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VR Recommendations

Last updated December 2022 by Dan C.

My personal VR Rig

I personally recommend all of the things in this list. I have had other things, but they have slowly been replaced by this equipment.

Here is a picture of the wall where I store most of my gear. I have the joysticks and wheel attached to small portable tables, so they can be pushed against a wall when not in use.

I had a 7' x 10' room that was previously used for storage. It turned out to be the perfect space for the VR Treadmill and a full-size bed. The bed is at the perfect height so I can type on the keyboard when necessary (while still standing on the treadmill), but it never gets in the way when running.

VR Hardware Ideas

I get most of my VR news/reviews from these YouTubers:

Here is Cas's VR Buying Guide from December 2022: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0zEO2nFfBQ

And here is a similar video from December 2019 with some details of older options: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3CQEdqOKb8

Each of those YouTubers has nearly every VR headset that has been released in the past few years (in many cases, the vendors supplied them for free in exchange for their honest reviews).

Out of all those headsets, two really stand out: The Valve Index and the Oculus Quest. In many ways, they are at opposite ends of a spectrum, and all the others have compromises that are not very good value propositions (in my opinion).

The Valve Index:

  • Costs $1,000 plus the cost of a modern gaming PC
  • Requires "lighthouses" to be installed in the room for tracking
  • Provides nearly perfect tracking of motion controllers and the headset
  • Has the best motion controllers available (in my opinion)
  • https://store.steampowered.com/valveindex

The Oculus Quest 2:

  • Costs $400 and is a standalone unit (no gaming PC required, though it can be connected to a gaming PC to play most of the same games as the Valve Index or Oculus Rift)
  • Uses "inside-out" tracking, so there is no need to install lighthouses
  • Requires that the controllers remain in front of the user (so that the headset's cameras can see them)
  • https://www.oculus.com/quest/?locale=en_US

The HP Reverb G2 (v2) and Vive Pro 2 are also compelling options that were released in the past 2 years.

I personally love playing games that work best with the lighthouse-based tracking. Archery games, for example, require me to reach over my shoulder, pick up an arrow, knock it, and then hold one controller behind my head as I aim. That style of game simply doesn't work with the Oculus headsets (or Windows Mixed Reality, which seemed almost dead before the HP Reverb G2 was released).

Before the Valve Index, I had an HTC Vive. I loved it (and it used the same lighthouse tracking system). But the Valve Index (and other more recently released headsets) have a much higher resolution. For games like Elite Dangerous, the extra resolution means the difference between reading instruments at a glance from the commander's chair and having to lean forward to get a closer view. (Elite Dangerous is absolutely amazing in VR, especially for space geeks like me).

The most recent HTC headsets have not been very good (Vive Pro, Vive Cosmos), especially when compared to the Valve Index. They are basically the same price, but with fewer features. The Oculus Rift requires a gaming PC and uses inside-out tracking. For many styles of games, that is good enough. But I am spoiled since I've had the lighthouse tracking setup for years now.

One final note for this section: It took me about 6 months to get my "VR legs." The first time I accidentally strafed sideways in Skyrim, I literally fell on the floor. Most games offer teleport motion instead of sliding motion, and they can narrow the field of view while moving. Those help some people quite a lot. But after a couple of years I can stand still with no problem as I travel through 3D space, and I only occasionally stumble while standing on intense VR roller coaster rides. An interesting side-effect is that my brain seems to have rewired a bit: When I am outside VR, I can spin around a dozen times and not feel dizzy.

The following is split into two sections, one for PC-based VR that tends to have better graphics but requires a high-end computer, and one for the Oculus Quest 2. I have both, and use both for different styles of games.

Steam VR

(Using Valve Index, Oculus Quest 2, or other headset connected to a gaming PC)

Note that I do not play many shooters, but they are among the most popular VR games. If you are interested in more games with guns, check out Beer and Headshots on YouTube and Twitch.

General Tips

  1. On the Valve Index, target frame rates can be set to 80, 90, 120, or 144 fps. Higher frame rates do add to the immersion a bit by increasing responsiveness, but at the cost of decreased graphics settings. I personally leave it set to 80 fps and turn up a few things like texture resolution and animation quality.
  2. Start with graphics settings as low as possible, then increase the settings that matter most to you if you can hit the target frame rate. It is important to maintain a steady frame rate in order to have a good experience.
  3. I highly recommend using FpsVR. It displays the actual framerate along with hints about whether the CPU or GPU is having trouble keeping up. With that, you can customize settings to find the right balance. https://store.steampowered.com/app/908520/fpsVR/
  4. Many modern games seem to detect the first available gamepad/joystick and then stop. Star Wars Squadrons, for example, will ignore an X52 HOTAS if it finds another joystick connected. I recommend only connecting the gamepad/joystick that you plan to use during a game session.

