With the release of Sony’s PlayStation VR 2, virtual reality fans have been treated to a brand-new way to enjoy their favorite immersion-packed pastime. Fueled by the PS5’s substantial power, the next-gen VR headset significantly trumps its predecessor with a ton of tech improvements and fresh features, from 4K resolution and eye tracking to an incredibly streamlined setup process and innovative Sense controllers.
Of course, fancy features and impressive performance don’t amount to much if these elements aren’t smartly leveraged to deliver cutting-edge gaming experiences. Thankfully, the PSVR 2’s growing library is already stacked with dozens of titles, including several specifically designed or updated to take advantage of the hardware’s unique, powerful potential.
We’ve spent weeks beneath the headset testing more than 25 games, so if you’re a PSVR 2 early adopter who’s wondering how to best experience and appreciate PlayStation 5’s VR platform, you’ll want to check out our top picks below.
Crossfire: Sierra Squad offers the best shooting experience you can get in VR, thanks to its fantastic shooting mechanics and gleefully frantic pacing. Sure, its story might not make a ton of sense, but the arcade-style gameplay — reminiscent of classics like Contra — is so good that it'll have you hooked for days. In a nice touch, both Steam and PSVR 2 versions offer crossplay, so you can team up with friends regardless of platform.
In the VR remake of the 1993 classic The 7th Guest, Vertigo Studios and Exkee have transformed the interactive movie puzzle game into a full 3D experience.?And while everything from the stories to the puzzles remains the same, the full-motion video segments have been replaced with volumetric video technology featuring new actors. Anyone looking for a clever VR puzzler with some scary and campy moments should look no further.
This goofy zombie shooter builds on its predecessor with the introduction of melee combat and some really cool set pieces that feel pulled out of Call of Duty. Meanwhile, the greatest addition is Buddy, an AI companion dog that will do anything from attack zombies to retrieve items for the player.
If you picked up a PSVR 2 at launch, there’s a good chance you already owned a PlayStation 5, which also means you’re probably a fan of the platform’s exclusive first-party franchises. But it’s still worth noting that this spin-off of the popular Horizon series is an absolute must-play game. Breathtaking visuals, incredibly immersive gameplay and an absorbing side story from one of our favorite video game universes make Horizon Call of the Mountain an easy recommendation.
You needn’t be a fan of Sony’s long-running racing simulation series to appreciate Gran Turismo 7’s ability to place you in the cockpits of some of the coolest cars to ever tear up the blacktop. The ridiculously realistic experience will have you instinctively white-knuckling the wheel. Best of all, the PSVR 2 update is free to those who already have the game in their livery— er, library.
If you thought Resident Evil Village’s nearly 10-foot-tall Lady Dimitrescu was already intimidating, just wait until you encounter the stretching baddie from beneath the PSVR 2’s headset. More than just making its vampiric antagonist more terrifying, this free update leverages the claustrophobic potential of the virtual world to significantly ratchet up its frights. (Note: To play the game in VR, you'll have to own the full version of Resident Evil Village.)
Similar to Resident Evil Village above, the most current remake of RE4 also gained a VR mode for those who own Sony’s PSVR 2 and a copy of the game, cementing its place as one of the most influential titles of the past couple decades. The free addition — available as downloadable content (DLC) at the PlayStation Store — features VR-centric controls similar to previous games in the series that utilize the first-person perspective.
If the previous picks’ pulse-spiking monsters, motorsports and mountains have you craving a more relaxing VR vacation, we can’t recommend Kayak VR: Mirage enough. As peaceful as it is eye-popping, this beautiful, serene kayaking simulation game perfectly mimics the water sport — complete with realistic physics and arm motions — while immersing you in some of the medium’s most pleasant outdoor environments.
Originally released as PlayStation VR exclusives, Moss and Moss: Book 2 (available separately or as a bundle) have been a virtual reality staple for some time now, but that doesn’t make them any less worthy of a spot on this list. Updated with enhanced haptics, eye-tracking functionality and other PSVR 2-specific features, the charming fantasy action-adventure franchise is better than ever on Sony’s new platform.
Combining all the sword swinging, spell casting and loot plundering you’d expect from the fantasy genre with the 3D miniatures and dice rolls of a Dungeons & Dragons-like board game, Demeo can be braved by lone wolves but is even better when tackled by a party. The social aspect of the game is further supported with crossplay, which allows up to four evil-vanquishers to join forces over both VR and screen-based platforms.
An easy recommendation for fans of the galaxy far, far away, this updated port of the Meta Quest title retains all the blaster-firing and lightsaber-flinging action of the original but significantly beefs it up with the PSVR 2’s capabilities. Best of all, this definitive take also packs in the Last Call DLC, which significantly expands on the original game.
Tetris has come a long way since it first blistered our thumbs on the original Game Boy. But its latest iteration, Tetris Effect: Connected, is by far the best yet, featuring new modes, killer music and mesmerizing visuals — and that’s before you experience it beneath the PSVR 2 headset. In addition to offering this fresh take on a familiar classic in virtual reality, the enhanced edition synchronizes the new platform’s haptics to the soundtrack, allowing you to lose yourself in the addictive puzzler like never before.
Long before Starfield started touting its 1,000 planets, No Man’s Sky was allowing galaxy-spanning pioneers to author their own sci-fi adventures in its near-infinite universe. The action-adventure survival sim’s VR update not only retains this sense of limitless scope but also tailors it to the virtual reality platform to deliver an incredibly immersive experience with clever haptic feedback inclusions.
From Pavlov to Pistol Whip, there’s no shortage of quality shooters to dive into once you get behind the PSVR 2 goggles. But it’s The Light Brigade’s compelling blend of supernatural elements, stylized visuals and World War II weaponry that keeps us coming back even after repeated deaths. Of course, that latter element is also part of the fun, as this unconventional shooter isn’t shy about restarting your position and stealing your progress, not unlike Elden Ring or Dark Souls.
Nothing quite sells the immersive nature of virtual reality like going toe to toe with a prehistoric beast. But more than simply allowing you to stare in awe at a towering T. rex, this adrenaline-spiking adventure tests your stealth, survival and puzzle-solving skills. And like many of the aforementioned titles, this definitive collection sports enhanced visuals, peppier performance and advanced haptics to take full advantage of Sony’s next-gen VR platform.
Blasting through swarms of walking corpses alongside a squad of your buddies is fun on any platform, but After the Fall’s take on the undead end of days is especially entertaining from beneath the PSVR 2. On top of being upgraded and enhanced to leverage the new headset’s features, the first-person co-op shooter adds two new levels to its arctic post-apocalypse. Plus, crossplay support means you can team up with fellow zombie-slaying survivors on other VR platforms.
