Top 20 Best VR games for PCVR of all time (2023)

Virtual reality (VR) has come a long way since its inception, and the medium has been embraced by the gaming industry as a way to bring players even deeper into immersive and interactive experiences. PCVR, or PC-based virtual reality, allows players to use their computer as the platform for VR games, providing a high-quality and powerful gaming experience.

With so many PCVR games available, it can be overwhelming to try and sift through them all to find the true gems. That’s where we come in. In this article, we will be highlighting some of the best PCVR games of all time, covering a range of genres and experiences to cater to all types of players. From thrilling action games to relaxing puzzle games, these titles represent the best that PCVR has to offer. So strap on your headset and get ready to dive into some of the most incredible virtual reality worlds out there.

PCVR games can be purchased through a number of channels but we will be focusing on those available from Steam. They can be used for Vive headsets, the Valve Index, WMR and even the standalone headsets like the Meta Quest 2 and Pico 4 using Virtual Desktop.

Most recent update: 23/12/2022

This list will be kept updated as new titles are released and reviews change over time. Our judging criteria takes into account the following:

– player reviews on Steam

– how the PCVR version plays (Not those purchased through the oculus or Pico store)

– our own personal experience and enjoyment

– If the games are still receiving updates or as it’s PC, how easy and active the modding community is

– Release date is displayed as the first time it was release regardless of platform

Other Virtual Reality game reviews

Top 20 Oculus Quest games of all time

Top 10 Pico 4 Games

Best VR games of 2022

20) Population One

Population One is a first-person shooter virtual reality (VR) game developed and published by BigBox VR for PC. Set in a futuristic world, the game allows players to explore, fight, and survive in a fully immersive VR environment.

In Population One, players can climb and glide across vast landscapes as they engage in intense multiplayer battles or team up with friends to complete objectives. The game features a variety of weapons and abilities for players to utilize, including a tactical shield and a grapple hook for traversing the environment.

19) Red Matter 2

Red Matter 2 is the sequel to the original Red Matter game and follows the story of the player character as they continue to investigate the titular red matter and receive a distress signal from a presumed-dead friend. The game is set in a sci-fi world and features a blend of exploration and puzzle-solving gameplay, using the player’s special claw-like devices to interact with the environment. The game also includes combat elements, although they are generally seen as the weakest part of the experience.

Red Matter 2 is praised for its rich and detailed world, creative sci-fi designs, and immersive atmosphere. The storytelling is also highlighted as a strong point, with an intriguing mystery and various twists and turns throughout the narrative. The puzzle design is also well-received, finding a balance between difficulty and clarity, and offering a variety of challenges for players to solve.

18) The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners

In The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners, players explore the city of New Orleans and interact with a variety of characters, including some familiar faces from the TV show and comics. The game features a branching narrative with multiple endings, depending on the player’s choices and actions. Players must also manage their resources, craft items, and make strategic decisions in order to survive.

The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is known for its intense and immersive VR gameplay, which utilizes the player’s physical movements and actions to interact with the environment and combat enemies. The game also features realistic physics, allowing players to utilize objects in the environment as weapons or barricades.

17) Skryim VR (with Mods)

Skyrim VR features all of the content from the original game, including the main storyline and numerous side quests, as well as the ability to customize and develop the player character through a variety of skills and abilities. The VR version also includes the Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn expansions, which add even more content to the game.

One of the notable aspects of Skyrim is the modding community, which has created a vast array of modifications and additions to the game. These mods can range from simple cosmetic changes to major gameplay overhauls and new quests, and they are available on the Steam Workshop and other modding websites. The modding scene for Skyrim is quite active and there are a wide variety of mods available, so players can customize their experience and add new content to the game to their heart’s desire.

Our personal favorite mod is Dragonborn Speaks Naturally. This simple mod adds speech recognition to dialog options. It takes immersion to the next level!

16) Thrill of the fight

The Thrill of the Fight is a virtual reality (VR) boxing game developed and published by Ian Fitz for PC and Oculus Quest. In The Thrill of the Fight, players step into the role of a boxer and engage in immersive and realistic boxing matches against a variety of opponents. It uses realistic physics to simulate the experience of boxing, allowing players to throw punches, block, and dodge as they would in real life. Players can also customize their boxer’s appearance and attributes, and progress through a career mode to unlock new opponents and challenges.

