The best PlayStation VR2 games to play in August 2023

Sony’s PlayStation VR2 is here. If you have a PS5 and can plonk down an additional £530 on the VR headset and controllers, a whole new exciting world of VR awaits. But what are the best PS VR2 games you can buy? Is there a must-buy game?

Are any of those lesser-known titles actually the gems in the line-up? Even early on in VR2’s life there are a lot of games to scan through, so consult the list below to guarantee you’re buying the best PlayStation VR2 games.

Best PS VR2 Games

All systems have a fair bit of crud to avoid as you navigate through the available games, and PS VR2 is no different.

The good news is that this list of PlayStation VR2 games is certified (by VG247) as 100% bangers. These games have all been played on actual VR2 hardware, so you can trust what we say. No games make this recommendations list unless we’ve tested them thoroughly.

Horizon Call of the Mountain

While not the overall best game available for PS VR2, Horizon Call of the Mountain is currently the showpiece title that must be played for the dazzling visuals, alone. That sounds a bit mean on the game itself, which is still a good example of interactivity inside a virtual reality world, but the campaign does start to drag a little with its heavy emphasis on climbing and rather dull conversations with NPCs (that admittedly do look incredible).

Gran Turismo 7 (via free update to PS5 version of GT7)

I wish the entire interface for Gran Turismo 7 had been designed around VR2 headset use, instead of simply throwing the big screen up until you’re in a car racing, but that’s about the only issue I have with this superb VR game.

I was a little bored by GT7 on release if I’m honest, but playing it in VR has kicked it back into my “cool games” list – something every game dreams to be on. When the free VR update dropped, I played solidly for two hours, which doesn’t sound like much. Though, that’s something I haven’t done with any game for a long, long, time. Incredible stuff.

Resident Evil Village (Capcom, via free update to PS5 version of RE Village)

”Proper games on PS VR2 don’t exist,” someone shouts to an angry mob. Well, have you played Resident Evil Village? This is a proper game and a bloody good one. It’s been completely retooled for the VR2 experience and, following in the footsteps of the superb Resi 7 on the original PS4 VR headset, this is absolutely top-notch stuff. It’s a free upgrade if you own the game on PS5, so there’s no excuse not to play this. It’s up there with Horizon and GT7 as the best examples of “full” games on VR2.

Note: Be aware that the cutscenes play out without any direct control, so they are a sure-fire way to get your stomach turning if you suffer from motion sickness. You can choose to display cutscenes on the 2D big picture mode if you prefer, which I definitely did.

It just so happens that Capcom's most recent endeavour, Resident Evil 4 Remake, is also expected to receive a free VR mode available for the PS VR2.

WHAT THE BAT?

The most fun game available for PlayStation VR2? That award may well go to the quirky, brilliantly inventive WHAT THE BAT?. It’s essentially a collection of mild physics-based environment puzzles, but the twist is that your hands are bats, baseball bats.

If this sounds a little odd, it very much is, but it’s also hilarious and shows off actual real movement in VR. On that note, you’ll need a decent space to play this in, at least 2m x 2m, which is bigger than you might imagine. It’s worth moving the coffee table and the kids’ toys to get this to work.

Note: The developer has stated that an update to the game is coming soon and this will enable the game to be played without needing Room Scale. This will mean players with less space will be able to play What the Bat.

Tetris Effect: Connected

Tetris: Effect was already brilliant on the original PS VR headset, but it’s so much more impressive on VR2. The clarity, the colours, the haptics – all amazing. Tetris: Effect can be played without VR but it’s a game that you can completely lose yourself in when you’re immersed in the VR world. Owners of the game on PS4 can upgrade to the VR2 version for $9.99. Worth it.

Rez Infinite

Ridiculously cool arcade-style action built around an incredible soundtrack. The old and new combined in Rez Infinite to great effect. Just like Tetris: Effect, Rez Infinite benefits greatly from the enhanced visuals and new haptics in the VR2 headset, but the big new addition is aiming at targets via eye-tracking. This takes a little while to get used to, but it feels like you’ve stepped into the future when you get the hang of it. The $9.99 upgrade cost to go from VR to VR2 is worth every penny.

Kayak VR: Mirage

When you think of PlayStation gaming, I doubt kayaking comes to mind, but this virtual kayaking experience is superb. It, somewhat surprisingly, has some of the best visuals Sony’s VR headset/PS5 combo has to offer and puts you into the world with excellent use of haptics. You really do feel like you are in that kayak, which isn’t a thing I expect to be writing, but here we are. Kayak VR: Mirage is a must-play on PS VR2.

Moss 1 & 2 Remaster

If you’re after a game (or games) that offer a different take on VR, the Moss remasters should be top of your list. Both games see you controlling a mouse during a third-person hack ‘n’ slash adventure with a dollop of puzzle solving.

The VR angle comes from you being this god-like presence, looking in on the mouse and the world he’s in. You peer into the world, moving your head to get a better view on the environment and your controllers to move objects in the world. It’s a neat setup and makes for one of the easiest VR experiences on the system, ideal for getting your VR bearings.

Thumper

This is another game that was on the original VR headset for PS4, arriving for VR2 with a $4.99 upgrade fee. It’s absolutely worth the price, with improved visuals and audio, but most importantly some brilliant haptics. Of all the games I’ve played so far, Thumper on PS VR2 makes the best use of the haptics in the headset. It’s awesome and puts you right into the rhythm action experience.

Humanity

Humanity comes from Enhance, the same publisher behind VR titles Tetris Effect: Connected and Rez Infinite, so you know you're in for a great VR experience. Humanity is a third-person puzzle-action game that will see you commanding entire crowds through various levels.

What's your role? You're a lone Shiba Inu leading this army of civilians through an assault course, or to their death. There is also a Stage Creator of user-made levels and the tools to create your own, so there's more to be doing than making humanity chase you, our canine protagonist, through countless levels.

The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR

Supermassive Games' Switchback VR is a follow-up to Until Dawn: Rush of Blood VR, and follows a similar premise. In Switchback VR, you'll be thrust into a theme park where you must safely make your way through various levels while killing off enemies. It's one way to get your horror fix on PS VR2, that's for sure.

Switchback VR is also sure to have your stomach feeling vulnerable as you face all sorts of horrors while aboard this rollercoaster ride. Prepare yourself by checking out the concerns we had about Switchback VR; primarily health concerns.

That’s your lot of PS VR2 games, so far at least. We’ll add more to this list as we play more of the launch titles and the games that come to the platform in the years ahead. In the meantime, don't neglect to take a look at what we think the best PS5 games are, as well as the best games on PS Plus.