Games and Experiences

This is split into several sections. Many (most?) VR games are relatively short experiences. Some may provide hours of enjoyment (such as exercise games and relaxation games), but very few are comparable to the latest AAA quality game from a large studio.

Most of these are available on Steam (just search the title), and a few are from itch.io. Feel free to disagree about the relative merits of the games, these are just my opinions. There are many other free VR games/experiences on Steam and Itch.io that I have tried but have not included here. Ben Plays VR shares his favorite free games every few months.

Top Quality VR Games

These are not necessarily AAA-quality games, but I consider them to be excellent in terms of game play or graphics.

  1. Half Life: Alyx - Absolutely amazing in terms of graphics and gameplay. Quite terrifying at times.
  2. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR - I still play this regularly (and I swap out mods every few months)
  3. Fallout 4 VR - The best way to experience Fallout 4
  4. Star Wars: Squadrons - To me, this was exactly what I wanted from most previous Star Wars games, and it was finally possible. I started playing with an X-52 HOTAS, and now I play with a HOSAS setup.
  5. Elite Dangerous - I have played with an X-52 HOTAS and a HOSAS setup using VKB Gladiator NXT joysticks, and it is an excellent space sim. I run a squadron in Elite:Dangerous, so I am probably a bit biased.
  6. No Man's Sky - I know it had a lot of problems initially, but after 7 years it is an amazing VR game.
  7. BoneWorks - An amazing Physics Sandbox (with robot-zombie-like enemies)
  8. The Talos Principle VR - Absolutely stunning visuals and the puzzle game play is excellent in VR
  9. Grip: Combat Racing - Definitely not for those that get motion sickness from VR, but I love it. I play with an Xbox One controller.
  10. Moss - An interesting take on a 3D platformer where the VR player is looking down at the scene
  11. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 - It does not run very well in VR on my rig, but it would be fun if it did. Hopefully they will improve the VR performance.
  12. Blade and Sorcery - A bit too realistic for my taste, but if you want to swing a sword at a person and see the results, then this is amazing.
  13. Star Trek: Bridge Crew - Complete missions as one of 4 crew members on the bridge in the Star Trek Universe. Single Player or Multi-player over the Internet. Hilarious and fun.
  14. Zenith MMO - MMO RPG with some unique gameplay mechanics that is a lot of fun.

VR Exercise

I get most of my exercise from VR. I recommend investing in an anti-fatigue mat (both because it is comfortable to stand on and because it helps find the center of a room)

  1. Beat Saber - Mostly electronic music, but they have been branching out more.
  2. Box VR - The best VR workout I have found
  3. Until You Fall - I bought it for the Synthwave soundtrack, but it is an amazing workout
  4. Knockout League - Remember "Punch Out!!" on the NES? This is the game those developers wanted to make. It has the same basic mechanics (lean to the side to dodge, and punch when the opponent is distracted), and it is an amazing workout. The cartoon-y characters are a big plus.
  5. PowerBeats VR - Punch rocks instead of hitting them with a lightsaber
  6. Space Pirate Trainer - It is possible to just stand still while playing, but it can be a great workout if the player moves around.
  7. To The Top - Parkour challenges
  8. Ragnarok - Rhythm game that involves drumming on a boat

VR Relaxation

  1. VR Regatta - I love sailing in real life, and this is an excellent VR sailing sim
  2. Catch & Release - An excellent Cartoon-y fishing sim
  3. Google Earth VR - Relaxing and Cool to travel around the World
  4. Ultimate Fishing Simulator VR - It is less cartoon-y than Catch & Release
  5. Guided Meditation VR - Quite a few scenes with many music and guided meditation options
  6. Nature Treks VR - Many scenes to walk around in
  7. Ocean Rift - Many underwater scenes to relax in
  8. CyubeVR - Made-for-VR resource gathering/crafting game that is similar to Minecraft

VR Party Games

Many of these are quite fun when playing solo as well.

