The #1 XR Blog in the World
- English
- Sign In
With the exciting introduction of the new VR headset HTC Vive XR Elite and its path to further popularize mixed reality in XR, the most immediate logical question is which games will be perfect for the headset when it launches. This list answers this question by focusing on HTC’s VR games platform: Viveport.
We will be remiss if we don’t mention the outstanding deal of Viveport Infinity. Viveport Infinity is similar to Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus in that you pay a monthly subscription of €14.99, $12.99, or £12.99 to get unlimited access to VR games, other VR content, and exclusive deals.
Further, if you preorder the upcoming HTC Vive XR Elite, you will receive five VR games and content instantly after setup. Whilst not featuring this list, highlights include the survival-horror VR game Green Hell VR, the intriguing short film Glimpse, and the open-platform VR game maker Figmen XR.
| Title | Genre | Score | Price |
| Hyper Dash | Action-Shooter, Arena | 4.8 | Free |
| Kayak VR: Mirage | Casual, Meditative, Travel, Simulation | 5.0 | €22.99 |
| Demeo | TTRPG, Co-Op, Rogue-lite, Dungeon Crawler | 95% (SteamVR) | 38,99€ (SteamVR) |
| The Last Clockwinder | Automation | 5.0 | €20.99 |
| Wanderer | Walking-Sim, Story-driven, Adventure | 4.5 | €33.99 |
| Trover Saves the Universe | Story-driven, Adventure, Humor | 92% (SteamVR) | 24,99€ (SteamVR) |
| Ragnarock | Rhythm, Sports, Racing | 4.8 | €21.99 |
| Walkabout Mini Golf | Casual, Meditative, Sports Sim | 4.9 | £11.39 |
| Until You Fall | Action, Hack-and-Slash, Rogue-lite | 4.4 | €20.99 |
| The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners | Survival, Action-Adventure, Horror, Story-driven, RPG | 4.3 | £30.42 |
Hyper Dash is a free VR game, which is important as you just laid down some weighty money for your new HTC Vive XR Elite VR headset. However, the free tag is not a sign of poor quality. Hyper Dash is an excellent fast-paced arena shooter akin to Unreal Tournament virtual reality.
Onto something completely different than a hectic arena shooter is the tranquil VR experience that you show someone who hasn’t tried virtual reality before. The first of these is Tilt Brush, and while it came out ages ago in VR time perception, it is a classic 3D spatial painting and the go-to for newcomers to VR. Alternatively, if you want a similar creative experience but more painting simulation, pick up Vermillion. If you instead want your loved ones to get sweaty hands, have them experience Richie’s Plank Experience: it is a good time and great at showcasing the immersion of VR. After you have succumbed your nearest to acrophobia, you should calm them down with Kayak VR: Mirage. This kayak simulator offers jaw-dropping visuals and scenic locations that will immediately put them at ease again.
Possibly the best VR game that truly is meant for mixed reality is Demeo, and while the table-top RPG party game hasn’t launched yet on the Viveport VR games store, it will be available when the HTC Vive XR Elite is in your hands. We have featured this dungeon-crawler VR title on many other of our game lists, showing a testament to its quality and uniqueness.
A VR game we haven’t featured before is The Last Clockwinder, which is a shame because its novelty is something to notice. The Last Clockwinder is set in a whimsical and dilapidated clock tower straight out of a Ghibli movie. This VR game is not about shooting or experiencing a meditative setting – it is an automation game, but instead of automating a base on an alien planet, you automate yourself, or rather, repeating echoes of yourself. After a few hours in the VR game and you see twenty past-you(s) working in tandem – like a clock tower – is the meat and potatoes of this game and why it is so unique.
One of the genres that are tailor-made for virtual reality and its transportive qualities is Walking Simulators. This incidentally also happens to be one of my favorite video game genres outside of VR gaming. And so, when I say that Wanderer is a VR Walking Sim to be experienced, then that should tell you something. In a nutshell, Wanderer is a time travel story with clever environmental puzzles and occasional action set in a fully realized world with an unparalleled atmosphere.
For a similar story-driven, although with a vastly different tone, is Trover Saves the Universe. This VR adventure game is made by the creator behind Rick and Morty, and it shows. Frequently you will find yourself laughing out loud and pondering its clever jokes and themes after its credits roll. This is one of the VR titles not yet out on Viveport but will be upon Vive XR Elite’s launch, so in the meantime, check out the embedded trailer and get an instant sense of the excellent tone.
The rhythm genre in VR gaming is becoming littered with titles from the popularity of Beat Saber. What this means is it has gotten hard to cut through the shaft and get noticed as a VR rhythm game. So when Ragnarock was released, it had a long way to sail. Nevertheless, its novelty of being a raiding Viking in a longboat dictating the speed based on your musical performance to heavy metal is as insane a sentence as the VR game is. You’ll know if this is for you.
A meme has formed itself in the office that a games list from me wouldn’t be complete without Walkabout Mini Golf and I stand by it. Rarely a week goes by without me trying my hands at some mini-golf courses, and that is coming from someone who doesn’t care much for real-life mini-golf. Simply put, the appeal of Walkabout Mini Golf is its relaxation and inventiveness, with the course settings adopting the whimsical themes you see on physical mini golf courses. The mini golf physics is excellent, and the recent Myst DLC is all I needed to keep me invested in the VR game.
Onto something entirely different, Until You Fall, YUKI, and GORN are all superb action VR games that need a mention on equal footing. First, Until You Fall will raise your cardio and excitement as you hack and slash your way through foes in this polished rogue-lite title. The other rogue-lite is YUKI, a bullet-hell anime-style VR game that is if Space Invaders was in VR. Finally, GORN has a respective games developer behind it, and the quality shows. This hack-and-slash horde-arena title is also featured on our Viveport games list, which should tell you something.
Discarding for a moment that the sequel Chapter 2 Retribution recently released, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners, is one of the best VR games out there, period. In this survival-action title, you will slay your way through hordes of zombies in semi-open levels completing quests from rivaling factions and developing and uncovering a great story in the process. If there is only one VR game you will play from this list, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners needs to be it.
