It’s no secret that we here at Overclockers UK are big into our gaming. We live for new game hype and love to replay our old favourites. Over 2024, we’ll be sharing our own top fives across a spicy selection of genres. This month we’re looking at Rob’s top 5 VR Games.
Let’s be honest: We’ve been spoiled by choice in the last few years. VR gaming has exploded in popularity again and again, with AAA studios entering the space and dropping some of the best VR experiences we’ve seen to date. To avoid any gamer rage, this list is in the order they first popped into my head. But if I’ve missed any awesome VR games I definitely shouldn’t have off this list, then make sure to shout at me in the comments.
Wanderer
Built from the ground up for VR, Wanderer is one of the best action-adventure games in virtual reality. Set across a magnitude of locations and time, the game blends escape room-style puzzles and action arcade sequences with an overarching story.
We play as Asher Neumann, an unwitting hero thrust into a time-bending journey to change the course of history and save the world from ruin. Wanderer has some of the best world-building I’ve seen in VR. Whilst levels aren’t huge, they feature genuinely interesting characters, fun puzzles, and incredible settings. One minute, you’re on the moon; the next, you’re standing shoulder to shoulder with Tesla, all before heading to play the drums at a massive concert.
There’s even an updated version featuring next-generation VR graphics and a complete re-imagining of the game, Wanderer Fragments of Fate, launching June 27th.
Half-Life Alyx
Is it really a Top 5 VR games list if I don’t mention Half-Life Alyx? Yes, I know everyone still recommends this gem from Valve four years later, but hey, they made a genre-defining game. Hailed as the game that brought VR into focus, Alyx is Valve’s return to the Half-Life universe. Set between the events of Half-Life and Half-Life 2, we play as Alyx Vance, humanity’s only chance for survival.
Featuring some of the best VR physics available even four years later, Half-Life Alyx is a story-rich action shooter that feels right at home in the Half-Life universe. Alyx is the template of a good VR game. Movement, throwing, and grabbing objects are all perfectly implemented to the extent you might just forget you’re in the real world. Beyond the incredible gameplay is graphics that will make your PC cry.
Ghosts Of Tabor
You know that hugely popular and insanely difficult game Escape From Tarkov? Well, Ghosts of Tabor answers the question, “Hey, what if EFT was in VR?”. GOT is the best hardcore PVP FPS in VR. Controversial statement, I know, but hear us out. Not only will you need to git gud quickly in order to survive, you’ll need to collect resources to craft ammo, fuel your bunker, and stay alive.
Did someone say bunker? Yes, Ghosts of Tabor has a physical bunker to keep all your supplies hoarded away inside. You’ll spend time here building your next gear loadout, crafting ammo and even manually reloading magazines. GOT features some of the best-looking VR FPS graphics out there and a community that is active and deranged… in a good way, I promise. There’s even an UwU DLC featuring a helmet with cat ears, if you’re into that kind of thing.
Killer Frequency
The most underrated game on this list and the first to feature a VR and non-VR version, Killer Frequency has the best premise for a first-person horror comedy adventure ever created! We play as Forrest Nash, host of Gallows Creek’s only late-night call-in talk show, and with a missing police department, our washed-up late-night radio disk jockey, is the only hope for our callers.
In Killer Frequency, it’s not just your job to select suitable advert tapes and pick the tunes from an awesome 80s-inspired collection. You’ll need to take calls from across Gallows Creek and make real-time decisions to help our callers survive the night. There’s a killer on the streets, so making quick choices and gathering clues from around the station is vital. If you grab one game from this list, make it Killer Frequency.
Honourable Mentions
I could spend the next two weeks writing every brilliant VR game you should go check out, but I think management might get a little mad at me for that. Instead, I’ll offer up just a couple of gems that didn’t make it onto this list. The I Expect You To Die series has always been a fan favourite. With puzzles, super-agent themes, and an incredible story, you’re basically guaranteed to love it.
A more recent gem that has absolutely floored me in terms of how long I’ve spent playing it is Toy Trains. A passion project produced by former developers of the critically acclaimed SUPERHOT, Toy Trains is a game where you discover a magical miniature world straight out of a childhood fantasy. You’ll solve puzzles by building miniature railways by hand and probably lose hours upon hours having fun.
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners
Saints & Sinners is a game unlike any other in The Walking Dead universe. For starters, it’s actually good… can’t say that about a lot of The Walking Dead games, can you! When it comes to VR, zombies are almost the default enemy choice at this point. However, The Walking Dead Saints & Sinners goes well beyond the “kill some zombies and return to base” formula. In Saints & Sinners, we’re transplanted into post-zombie apocalypse New Orleans.
Featuring a vast semi-open world, TWD Saints & Sinners sees players take on the role of “The Tourist”. You’ll need to make choices, craft new weapons at your home base, and uncover an expanding story. There’s even a second chapter you can grab following on from your choices in the first game.
Best Gaming PC For VR
While not true of all VR games, let’s be honest, it takes a pretty T h i c c PC to play PCVR games at their highest quality. When not playing VR games standalone on the Quest 3, I use wireless VR on my Ryzen-based gaming PC. A few years old now but still going strong, my rig features an RTX 3070, a Ryzen 3600X, and 16GB DDR4 3200MHz RAM.
HTC VIVE XR Elite All-in-one XR and PC-VR Gaming System
Meet VIVE XR Elite . A powerful, convertible, and lightweight headset that conforms to you.
- Convertible form factor – Detach the battery cradle for enhanced portability.
- Vivid passthrough – Blend physical and virtual worlds. Expand play. New possibilities.
- Lightweight XR – A sleek, compact headset that goes where you go.
- Beyond standalone VR – High-octane VR gaming through wireless PC streaming.
OcUK Gaming Rapier – AMD Ryzen 5 7600, GeForce RTX 4070 Super Gaming PC
- AMD Ryzen 5 7600 3.8GHz (up to 5.1GHz Boost) Six Core Processor
- 240mm AIO Liquid Cooler
- 32GB DDR5 5600MHz Dual Channel Kit
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super 12GB Graphics Card
We Miss Anything?
If we’ve missed your favourite VR game or experience, make sure to call us idiots in the comment section. No, seriously, let us know, and we’ll make sure to add it to our ever-expanding backlog of games we need to play.
Hello! Thank you for mentioning Toy Trains! We’re very happy that you like it. Keep in mind that we are soon launching a big update that will add a few higly requested features as well as 12 new levels and a Sandbox mode. The fun has just became endless!
Toy Trains is genuinely brilliant! I can’t wait to check out the new update, especially sandbox mode, when it launches.