The Thrill of the Fight is known for its intense and immersive VR gameplay, which requires players to physically move and react to their opponent’s actions. The game also features detailed graphics and realistic character animations, further adding to the sense of immersion.

15) Demeo

Demeo: PC Edition is a VR tabletop role-playing game (RPG) developed by Resolution Games. It is a port of the award-winning VR game and supports up to four players in cross-platform multiplayer. The game features five classes for players to choose from: hunter, sorcerer, assassin, guardian, and bard. It includes three adventures: The Black Sarcophagus, Realm of the Rat King, and Roots of Evil and the Curse of the serpent Lord, we are still expecting one more adventure. Demeo is a turn-based dungeon crawler where players have two actions per turn and must fight their way through the first two levels to unlock the stairs to the next level, facing the final boss and minions on the third level. The game has received praise for its immersive atmosphere, addictive gameplay, and replay value

14) I Expect You to Die 2

I Expect You To Die 2: The Spy and the Liar is a virtual reality (VR) puzzle game developed and published by Schell Games for PC and PlayStation 4. The game is a sequel to the popular VR puzzle game I Expect You To Die and follows the continuing adventures of secret agent Dr. Zor.

In I Expect You To Die 2, players use motion controls to interact with the environment and solve puzzles as they progress through a series of missions as Dr. Zor. The game features a variety of challenging puzzles that require players to think critically and use their problem-solving skills to progress.

I Expect You To Die 2 is known for its immersive and humorous VR gameplay, as well as its challenging and varied puzzles. The game also features a variety of environments to explore, each with their own set of challenges and secrets to uncover.

13) Into the Radius

A first-person shooter (FPS) developed and published by CM Games for PC. The game is set in a post-apocalyptic world where players must explore a mysterious and dangerous zone known as the Radius, filled with mutated creatures and other dangers.

In Into the Radius, players use motion controls to interact with the environment and combat enemies using a variety of weapons, including guns, bows, and explosives. The game features realistic physics and destructible environments, allowing players to use the environment to their advantage in combat.

Into the Radius is known for its immersive and atmospheric VR gameplay, as well as its realistic weapon handling and physics-based gameplay. The game also features a variety of environments to explore, each with their own set of challenges and secrets to uncover.

12) Ragnarock

The Viking version of Beatsaber! This game set in a fantasy world inspired by Norse mythology. Players take on the form of a Viking captain commanding a ship. You must smash your hammers to the beat of the songs to be the best captain in the land.

There are music packs and custom songs available making the replayability strong. Read our full review for more information.

11) Boneworks

Boneworks is a virtual reality (VR) action-adventure game developed and published by Stress Level Zero for PCVR. The game features a variety of realistic weapons, including guns, swords, and hammers, as well as more unconventional tools like scissors and hammers. Players can also utilize their physical abilities, such as climbing and throwing objects, to navigate and solve puzzles.

Boneworks is known for its immersive and realistic VR gameplay, as well as its challenging and varied combat encounters. The game also features a variety of environments to explore, including factories, labs, and forests, each with their own set of challenges and secrets to uncover.

Bonelabs, the sequel is now available but is not quite as strong as the original.

10) Pistol Whip

Pistol Whip, developed and published by Cloudhead Games, is set in a stylized and neon-drenched world, where players must defeat waves of enemies using a variety of weapons and abilities.

Pistol Whip is highly regarded for its unique and intense VR gameplay, as well as its challenging and varied combat encounters. Playing with the modifiers available like brawler, scavenger and vengeance turn this game into a solid lower body work out too.

Full written review

9) Pavlov

It was difficult to place either Pavlov or Contractors ahead of one another. Both are extremely good multiplayer FPS games. Pavlov was developed and published by davevillz. The game is set in a realistic and immersive VR environment and features fast-paced and intense combat, as well as a variety of weapons and customization options. Pavlov VR also includes both casual and competitive game modes, as well as custom content created by the community. Overall, Pavlov VR is a highly rated and immersive VR FPS game that offers a realistic and engaging VR shooting experience for players.

