Sony planted its flag firmly in the world of console virtual reality gaming when it launched the PlayStation VR (PSVR) headset in 2016. Built exclusively for use with PlayStation 4 consoles, PSVR delivered an affordable, quality VR solution for PS4 gamers.
Prior to PSVR, Sony had already been involved with VR hardware development for years. Their early efforts include the Glasstron headset in 1997 and PlayStation VR titles for PS3 in the early 2010s. While not mainstream consumer successes, these products laid the groundwork for what PSVR ultimately became.
Fast forward to 2023, and the original PSVR system has sold over 6 million units worldwide. An excellent game catalog covering many genres has certainly helped. To further expand their VR ecosystem, Sony is launching PSVR 2 in 2023 exclusively for PS5 consoles. This successor will incorporate cutting edge tech like 4K HDR visuals, inside-out tracking and eye tracking.
Below we highlight 7 can‘t miss VR experiences currently available for PSVR across various gaming genres. For each top title, we‘ll uncover what makes their gameplay so special – as well as how the PS5 will enhance them even more with the upcoming PSVR 2 headset. Let‘s dive in!
Beat Saber has become the VR showcase title since its 2018 debut – and for good reason! Using motion controllers as lightsabers to slash musical blocks has simple to learn, hard to master appeal. Addictively fun gameplay has won over even VR newbies.
Expanded Analysis:
- Addictive core mechanic combines lightsabers + music rhythm gameplay seamlessly
- Wide skill curve as beat patterns/speeds increase. Easy to grasp initially before ramping up intensity
- Eclectic base soundtrack of electronic, pop and rock songs complements fast reaction based gameplay
- Vibrant Tron aesthetic and responsive effects as blocks shatter make slashes satisfying
- Additional DLC song packs expand music library across genres and decade eras
- Untethered VR design allows spinning/leaning/crouching freely as needed without getting tangled
- High scores and leaderboards breed competition. Player stamina tested on marathon level sessions
- Motion tracking precision is critical for higher difficulties – an area PSVR 2 should excel in with inside-out tracking
Beat Saber expertly blends physical activity, music appreciation and tests of reflexes together. No wonder it‘s become the app VR newbies are shown to blow their minds instantly.
Quantifiable Data:
- Metacritic Score: 90 User, 83 Critic
- Steam DB shows 1 million owners for PC VR version
- Consistently #1 or high ranking rhythm game on Oculus store
- Billboard featuring custom Beat Saber music packs
Sony‘s flagship racing series lets you virtually sit in the driver‘s seat of beautifully modeled supercars as you put pedal to the metal across famous real world tracks. Notice the realistic details inside cockpits or accurately recreated geography around winding circuits.
Expanded Analysis:
- Gran Turismo established as the gold standard car porn racing franchise
- Supports full VR gameplay rather than limited special mode. Feels native to experience
- Driving assists welcome new players before learning expert techniques
- Tuning performance parts or fully customizing paint/body kits embrace your inner gearhead
- Garage organization tools help manage hundreds of collected vehicles
- livery Editor to design personal decals fosters creativity and customization
- Comprehensive Scapes photo mode with 100+ global locales to shoot cars in
- LiDar 3D mapped circuits precisely match geographical contours/key landmarks
- Esports hosted World Tour competitive series features tip drivers on the planet
- Significantly heightened immersion using proper racing wheel/pedal sets
For petrolheads craving authentic racecraft, GTS delivers superbly – making the wait for GT7 VR support completely worthwhile.
Quantifiable Data:
- 2 million milestone players in early 2020
- VR update well received for depth: 8/10 UploadVR, 80% Handheld Players
| Game Version | Metacritic Score | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Gran Turismo Sport (Base) | 81 Critic, 84 User | PS4, PS VR1 |
| Gran Turismo 7 | 88 Critic, 8.1 User | PS5, PS VR2 TBA |
Most multiplayer VR titles simply translate standard co-op or deathmatch formulas. Not so with Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes – a genuinely fresh social gaming experience!
One VR user must defuse a bomb with increasingly intricate puzzles. But there‘s a catch – you can‘t see the defusal instructions. Friends wield printed manuals relaying guidance based on what you describe verbally.
Expanded Analysis:
- Party style gameplay creates lively communication filled with humor and friendly banter
- Printable bomb defusal manuals for phone or tablet viewing by assistants
- Randomization ensures modules reset so each bomb scenario feels distinct
- Supporting helper roles give non-VR users agency in the game alongside primary player
- Tension escalates as timers run down forcing quick reactions
- Modules pull from real concepts in cryptography, electronics and more adding educational elements
- Post-game performance statistics encourage replay attempts chasing high scores
- Additional Steam Workshop modules crafted by community further expand variety
- Cross platform support allows defusing bombs with friends on any VR or PC headset
If you want laughter and yelling aplenty during VR gatherings with friends – this is an explosive must have!
Quantifiable Data:
- Over 85% positive reviews on Steam
- Won Best VR Game from New York Game Awards 2020
- Active player leaderboards encourage replay attempts
| Platforms Supported | Sale Price History | % Price Drop |
|---|---|---|
| PSVR, Oculus Quest, Vive, Rift, etc | $14.99 | 70% lower than $19.99 debut price |
Rockstar Games award winning detective adventure gains renewed life in VR with this standalone experience exclusive to PSVR focusing on 7 select cases to solve. The stylish noir aesthetic looks stunning inside the headset as you read facial expressions and examine clues up close using motion controllers. Action set pieces like shootouts and car chases also take on new intensity when experienced practically inside game worlds rather than on a flat screen.
For PSVR owning mystery fans, L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files makes for quality sleuthing that convincingly validates the platform‘s immersive strengths.
