Best VR games 2024: Our gaming highlights of the year
No year saw as many new VR games as 2024. Here is our selection of the best, most beautiful and most innovative titles.
There have been so many great VR games this year that we have not been able to include them all in our list. See the end of the article for more games worth checking out.
Note: This list includes VR and MR games.
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Alien: Rogue Incursion
- Release date: December 19, 2024
- Platforms: Playstation VR 2, Steam
Alien: Rogue Incursion is the first Alien game designed from the ground up for virtual reality.
You play as Zula Hendricks, a former member of the Colonial Marines, who travels with her synthetic companion, Davis 01, to the planet of Purdan to uncover secret experiments being conducted by the Weyland-Yutani Corporation.
Once there, you infiltrate a research facility overrun by Xenopmorphs. Using tools such as the motion scanner and weapons such as the pulse rifle and shotgun, you must combine firepower and stealth to stand up to the aliens.
Alien: Rogue Incursion will be released for Meta Quest 3 and 3S on February 13th, 2025.
Arizona Sunshine Remake
- Release date: October 17, 2024
- Platforms: Meta Quest, Pico, Playstation VR 2, Steam,
The original was released for PC VR in 2016 and took virtual reality by storm. Eight years later, Vertigo Games has released a remake that modernizes the game in every way.
As in the original, you must fight your way through the Arizona desert overrun by zombies. The goal is to find more survivors whose voices can be heard over the radio. You fight alone or in co-op with up to three other survivors against hordes of zombies in a post-apocalyptic southwestern USA.
"Arizona Sunshine Remake gets almost everything right. It captures the spirit of the original, polishes up the graphics and gameplay, and adds sensible improvements. Only a little more new content would have been nice," writes Kevin in his hands-on with Arizona Sunshine Remake.
Batman: Arkham Shadow
- Release date: October 21, 2024
- Platforms: Meta Quest 3(S)
Batman: Arkham Shadow is an official game in the Arkham series, developed exclusively for virtual reality and Meta Quest 3(S). It was named Best VR Game of the Year at the 2024 Game Awards.
Set six months after Batman: Arkham Origins, the game follows a young Batman as he battles the mysterious Rat King. The game focuses on Batman's evolution from irascible avenger to a symbol of hope.
You experience the game from a first-person perspective, with the characteristic free-flowing combat system of the Arkham series, cleverly adapted for VR. Intuitive controls allow you to attack, counterattack and use gadgets such as batarangs and smoke bombs. Stealth elements and the detective's view are crucial to your progress as you explore interconnected environments using grappling hooks and gliding.
Read more about the VR game in our review of Batman: Arkham Shadow.
Contractors Showdown
- Release date: April 25, 2024
- Platforms: Meta Quest, Steam
Contractors Showdown is the largest virtual reality battle royale to date, with up to 60 players fighting solo or in teams of three on a 16 square kilometer battlefield. The game features more realistic graphics and weapons than the genre leader Population: One, emphasizing actions such as reloading, aiming, and weapon handling.
The weapon arsenal consists of sniper rifles, shotguns, assault rifles, machine guns, pistols and more. There are also a variety of scopes, grenades, and other accessories. Our shooter expert Kevin describes the game as a cross between PUBG and Call of Duty Warzone 2.
"Overall, I really enjoyed Contractors Showdown. After the first round, I was already familiar with the controls and the pace of the game. Beginners should be able to pick up the gameplay quickly," writes Kevin in his hands-on with Contractors Showdown.
Escaping Wonderland
- Release date: September 26, 2024
- Platforms: Meta Quest, Pico
In this sequel to Into The Rabbit Hole, you play as Molly, a young woman who finds herself in Wonderland, has lost her memory there, and sets out on an adventurous quest to leave the phantastical realm.
The game offers a mix of side-view and first-person perspective as you navigate through detailed dioramas and solve puzzles. Our tester Josef described Escaping Wonderland as a must-buy for anyone looking for a change from the shooter-dominated virtual reality.
"Rarely have I reviewed a game that gave me so little to criticize about as Escaping Wonderland. The controls are precise and the gameplay is suitable for VR novices. The level design is clever, and the graphics are coherent. In addition, there is well-done voice acting, a soundtrack to dream to, and a touching story about being human," writes Josef in his review of Escaping Wonderland.
