PSVR2: from exclusives to remasters, you need these to go with your new expensive PlayStation VR2 headset.
So you’ve splashed the cash and got yourself a PlayStation VR2. It’s undeniably a fantastic piece of kit that’s a vast improvement in user experience and functionality over PSVR1 while using the PS5’s power to provide a next-gen gaming experience.
Be that as it may, it’s actually a bit short on real next-gen exclusives, with the majority of its line-up consisting of spruced-up ports you could play on other VR platforms, or indeed Sony’s older headset. Still, when putting together a list of the best games to play on PSVR2, it’s the quality of those experiences that matters over how shiny it is.
Of course, if you’re coming into VR completely new, you’re in for an even grander time, but based on the games I’ve had the chance to play in the first few weeks of launch, these are the ones you need to play.
10. Tentacular
So one day you realise that you’re a large sea monster with tentacles. But instead of going on a kaiju rampage, in Tentacular you try to prove yourself as an upstanding member of society in a small island town. You can make the most of your tentacles by picking up garbage, building things, and also getting involved in experiments with the alien technology being harnessed by the island’s wacky scientists and suspicious tech moguls. Puzzles and challenges take advantage of its hilarious sandbox physics, and while it’s satisfying pulling levers and switches to move things along, it’s the surprisingly heartwarming story that will stay with you.
9. What the Bat?
It’s Edward Scissorhands, except you have baseball bats for hands. It’s absurd as it sounds, as you swing your way from infancy to adulthood trying to find your place in the world, or rather just zipping through over a hundred slapstick mini games that show there’s more to life than baseball. The minigames may be variable – some are over in seconds – others repeating the old bat and ball mechanics (though look out for references to Triband’s predecessor, What the Golf?), but it’s all good-natured and a fun time that will not only make you laugh, but also anyone else watching you, too.
8. Pistol Whip
Beat Saber might be VR’s go-to for a rhythm-based workout, but since that’s not yet available for PSVR2, Pistol Whip is the next best thing. Or rather, I’d argue this is the superior experience, anyway. Sure, wielding dual lightsabers is cool, but pretending you’re an incarnation of John Wick who can groove to a thumping soundtrack while blasting away or pistol-whipping an army of goons is just another plane of badassery. A host of modifiers is a great incentive for replaying stages, while Pistol Whip also includes two entertaining cyberpunk and Wild West-themed campaigns to give you more bang for your buck.
7. Moss Book I & II
A bit of a cheat, admittedly, but it feels wrong not to include both Moss games. These enchanting third-person adventures cast you as an omnipresent reader controlling an adorable but brave mouse called Quill, and they’re some of the most comfortable VR games currently available. You can sit and observe its delightful, diorama-like environments (though this time you can also peek closer or from another angle), and listen to Morla Gorrondona’s gently soothing storybook narration. The two adventures are greatly enhanced in PSVR2, with improved, detailed visuals and the ability to able to interact with the environment using both hands, while eye-tracking creates an even more intimate bond between you and Quill – though maybe don’t stare at her too much.
6. Horizon Call of the Mountain
As Sony’s only first-party exclusive for the headset so far, this is easily the best showcase of what PSVR2 can do, from its incredible visuals and set-pieces with massive mechanical dinos to coming up with different, fun ways for you to use the Sense controllers. The majority of the experience involves a lot of climbing and bow-based combat in fairly restrictive arena environments. This soon becomes repetitive, and you may be surprised at how knackered your arms get. Not quite a killer app, then, but Call of the Mountain is perfect for showing off how pretty VR can look with the power of PS5.
5. Tetris Effect: Connected
You don’t get a more perfect game than Tetris. That Tetsuya Mizuguchi can turn the classic puzzler into a transcendent, Zen exploration of sound, light, colour, and how we’re all connected (maaan) is a masterstroke. The only reason it’s not higher on the list is because I’d argue that it’s still a game better played on a flat screen TV (especially if you’ve upgraded to OLED) while using the DualSense’s D-pad is much better for making more accurate drops than the Sense controller’s sticks. Nonetheless, there’s still a beauty to clearing lines while swimming with dolphins or being a DJ during a new year’s fireworks show.
4. Song in the Smoke Rekindled
This is one of the best examples of a VR1 game given the glow-up treatment it deserves. Song in the Smoke’s a survival game where you use your hands to do everything, from scavenging for materials, crafting tools, making campfires, crushing fruits into potions, and hunting. But the moment-to-moment play is elevated by your ability to freely move around with the Sense controller’s analogue sticks, while those with strong VR legs can also opt to freely jump around for even greater control. It’s a challenging survival game where nightfall is genuinely a terrifying experience, so make sure you’re well prepared – and always have a torch to hand.
3. Rez Infinite
Yes, Rez Infinite was actually a launch game for PSVR1 seven years ago (itself a remaster of a now two-decade old Dreamcast/PS2 game), but no matter. Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s trippy rail shooter and first foray into gaming synaesthesia remains timeless, and still the perfect entry into VR. It’s even more enhanced in PSVR2 thanks to a crisper resolution in HDR and the option of locking onto targets using your eyes. For me, though, it’s the increased haptics that help take me into sensory overdrive, as I instinctively headbang to the flawless techno soundtrack (Fear is still very much the mind killer) while shooting up viruses and imaginative bosses in this glorious wireframe world. And of course, there’s no greater quick VR pick-me-up than a trip to Area X.
2. Gran Turismo 7
You don’t need to be a petrolhead to appreciate just how stunning GT7 looks, and being behind the wheel of each of its pristinely detailed cars in VR is even more transformative. The only thing missing is that new car smell. While not every element of the game is in VR, it’s there where it matters in the racing, whether you’re doing challenges from the campaign or racing other drivers online, with or without the assistive UI tailored to your skill level. My favourite aspect, though is GT7’s VR showroom where you can examine every your vehicles in loving detail. You can even chill out in the GT Cafe.
1. Resident Evil Village
While it’s far from the best of the series, it’s incredible how much VR elevates Resident Evil Village. So much so that I can even forgive its annoying, faceless protagonist, Ethan Winters. Part of that’s down to how much more action-oriented Village is compared to Resident Evil 7 (arguably the better game, but much more simplistic in VR), so not only are you in control of Ethan’s frequently mangled hands but you also have much of your inventory mapped to your body in practical and feasible ways. Guns also feel terrific, whether it’s aiming down sights with your dominant eye or how you can manually reload your ammo, with all your actions reinforced by the controller’s satisfying haptics. For certain folk, of course, the real reason Village rules in VR is because you can have nine-foot-tall giantess Lady D towering over you.