  1. Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes - One person in the VR headset has 3 minutes to defuse a bomb. Other people have the bomb defusal manual.
  2. Summer Funland - Carnival style mini-games
  3. The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets - A fun series of stories with seek-and-find challenges
  4. Job Simulator - Play as a robot in a be-a-human simulator
  5. Mad Factory - Make cookies based on orders (quite hilarious if the VR player narrates)
  6. Acron: Attack of the Squirrels - The VR player is a tree, and other players (on smartphones) are squirrels that try to steal the tree's acorns
  7. The Lab - This was meant as a tech demo from Valve, but it has some great mini-games
  8. Aperture Hand Lab - Made by Valve to show off the Valve Index controllers. It is hilarious.
  9. Angry Birds VR: Isle of Pigs - What you'd expect from a VR Angry Birds game
  10. VR Furballs - A lot like Angry Birds
  11. Crashimals - A lot like Angry Birds, but the projectiles are airplanes that can be directed
  12. Carly and the Reaperman - Asymmetrical multiplayer platformer (one person in VR, one person at mouse/keyboard)
  13. I Expect you to Die - 3D Spatial puzzle where you have to escape from various scenarios that James Bond might find himself in
  14. King Kaiju - Be a kaiju attacking a city
  15. Egg Time - Collect eggs and put them in a basket. From itch.io.
  16. DEXED - A fun arcade style game with unique targeting. Actually quite relaxing in Zen mode.
  17. Spellbound Spire - This is an amazing "impossible physics" game
  18. Sommad - The VR player navigates a maze while other players give directions based on what they see on the monitor.

Great games/experiences that I play regularly but don't fit above

  1. Windlands - Cartoon-y puzzle/adventure game inspired by Spider Man
  2. X Rebirth VR Edition - Single-player Space RPG
  3. Orbus VR - This is an MMORPG. Still a work-in-progress in my opinion, but it is good (just not amazing yet)
  4. Psychonauts and the Rhombus of Ruin - If you were a fan of the Psychonauts game, then this is great
  5. Ultrawings - Cartoon-y flight sim
  6. Xing: The land beyond - A good RPG
  7. Redout: Enhanced Edition - Like Wipeout in VR. Definitely not for those that get motion sickness. Not as good as Grip: Combat Racing.
  8. Marble Land - Setup a course to get a marble from point A to point B
  9. Megaton Rainfall - Save a city like Superman
  10. Tin Hearts - Puzzle game where the player assembles a course for toy soldiers to travel.
  11. Derail Valley - A First-person Train simulator
  12. Starbear: Taxi - Third-person Puzzle game where the player controls a space taxi
  13. Water Bears VR - Puzzle game where the player connects Pipes in 3D to get water to a (cute) giant tardigrade
  14. Falcon Age VR - Great RPG with neat gameplay mechanics
  15. Chess Ultra - Play chess in VR
  16. Project Cars 2 - Racing game
  17. Asetto Corsa - Racing game

VR Utilities

Not exactly games, but these are quite helpful.

  1. Natural Locomotion - This allows you to move in most games (any games that support sliding/smooth locomotion) by swinging your arms or walking in-place. Great exercise with Vive Trackers attached to feet, and it also helps many people with motion sickness.
  2. FPS VR - The best way to monitor CPU/GPU Utilization while tweaking graphics settings. It also has some auxiliary perks, like a "chord unwinding" overlay on the ground that can be very helpful for active games where you rotate frequently.

Social VR games

Here me out. I was skeptical about this category for several years. When I first tried VRChat, I was overwhelmed by the foul language and rude people. When I first tried Rec Room, I clearly did not fit the definition of "cool" that most people were using. But then I realized: I can create private invite-only rooms. The Worlds that users have created in VRChat and Rec Room are amazing, and now I can enjoy them in peace. My sister and I are both grown up and live in different states, but at least once every 2 weeks we meet up in VRChat or Rec Room to hang out.

  1. VRChat - This is the closest thing to the Oasis from Ready Player One that I have found. Users can create Worlds and Avatars, and other users can enjoy them. I recommend only playing in Invite-only rooms with people you know.
  2. Rec Room - There are some excellent mini-games in Rec Room, and the graphics are lightweight/cartoon-y. Again, I recommend only playing in Invite-only rooms with people you know.