Home Sports
- Release date: December 11, 2024
- Platforms: Meta Quest 3(S)
Developed by Resolution Games (Demeo, Spatial Ops, Racket Club), the game aims to become the Wii Sports of virtual reality, bringing five sports to your living room: pickleball (a form of mini-tennis), field hockey, bowling, mini-golf and badminton.
The studio uses mixed reality to make the experience as accessible as possible. The advantage is that you are always aware of your physical surroundings and can move around more freely.
Resolution Games is known for creating accessible, colorful and family-friendly VR and MR games, and Home Sports is no exception. No matter what sport you choose: You can jump right in and have fun without having to think about the mechanics.
You can play Home Sports on your own, but it really comes into its own in online multiplayer and local multiplayer for up to four players.
Maestro
- Release date: October 17, 2024
- Platforms: Meta Quest, Pico, Steam
Maestro is a milestone for the medium because it uses hand tracking more effectively than any other VR game before it.
You take on the role of a conductor, using your hands to lead a full orchestra through famous passages from works such as Wagner's Valkyrie, Beethoven's 5th Symphony, and Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro.
In Maestro, it's not enough just to flail about wildly. Conducting has to be learned, and the VR game takes you step-by-step through the most important techniques. A playful tutorial shows you how to move your baton to the beat of the music and how to accentuate in front of the orchestra. A conductor's repertoire also includes gestures that can be used to signal cues, indicate fermatas, and influence dynamics, i.e. the volume of individual sections of the orchestra.
What sounds like boring theory feels completely natural in VR and quickly becomes second nature when you use your hands instead of controllers.
Maestro is a unique rhythm game that creates an atmosphere and experience that is unparalleled in VR.
Mannequin
- Release date: September 12, 2024
- Platforms: Meta Quest, Steam
Mannequin is an asymmetrical multiplayer game that pits up to five players against each other in a 2 vs. 3 hide-and-seek game.
Two players take on the role of elite agents hunting three shape-shifting aliens known as "Mannequins". The Mannequins can transform into human statues and hide in their surroundings. Their goal is to surprise the agents and freeze them with a touch.
The agents use advanced technology to locate the Mannequins using EMF scanners and EMP weapons. They must carefully distinguish between real statues and disguised mannequins.
The game requires strategic planning, teamwork, and nerves of steel.
Max Mustard
- Release date: March 21, 2024
- Platforms: Meta Quest, Pico, Playstation VR 2, Steam
Max Mustard is a platformer that combines classic platforming mechanics with VR elements. It is reminiscent of Astro Bot and, along with that game and Lucky's Tale, is one of the best platformers virtual reality has to offer.
You control Max, an inventor who must find and rescue cute mud pups and overcome over 40 levels of creative obstacles. You can use the coins you collect to buy upgrades that expand the protagonist's repertoire of abilites.
In his Max Mustard review, Tomislav praised the game for its beautiful graphics and easy-to-use controls.
Metro Awakening
- Release date: November 7, 2024
- Platforms: Meta Quest, Playstation VR 2, Steam
Metro Awakening is a full-featured new entry in the Metro series, developed exclusively for virtual reality by veteran VR studio Vertigo Games (Arizona Sunshine 2, After The Fall).
Like the other video games, Metro Awakening is based on the Metro narrative universe by author Dmitry Glukhovsky, in which the survivors of a nuclear catastrophe are holed up in the tunnels of the Moscow Metro, fighting for survival day after day.
Metro Awakening takes place in 2028, five years before the events of the first video game and novel. You take on the role of Dr. Serdar, who ventures into the Metro's most dangerous tunnels in search of desperately needed medicine. You will fight against ruthless bandits, radiation, the pervasive darkness, and mutated creatures lurking in the shadows.
Read more about the game in Sönke's Metro Awakening review.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
- Release date: November 19, 2024
- Platforms: Steam
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 builds on the strengths of its predecessor, offering improved graphics, flight physics, and weather simulation, as well as a full career mode for the first time. The numerous new aircraft types also fit well into the simulation.
If you have powerful hardware, a fast internet connection, and are not plagued by streaming errors, you will experience not only one of the most beautiful VR games to date, but also an excellent flight simulation. Now Microsoft just needs to fix the bugs and issues that plagued the game at launch.
Read more about the VR mode in Sönke's review of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.
Retropolis 2: Never Say Goodbye
- Release date: January 18, 2024
- Platforms: Meta Quest, Pico, Playstation VR 2, Steam
The two Retropolis games are old-school point-and-click adventures that are designed for virtual reality and can be played from the comfort of your couch.
