Best PlayStation VR games 2020: the best PSVR games around

But the cutting-edge VR hardware is only as good as the games you play with it. That’s why we’ve selected this list of the best PlayStation VR games you can pick up in 2020.

Since the PSVR first launched back in 2016, we’ve watched as a lot of the best VR games, including those not originally intended for VR, get reconfigured for virtual reality. Sometimes this works very well, other times it feels like an afterthought. 

On top of that, the PSVR has been getting its own range of exclusive gaming titles, like Blood & Truth and Stardust Odyssey, which are keeping the headset’s momentum going up until the launch of the PS5 and PSVR 2. 

In our quest to find the best experiences for the PlayStation VR, we’ve searched high and low through the PSVR’s (nearly) four-year-old library of games. We’ve hunted for hidden gems, like Moss and Statik, as well as big-budget titles, including Skyrim VR and Astro Bot: Rescue Mission.

The result is the list below, which is full of recommendations that include the best PSVR games around at the moment across a wide range of genres. 

That means whether you want to know what it feels like to be Batman, travel to a war-torn alien planet, or even face mortal dread with the most engrossing Resident Evil experience around, there’s something for you in PSVR.

Arizona sunshine offers a variety of zombies, some tougher than others, and a host of weapons to help put them down. The campaign can be played in co-op, and there’s also a multiplayer Horde mode. An essential PSVR game for fans of the undead.

Battlezone

Developer: Rebellion

Does it require Move controllers? No.

Chances are, the original Battlezone might have passed you by if you’re under 40 – Atari’s 1980 arcade game doesn’t quite hold the same iconic status as Pong. However, it’s generally considered to be the very first VR game, which is why British developer Rebellion bought the rights from Atari so that it could remake it for modern VR headsets. 

The result is one of the best VR experiences we’ve had to date. The gameplay is fun (think a futuristic take on World of Tanks), but it’s the striking-but-simple graphics that are the key to the overall enjoyment. There’s two main modes here – offline campaign and online multiplayer. While we didn’t have time to try it with a bunch of buddies online, the offline campaign mode feels pretty well fleshed out. There’s quite a number of tanks to pick from and unlock and while gameplay can err on the repetitive side, it’s enough to lock you in for a few hours at a time.

While a lot of VR games try to go as realistic as possible, Battlezone’s Tron-like game world is incredibly absorbing, and better yet it’s one of the few titles on the platform you’ll be able to enjoy alongside your friends thanks to the game’s inclusion of co-operative play.

Beat Saber

Developer: Beat Games

Does it require Move controllers? Yes

You can’t mention VR games without talking about Beat Saber, the successor to the rhythm game crown and probably the best entry in the genre since Guitar Hero. Now, that might sound like high praise, but Beat Saber is seriously the best thing to happen to VR… well, ever. As its name suggests, Beat Saber is about using sabers to slash blocks to the beat of the music. The catch is that the blocks come at you pretty fast, and there are walls of dissonance that you need to duck under or dodge. 

While other games on our list might have you meander through a new land or use your power of deduction to solve a mystery, Beat Saber is a high intensity affair – it’s about as good as any cardio workout we’ve ever done, and is perfect for people want to get that 30 minutes of exercise in per day without leaving the house.

Borderlands 2 VR

Developer: Gearbox

Does it require Move controllers? No

First person shooting meets Diablo-style loot hunting in the Borderlands games, and the superb Borderlands 2 VR now brings virtual reality action into the mix, too.

Sci-fi treasure hunters in a Mad Max world, Borderlands 2 in VR takes the frantic action of the original games to a whole other level by putting you right into the center of its colorfully violent world. You’ll collect countless unique weapons, battle waves of bizarre foes and explore a land as mad as its shooting action is varied.

What could have been a nauseating puke-fest in virtual reality has actually been adapted with aplomb here. Whether you’re playing with a DualShock controller or Move wands, the game offers ample options to make the game suit your comfort level, from full locomotion through to teleportation and peripheral vision hazing. A lengthy adventure that’s well worth a look, even if you’ve mastered it on a flatscreen previously.

Gran Turismo Sport

Developer: Polyphony Digital

It’s the daddy of racing sims, so it’s fitting that Gran Turismo Sport, the franchise’s first foray on the PS4, should embrace that most immersive of console peripherals – the PlayStation VR headset.

You’ll get in the cockpit of a huge selection of beautifully realised vehicles, each modelled exactly as they appear in real life, before taking them out onto the circuit for head-to-head races.

A side-helping to the brilliant main Gran Turismo Sport game, the VR mode has still been obviously meticulously crafted, with a discreet in-game HUD, useful mirrors and some fine-stitched racing gloves sitting over your digital hands. It makes an already drool-worthy racer extra tempting, and is a must-have for PSVR owners. 

I Expect You To Die

Developer: Schell Games LLC

Does it require Move controllers? No, but with so many things you can interact with, the Move controllers will offer a lot of extra freedom.

The fantastic I Expect You to Die will have you feeling like a classy Cold War-era spy, like James Bond as played by Sean Connery or Roger Moore, not Daniel Craig. The game puts you into the role of a special agent tasked with getting yourself out of exceedingly sticky situations, all without moving from your seat.

It makes excellent use of VR, as you can pick up and play with objects all over your environment, whether or not doing so actually helps you complete your objective. 

There are several levels (with the potential of the developer adding more later, as has already been done), and each sets you in a unique environment that plays out much like an escape room. You’re faced with a series of puzzles, and your actions will determine whether you live or die. 

The puzzles are great, and many can be solved multiple ways, lending the game some replayability. This is also a fun one to watch your friends try, as you’ll enjoy the shock on their faces when they encounter traps, such as a cabinet full of hand grenades.