Expanded Analysis:
- Notable franchise revival after mixed initial reception on PS3/Xbox 360 over a decade ago
- Case selection highlights core strengths: investigative deductive reasoning
- Superb mo-cap performances still hold up conveying lies during suspect interviews
- 1940s costume/set design bursting with period appropriate details enhancing realism
- Interrogation and crime scene interactions more personal thanks to VR
- Gun fights and car chases adopt visceral first person perspectives
- Solid case variety spanning vice, arson, conspiracy, murder and more
- Length felt satisfying at around 8 hours pacing for VR sessions
- Overall fidelity and texture work could still benefit from PS5 + PSVR 2 upgrades
For PSVR loving history buffs or rookie cops, L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files makes for thrilling detective work bringing the past alive. But does investigative greatness await in a full sequel? We can VR hope!
Quantifiable Data:
- Metacritic: 70 Critic, 8.1 User reviews
- Completion estimates around 8-10 hours
- Sold well enough to top UK sales charts at launch
This iconic first person shooter plays out like The Matrix movies thanks to its unique core premise – time moves only when you move. Environments seem frozen until you willfully act and bullets crawl through the air with cinematic flair.
Wielding throwing knives to stylishly skewer enemies soon feels second nature. Grabbing shotguns out of mid-air to obliterate frozen foes also never stops satisfying. PlayStation VR allows peeking freely around corners expanding tactical awareness in tight spaces compared to playing on flat screens.
For wannabe John Wicks sick of bland military shooters, Superhot VR elegantly achieves the ultimate power fantasy inside Vision headsets transporting you straight into balletic bullet-time standoffs.
Expanded Analysis:
- Innovative time dilation mechanic merges physicality with strategy
- Level designs filled with physical obstacles and interactive objects keep combat dynamic
- Melee options like throwing bottles, katanas allow getting creative with eliminations
- Slow motion set pieces like punching shots back at enemies look spectacular
- Chaining kills against overwhelming odds feeds ego gloriously
- Different challenge modes offer gameplay variance extending appeal
- Sparse cryptic story told creatively tying levels together thematically
- Crisp monochromatic art direction and audio cues aid spatial awareness
- Length felt longer than expected on first full play through at 5+ hours
- Naturally scales difficulty forcing mastery of expanding movesets
For slick and smart VR shootouts putting you inside fever dream action sequences, Superhot remains peerlessly enthralling even years later.
Quantifiable Data:
- Sold over 2 million units since 2016 launch across all platforms
- Won multiple Game of Show awards from E3, Gamescom, Unity awards
- Over 96% positive reviews on Steam
Capcom‘s survival horror franchise embodying ominous atmosphere and grotesque monsters translates bone-chillingly well to virtual experiences – especially PSVR. Exploring the Baker family mansion with psychotic members hunting for you heightens dread exponentially compared to playing on flat screens. And don‘t get us started on utterly traumatic boss encounters made worse inside headsets!
But clever puzzles, tense resource management and thrilling mortal combat against oozing creatures still make Resident Evil 7 stellar horror even without VR. This outing deservedly revived the iconic franchise after some past missteps. But experiencing gameplay literally in your face escalates frights to another level showing off PS VR‘s scarily immersive potential.
Expanded Analysis:
- First mainline Resident Evil use first-person making VR support fully natural
- Realistic visually grounded rural setting taps primal isolation fears
- Superb occult atmosphere sustained exploring abandoned wrecked houses
- P.T. style environmental storytelling through disturbing details builds creeping unease
- Surround sound design weaponizes binaural audio against you
- Boss design crosses body horror and grotesqueries reaching new extremes
- Palpable sense of danger unable to fight most enemies forcing frantic evasion
- Puzzles strike balance between obscure and sensible
- Solid 10+ hour runtime with last act going off rails wonderfully
- DLC content provides additional lore/context rounding out package
For horror fanatics seeking maximum screams and skin-crawling gameplay, Resident Evil 7 in VR should come with heart attack warnings. The rest survive worse nightmares.
Quantifiable Data:
- Shipped over 10 million copies since 2017 launch
- Won VR Game of the Year 2017 from multiple outlets
- PSVR helped push franchise sales growth higher YoY
What begins as block sorting reflex training becomes an almost spiritual sensory cleanse in Tetris Effect. Backdrops dynamically dance and shift perfectly syncing to a euphoric original soundtrack laid over quintessential puzzle action. PSVR support takes the synesthesia fever dream to the next level letting your gaze trigger particle effects bursting around cascading tetrominoes.
For only $40, this masterful collaboration between music legend Tetsuya Mizuguchi and actual Tetris franchise owner Henk Rogers pays sublime dividends rivaling Beat Saber for VR gaming‘s pinnacle entrancing experiences.
Expanded Analysis:
- Psychedelic backgrounds thematically support each stage‘s unique music
- Hypnotic flow state triggered through elegant progression system
- Audio/visual spectacle entwines sight and sound into harmony
- Standard gameplay foundation refined over decades thus timeless
- Physical sensation of piloting tetrominoes feels more tangible by VR tracking
- Zone mechanic returns going bullet time when speed ramps up
- Leaderboards and weekly challenges target that addictive one more go factor
- Local co-op and online multiplayer modes supplement campaign adding longevity
- DLC doubles stage count and music duration further bolstering value
For just $40, Tetris Effect provides potentially infinite bliss spanning sensory euphoria, puzzle perfection and musical tranquility no matter your skill level or past Tetris history. And as a Cross-Buy PSVR title, purchasing nets copies on both PS4 and PS5.
Quantifiable Data:
- Won multiple Game of Year awards in 2018 – Easy Allies, The Game Awards
- Maintains Very Positive 92% rating on Steam
- Quickly recouped development costs selling over 1M copies
