact, and would definitely make for some funny YouTube videos capturing people trying it for the first time.

You’ll be trying to survive against a haunting army of abandoned animatronics who will stalk you throughout the game. Attempting to keep tabs on them is difficult as you’ll need to move quick to fix things without being attacked. If you’re looking for the ultimate VR scare-fest, you wont need to look beyond this house of horrors. If you can face it, its one of the best VR games out.

Statik

Release date: April 2017
Price (some platforms may vary): $11.99/£11.99
Platforms: PSVR
Developer: Tarsier Studios
Game time: ~4 hours

This is easily one of PSVR’s most inventive games. Staik is a puzzle-themed game unlike any other. Its stays incredibly immersive while blending together a great balance of tricky, but fair puzzles to solve. You’ll be supervised along the way by an odd character, Dr. Ingen. He will mumble on but its up to you to work out what he wants.

The ingenious way they utilise the Dualshock 4 controllers to create almost a pair of puzzle-locked handcuffs to ground you to the virtual world is perfect. You play the role of a test subject whose hands are trapped inside a series of increasingly complex puzzle boxes. As you grip your controller in real life, your virtual arms will mimic your real world movement. By playing around with the buttons and thumb sticks, something will click. Finding the solutions is unbelievably satisfying.

Statik has to be one of the least physically taxing VR games out there, but that doesn’t mean its not still a great experience.

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes

Release date: July 2015
Price (some platforms may vary): $11.99/£11.99
Platforms: PSVR, Oculus, Windows, Steam
Developer: Steel Crate Games
Game time: Unlimited

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is the perfect game to play with friends, or with other family members. If you know that part in the movie where the hero finds a bomb and the bad guy has inexplicably strapped a massive clock to it as it counts down to boom time – well you’re in for a treat.

There are around 32 levels to complete and what makes this seemingly easy game more difficult is that when a bomb goes off, and you play the level again, the bomb won’t be the same as before. This variety adds to the longevity of the campaign itself, and means that you can replay the game again at any time and still have a fun, albeit challenging time, especially in later levels.

You’re going to be presented with a ‘modular’ bomb housed inside a metal case. Along with the aforementioned timer are a bunch of individual components, each of which must be dealt with separately. There are the usual wires of varying colours alongside some buttons and keys labelled with words or cryptic symbols. The person wearing the headset will have no indication whatsoever regarding what to do with it.

Instructions for defusing the bomb are available either in-app or online. You’re not supposed to look at them while you’re inside the headset. Instead, a friend helps you to defuse the bomb by providing solutions to the module you’re dealing with. If you’re playing properly, they’re not supposed to be able to see the bomb, you’ll have to describe it to them. You’ll have to work as a team to defuse the bomb before it explodes. Communication is key here. Keep talking, and nobody explodes.

L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files

Release date: May 2019
Price (some platforms may vary): $24.99/£15.99
Platforms: PSVR, Oculus, Windows, Steam
Developer: Rockstar Games
Game time: 10 hours

L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files places you directly in the shoes of Detective Cole Phelps as you solve brutal crimes, plots and conspiracies inspired by real cases from 1947 Los Angeles, one of the most corrupt and violent times in L.A. history.

The game features seven cases rebuilt specifically for virtual reality. L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files adds new layers of immersion and realism to this crime thriller as you work you way to solve cases from the blockbuster original game. You’ll cover mysteries from the Detective desks of Traffic, Arson, Homicide, and more.

The detective work is surprisingly fun and you get about 10 hours of gameplay, so you’re certainly getting enough bang for your buck.

Astro Bot Rescue Mission

Release date: October 2018
Price (some platforms may vary): $19.99/£19.99
Platforms: PSVR
Developer: Japan Studio
Game time: ~8 hours

Astro Bot: Rescue Mission is a must buy for PSVR. If you search for this game online, many will say it is PlayStations killer title for PSVR, and its hard to argue with them. Astro Bot: Rescue Mission isn’t just a great VR platformer, it’s a great platforming game full stop. Instead of typically side-scrolling (like in Moss), you’ll actually be traveling forward through each level as you follow behind the main character, ASTRO.

Astro Bot Rescue Mission is actually a spin-off of a mini-game called ‘Robots Rescue’ that was part of The Playroom VR, which was a free collection of co-op mini-games bundled with PSVR. It was created by Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Japan Studio. Astro Bot Rescue Mission brings a bundle of single-player fun as you guide the loveable ASTRO, the captain bot, on a quest to recover his bot friends.

Astro Bot has 5 worlds, each with 5 levels in it and you’ll face a boss at the end of each. Each level also has a single chameleon hidden somewhere, which you collect by looking at it long enough to activate it. The chameleons will blend in to whatever surface they’re on, but make a signature noise which will give you a good idea of where to start looking. Each chameleon you find unlocks 1 of 26 challenge stages. There’s more than enough to do in this game.

Similar to the kind of adventures we loved in Nintendo’s Mario series, Astro Bot: Rescue Mission exploits virtual reality to another level. It’s quite simply unlike anything you’ll have ever played before and that makes it one of the best PlayStation VR games there is.