You take on the role of robot detective Philip Log, who sets out to help femme fatale Jenny Montage out of a jam and finds himself caught up in an ever-expanding conspiracy.
"Retropolis brings the best virtues of point-and-click adventures to VR without reinventing them. The puzzles are largely successful, but the real strength of Retropolis lies in its gorgeous film noir world and vivid characters. Contrary to what the setting might suggest, nothing here is robotic," wrote Tomislav in his review of Retropolis 2.
Silent Slayer: Vault of the Vampire
- Release date: June 6, 2024
- Platforms: Meta Quest, Steam
You take on the role of a vampire hunter on a mission to eliminate a powerful vampire clan.
Since the vampires are too powerful to attack directly, you must kill them while they sleep in their coffins. This is easier said than done: each coffin is sealed and secured with locks, nails, and magic. A life-threatening affair to tamper with them!
At your side is your mysterious master who speaks to you through a book. He introduces you to the craft of vampire slaying and gives you instructions. With a hodgepodge of tools, a steady hand, and nerves of steel, you set out to do some bloody work.
Silent Slayer features an optional mixed reality mode that lets you open the coffins in the comfort of your own home. Goose bumps guaranteed!
Read more about this unique VR game in Tomislav's Silent Slayer review.
Skydance’s Behemoth
- Release date: December 5, 2024
- Platforms: Meta Quest, Playstation VR 2, Steam
The mammoth project from the studio that made its name with the VR hit The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners takes you into an inhospitable, violent world.
You take on the role of Wren, a hunter who roams the Cursed Lands to hunt down giant creatures, the eponymous Behemoths. Her goal is to break the mysterious curse that has fallen upon her village and the entire realm.
In terms of gameplay, the title combines physics-based combat with a dynamic movement system, exploration, and light puzzles. The graphics on PC and Playstation VR 2 are some of the best that virtual reality has to offer.
Read Sönke's Behemoth review to learn more about the VR game.
Spatial Ops
- Release date: November 14, 2024
- Platforms: Meta Quest, Pico (single-player campaign only)
Spatial Ops is a mixed reality shooter designed for local multiplayer battles with up to eight players that offers a unique gameplay experience.
The game transforms your living room or outdoor space into a laser tag arena where you compete in classic shooter modes such as Team Deathmatch, Capture The Flag, and Domination.
For solo players, there is a two-hour single player campaign that features its own innovative mixed reality twists.
The House of Da Vinci VR
- Release date: December 4, 2024
- Platforms: Meta Quest, Steam
The VR port of the popular escape room game from 2017 plays beautifully in virtual reality, thanks to the tactile interaction with numerous machines and contraptions. The House of Da Vinci VR is also one of the most beautiful VR games available on Meta Quest.
You take on the role of Leonardo da Vinci's apprentice and travel to your master in Florence, only to discover that he has disappeared without a trace. To find clues to his whereabouts, you must follow Da Vinci's trail and solve tricky puzzles that will lead you from one secret room to the next. The puzzles are inspired by Da Vinci's inventions and ideas, and many of the locations you visit are based on original artwork and the magnificent Florence of 1506.
Throughout the game, you will interact with mechanical puzzles and whimsical inventions, and use supernatural lenses to see through objects and even into the past.
Underdogs
- Release date: January 25, 2024
- Platforms: Meta Quest, Pico, Playstation VR 2, Steam
Underdogs is a mech arena brawler set in a dystopian future and tells the story of two brothers.
The mechs are controlled mainly by arm movements, which feels very intuitive and natural after a short period of playing. You fight your way through various arenas, taking out wave after wave of enemies. This requires brute strength, because the harder you hit in real life, the more damage you do in the game. The fights are intense, sweat-inducing and a lot of fun.
Between battles, you must maintain and upgrade your mech. You can choose from a variety of weapons, tools, and upgrades to be ready for the next challenge. This adds a welcome tactical element to the otherwise action-heavy gameplay.
"The game is a great mix of physically challenging action, roguelike progression, and plenty of style. If you've ever wanted to sit in a mech and dish it out yourself, Underdogs is the game for you," writes Kevin in his hands-on with Underdogs.
Other wonderful VR and MR games that we enjoyed in 2024
- Action Hero
- Augmented Empire
- Crumbling
- Demeter
- Humanity
- Infinite Inside
- Into Black
- Miracle Pool
- Mixture
- Shattered
- Starship Home
- Trombone Champ: Unflattened
- Vendetta Forever
- Wall Town Wonders
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