8) Contractors

A military shooter game that offers fast-paced and intense gameplay for players. The game features a variety of game modes, including casual and competitive options, as well as offline and online co-op missions and a challenging zombie survival mode.

The best part about Contractors is how easy it is to mod. You simply chose the mod pack you would like to play from the in game menu, wait for it to download and then you can instantly play games like “Halo VR”.

7) Moss

The game is set in a fantastical world and follows the story of Quill, a small mouse on a quest to save her uncle and restore peace to her kingdom.

In Moss Book 1, players explore beautiful environments and solve challenging puzzles using motion controls to interact with the environment. The game features immersive and atmospheric VR gameplay, as well as engaging and intuitive combat mechanics.

Moss Book 2 is also available as of October 2022.

6) Beat Saber

Beat Saber is a virtual reality (VR) rhythm game developed and published by Beat Games. In the game, players use motion controls to slash through blocks representing musical beats with a pair of glowing swords. The game features a variety of levels set to licensed music tracks, with each level featuring unique patterns of blocks that players must follow to the beat.

Beat Saber combines fast-paced action with satisfying VR gameplay and has become one of the most popular VR games of all time. The game is known for its challenging and addictive gameplay, as well as its wide variety of music tracks and customization options. Players can unlock new songs, swords, and other customization options as they progress through the game.

Read Full Beat Saber review

5) The Room VR: A dark Matter

The Room VR: A Dark Matter is a virtual reality (VR) puzzle game developed and published by Fireproof Games. In the game, players are transported to a mysterious mansion and must use their wits and puzzle-solving skills to uncover the secrets hidden within.

The game plays so well in VR it has cemented itself in the top 5.

4) Walkabout Mini Golf

Walkabout Mini Golf is a highly rated and immersive VR mini golf game that offers a fun and enjoyable VR experience for players. The game’s immersive and challenging environments, as well as its intuitive and realistic gameplay mechanics, make it a standout title in the VR genre. Players can enjoy a single player campaign or compete with friends in multiplayer modes, making it a great game for both solo play and social VR experiences. Overall, Walkabout Mini Golf is a fun and engaging VR game that offers a unique and enjoyable VR experience for players.

3) Half Life 2: VR Mod

While this might technically be cheating, Half Life 2: VR mod needed to be included in this list of the best PCVR games.

It’s a is a free (if you own the PC version of Half Life 2), open beta available on Steam that allows players to experience the iconic 2004 shooter in virtual reality. The mod has been in development for nearly 10 years and was created by the Source VR Mod Team. It includes the entire main campaign and allows players to hold, examine, and fight with classic video game weapons in a 3D space. The mod is still in development and has a public roadmap for future updates.

2) Blade and Sorcery

Potentially one of the biggest “PC masterrace” differences. Blade and Sorcery on PCVR compared to the standalone version, Blade and Sorcery: Nomads on the Quest 2 and Pico 4 is night and day.

Blade & Sorcery is a VR optimized RPG sandbox with full physics driven melee, ranged and magic combat.

In general, the PC VR version of Blade and Sorcery offers a visually better experience due to the higher graphical capabilities of PC VR systems. The PC VR version also has additional content, features, gameplay improvements that are not available on the standalone VR version. This includes the highly regarded dungeons and there is also a huge amount of community content that is only on the PC.

1) Half Life: Alyx

I know, yet another list that puts Half Life: Alyx at the number one position. But it’s that popular for a reason!

It is the fifth main game in the Half-Life series and the first new Half-Life game in over 13 years.

In Half-Life: Alyx, players control Alyx Vance, a young woman who is fighting against the alien Combine forces that have taken over the Earth. Players use motion controls to wield a variety of weapons and engage in immersive and intense combat against the Combine. The game is set in the Half-Life universe and features a story that expands upon the events of the previous games in the series.

What sets it apart is how well it implements VR controls, story telling, immersive environment, creepy combat… its impossible to fault!