VR Experiences worth playing once

  1. We Are Stars - 3D/360 Video that explains space science quite well
  2. NVIDIA VR Funhouse - Carnival mini-games
  3. Naked Sun - Poorly named, it reminds me of the on-rails arcade games like Time Crisis
  4. GNOG - 3D Spatial puzzle game
  5. Adventure Climb VR - Climb a rock wall
  6. Rampage VR - Destroy a city as one of the characters from the "Rampage" movie
  7. Google Spotlight Stories - There is a whole series of these 3D/360 videos with great stories
  8. Spider-Man: Far From Home VR Experience - This was promotional material for the movie, but it is an amazing Spider-Man simulator

Oculus Quest 2

(standalone, with no gaming PC)

General Tips

  1. Be sure to adjust the Inter Pupillary Distance for each user, it makes a big difference for clarity
  2. I wear glasses, and my vision is bad enough that I need them for VR. Instead of wearing narrow glasses inside the headset (which totally works), I use these prescription lenses from VR Wave. The headset wears the glasses so I don't need to, and they are easy to remove when I let someone else try the headset. https://www.vr-wave.store/products/oculus-quest-prescription-lenses-new
  3. Experiment with teleport motion and free motion in games that support both. Teleporting usually causes less motion sickness.

Games and Experiences

The same comments from the Steam VR section apply here too: This is split into several sections. Many VR games are relatively short experiences. Some may provide hours of enjoyment (such as exercise games and relaxation games), but very few are comparable to the latest AAA quality game from a large studio.

One of the things I love about the Oculus Quest 2 is that you can start by playing the standalone games, and then connect it to a gaming PC at some point in the future to play even more games (basically all the games mentioned above in the Steam VR section)

Games that I recommend

These are the games that I play most on my Oculus Quest 2.

  1. Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge - This is an Oculus exclusive, and it has a series of great stories to play through, that all take place on Batuu (near the Black Spire Outpost that you can visit in real-life at Walt Disney World or Disneyland). Even after finishing the story, I still play because it is a very immersive experience.
  2. VR Chat - As mentioned above, I always play in private rooms to avoid toxic people, but some of the Worlds people have created are stunning and it is totally free to play.
  3. Rec Room - Lots of great mini-games in a multiplayer environment. It supports 'crossplay' between Oculus and Steam, so I like to play Frisbee Golf with my son in the other headset.
  4. Star Wars Pinball VR - I am a huge Pinball fan...and this is an amazing way to play some of the Star Wars tables that I will never have room for in my house.
  5. Myst - The classic game, with all the same puzzles, but in VR with free motion.
  6. Tetris Effect - If you like playing Tetris, this is a very neat way to play.
  7. Real VR Fishing - Chill by a lake and fish.
  8. Warplanes: WW1 Fighters - This is a surprisingly good airplane combat game. The flight model is simpler than that of Microsoft Flight Simulator, but it is decent, and I like the control scheme.
  9. Zenith MMO - MMO RPG with some unique gameplay mechanics that is a lot of fun.

Experiences and Entertainment

One of the things I like most about the Oculus Quest is that it is a great portable way to watch movies and experience things that aren't exactly games.

  1. Youtube VR - Lots of great 360 degree videos of landscapes and wildlife from around the world.
  2. Bigscreen Beta - This is a free app that has lots of free videos to watch in a virtual theatre. They also sell tickets to watch movies in a virtual theatre with lots of other VR users.
  3. Virtual Desktop - I use this quite a lot, it basically allows you to connect to a PC and stream the desktop to a large movie screen in the headset. With it, you can watch streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ through a web browser on your computer.
  4. Beat Saber - Great exercise and practice for hand-eye coordination.
  5. FitXR - This is by the same team that created BoxVR on PC. The subscription is optional, and the 8 or so free lessons are an absolutely amazing core workout.
  6. Gravity Sketch - For those that are artistic, this is quite amazing...some days I spend way too much time drawing in 3D space.
  7. Guided Meditation VR - Relaxing environments with mood-setting musing and a choice of guided meditations.

Games I play on Steam VR that also have an Oculus Quest version

I have not played most of these on Quest 2, but the PC VR version is great, so the portable Oculus Quest version is likely also great.

  1. Orbus VR - This is a Massively Multiplayer Online game. The graphics are not particularly amazing, but it runs smoothly and it is a fun world to run around in.
  2. A Township Tale - Another MMO that reminds me a bit of Zelda games. I played a demo a year or so ago, and it has been getting great reviews now that it is officially released.
  3. Carly and the Reaperman - This is a great example of an "asymmetric multiplayer game". One person is on a computer playing a 3D platformer game, and the VR player is a giant skeleton that can interact and rearrange objects to help solve the puzzles.
  4. Moss - An interesting take on a 3D platformer where the VR player is looking down at the scene from above. It is one of the more expensive Oculus games ($30 at the moment), but it is worth it and it's a must-play game for anyone that likes platformers.