The best Meta Quest games and best VR games may appear to be very similar lists at first glance. That's because, thanks to the Quest 3's popularity, most VR developers want to make games for the VR headset.
But that's not the only reason. While the Quest 3 (and Quest 2) are excellent standalone VR headsets, you're not limited to just games developed specifically for them. Thanks to the Quest Link cable and D-Link VR Air Bridge (both sold separately), you can play Steam VR games on the Quest headsets as well, provided you have a VR-ready gaming PC or gaming laptop.
So when you look at the below list of the best Meta Quest games you can play right now, you'll see some Steam VR games mixed in with games you can play natively on the best VR headset — the Meta Quest 3 — and it's older sibling in the Quest 2.
The best Meta Quest games right now
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1. Half-Life: Alyx
Half-Life: Alyx may not technically be a native Meta Quest game, but thanks to the Quest 2's ability to plug into a PC with the Quest Link cable, you can play it on your Quest 2. And since it's arguably the best VR game ever made, I had to vault it to the top of this list.
The biggest reason Alyx is so good? Aside from that it exists in the Half-Life universe, it has to be the fact that Valve put a lot of time and effort into making Alyx good. The graphics still hold up even to this day, though on the Quest 2 they won't be as good as on a PC VR headset due to the Quest 2's hardware limitations, and the story is incredibly well crafted. Many VR games are short or repeatable experiences, but Half-Life Alyx really holds up to even the best console games.
Buy Half-Life: Alyx for Steam VR now from Steam
2. SUPERHOT VR
SUPERHOT VR may honestly be my favorite Meta Quest 2 game, even if I'll readily concede that Half-Life: Alyx is better. The game makes you feel like you're Keanu Reeves in The Matrix thanks to its core mechanic of time only really moving when you move. You stay still, time stands still. You move fast, time moves fast. It's incredibly well executed and adds a bit of a puzzle element to the action.
The game also smartly abandons high graphic fidelity for polygonal shapes that explode and shatter when you hit them, which produces some satisfying results. So if you want to shoot an enemy, grab their gun as it's flying through the air, use that to shoot another enemy, and then throw the gun at a third bad guy, then SUPERHOT is the game for you.
Buy SUPERHOT VR for Meta Quest 2 now from the Quest Store
3. Population:One
Despite its flamboyant style, Meta's exclusive VR Battle Royale game Population:One is too innovative to be dismissed as a simple Fortnite clone. You and two teammates will be dropped into a hostile environment to scavenge for weapons and supplies in order to be the last group standing. There's a wide variety of guns to use and structures to build. However, Population:One's exclusive vertical combat system is the true star of the show.
Every surface you see is climbable. This makes for intense firefights as teams scramble for the high ground advantage. From a higher position, you can use a wingsuit to fly into battles or quickly traverse the map. The whole system is a unique addition that breathes new life into the battle royale genre.
It’s impressive to see a game of this scale and design run so smoothly on the Quest 2’s mobile chip. On top of tight controls, immersive environments and a fun gameplay loop, developer BigBox VR is constantly rolling out live events to keep the game feeling fresh.
Oh, and it's free to play. So what are you waiting for?
Get Population:One for Meta Quest 2 now from the Quest Store
4. Beat Saber
If you threw Guitar Hero, Dance Dance Revolution, and just a sprinkle of Star Wars into a blender you'd get Beat Saber. In this game, you match the color of your saber to slash color corresponding blocks at the correct angle.
In addition to increasing speed, there are hazards such as bombs and walls that you must physically dodge. The result is a full-body workout with a pulse-thumping EDM soundtrack. It’s an entrancing experience that could only succeed in virtual reality.
An extensive single-player career mode will challenge you for hours with increasingly specific requirements needed to beat the campaign. Free play lets you pick any song to jam out to with togglable modifiers to support or challenge you.
A novice player might turn on a bonus multiplier helper, while a sadis — I mean expert ups the challenge by limiting their game to a single mistake before failure. Recently, Beat Saber added a multiplayer update so you can compete head-to-head against friends to see who the most skillful swordsman is within your friend group.
Buy Beat Saber for Meta Quest 2 now from the Quest Store
5. The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners
The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners is the Quest’s first AAA single-player game. This herculean effort combines a lengthy campaign, satisfying physics and realistic environments for an immersive horror experience. You’ll sneak, shoot and scavenge your way through a zombie-filled New Orleans with every major choice you make resulting in equally hefty consequences.
An advanced crafting system allows you to construct makeshift gear with a believable weight and scale. Just like in real life, you’ll have to properly grip these weapons that are prone to breaking with extended use. Between degrading weapons and a restrictive stamina system, you have to decide on the best path to complete objectives. Stealthy approaches may make things more difficult as a mission plays out. On the other hand, rolling up to encounters with guns blazing often leaves you weaponless against a hoard of the undead.
The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners strikes a balance of immersion and entertainment desperately missing from the Quest store right now. Next to the PC-exclusive Half-Life: Alyx, this is the best AAA VR campaign around.
Buy The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners for Meta Quest 2 now from the Quest Store
6. The Climb
Sometimes you need a break from the virtual violence. That’s where Crytek’s VR game The Climb comes in. The developer that gave us Far Cry and Crysis created a stellar free-climbing simulator that trades in the pews of firearms for audible "oh wows" from its players. Realistically rendered environments courtesy of CRYENGINE gives you the thrill of hanging off cliffs from the Alps to the American Southwest.
All of the game’s courses provide a steep challenge and require the use of proper gripping techniques. There are multiple paths around each ascent for you to explore with different views of vistas and valleys as a reward. Successfully completing a climb allows you to rank up and purchase new gear. Failed runs are awarded fear-inducing plunges instead.
The Climb is a breathtaking experience both visually and physically. If you’re looking for a physically challenging escape from the dreariness of the real world, chalk your hands up and grab on tight to The Climb.
Buy The Climb for Meta Quest 2 now from the Quest Store
7. Onward
More in line with Rainbow Six: Siege than Call of Duty, Onward’s no-respawn 5v5 competitive gameplay requires strategic planning and extensive communication between teammates for a successful operation. Your hit count is limited and reloading requires you to physically chamber rounds for an eerily realistic military experience. Without being held back by wires, Onward shines on the Quest 2 more than on any other VR headset.
This sense of freedom gained from cutting the cord allows you to dive into cover and crouch in Onward’s dozen official maps without worry. To keep the game from feeling stale, there are legions of community-made maps. Each setting is chock full of detail and offers plenty of places to take cover during intense firefights. Under fire, your vision narrows to simulate combat stress. While this is quite immersive, interacting with all of your equipment is truly next level.
Each of the more than 40 guns in Onward requires their clips to be emptied and rounds to be chambered for reloading. This means it’ll take you time to load and chamber clips into sidearms or each individual bullet into weapons like shotguns and revolvers. Your stock equipment regardless of loadout includes a health injection syringe on your waist, radio on your left shoulder and tablet on your back. These tools help you revive downed teammates and contact distant teammates too far to use proximity chat.
Buy Onward for Meta Quest 2 now from the Quest Store
8. Until You Fall
Mix the challenging combat of Dark Souls with a rogue-like, and you’ll get Until You Fall. With a satisfying gameplay loop, neon aesthetic and a banging synth-wave soundtrack this is the VR game we had no idea we needed. Equipped with dual-wielding weapons (sword, mace or knife) you’ll strike dodge and counter enemies to best them in battle.
Sadly a majority of your time will be spent falling in battle. Each time you die provides you with new insight and upgrades. Ranging from maximum health to damage buffs, these upgrades can turn the tides of battle in your favor. Akin to playing one last round in the Civilization series, each successful run makes it difficult to put the game down.
Difficult boss fights will undoubtedly drive you mad. Coming better prepared to a fight with improved gear and prevailing however is pure ecstasy. If you love the sweet torture of Soulsborne games, you’ll be playing Until You Fall.
Buy Until You Fall for Meta Quest 2 now from the Quest Store
9. Resident Evil 4 VR
A highlight in the zombie-centric series, Resident Evil 4 is not just one of the best games you can play on the Meta Quest 2; in fact, it's arguably the best reason to buy a Meta Quest 2.
While it's won't blow you away on the visuals front, simply playing the game in virtual reality offers a degree of immersion that's difficult to get anywhere else. And with motion controls and tracking, Resident Evil 4 VR offers a fresher way to play the game and works surprisingly well for a game that's been adapted to fit VR rather than built for it. So if you want a fresh way to play Resident Evil 4, look no further than its Oculus Quest 2 version.
Buy Resident Evil 4 VR for Meta Quest 2 now from the Quest Store
10. Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020)
If you have a Quest 2 Link cable for your Quest 2, then 2020's iteration of Microsoft Flight Simulator is a game to try out in virtual reality.
Not only has it been praised for its high levels of realism, but it's also a gorgeous game with a very large range of aircraft to pilot across the globe. Add in VR support and an already immersive game gets even deeper. Our own deputy editor Mike Prospero did exactly this and concluded that the experience "is like playing a whole new game." So this is very much a game you'll want to play on the Quest 2.
Buy Microsoft Flight Simulator for Steam VR now from Steam
11. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Even though it’s now past its 10-year anniversary, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is still very much a game you should try in virtual reality. You’ll need to connect the Meta Quest 2 to a gaming PC or laptop, albeit not a hugely powerful one given the game’s age. And it’s not superbly optimized for cutting-edge VR use. However, Skyrim VR basically lets you step into a virtual country with a fantasy and Nordic flavor.
While Skyrim is available on all manner of platforms, VR is arguably one of the newer and more interesting ways to experience the stellar open-world game. It also mixes up the playstyle of the game, with ‘realistic’ controls letting you slash away at draugrs and dragons by actually swinging your arm. And even with dated graphics by 2021 standards, there are still moments where Skyrim's art style and lighting present you with some beautiful vistas; perfect escapism from the rigors of real life. There is also mod support through the Steam Workshop, which adds yet another arrow into Skyrim's brimming quiver.
Buy The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for Steam VR now from Steam
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