Elite: Dangerous
Elite: Dangerous hit the market long before VR headsets were available, and a rich community of PC players flocked to the game. That didn’t stop Frontier Developments from adapting Elite: Dangerous for a more immersive experience. The developer was quick to adopt VR and convert Elite: Dangerous to support this new immersive medium. Frontier Developments added support for the HTC Vive before the hardware was available, and the game received Oculus Rift support in time for the launch of the headset.
From day one, the Vive-supported version of Elite: Dangerous was the same as the desktop version. Elite: Dangerous is a simulation of the universe, and every player connects to the same instance. Whether you’re playing on a desktop monitor or donning a VR HMD, you’re in the same world as everyone else.
- HMD Support: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Desktop PC
- Crossable Platforms: SteamVR, Oculus
- Input: Keyboard & Mouse, Gamepad, H.O.T.A.S.
- Publisher: Frontier Developments
- Developer: Frontier Developments
- Store Page: Steam
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Sparc
CCP Games was one of the first established developers to adopt VR. The company created EVE: Valkyrie with early Oculus developer kits, and it believed it would have continued success in the VR space. Late last year, CCP bowed out of VR development (at least for now), but before it chopped off its VR arm, the developer managed to pump out one last VR title.
Sparc couldn’t be further from CCP’s wheelhouse. The developer is accustomed to building space-faring games; Sparc is a futuristic sports game. Two players face off one-on-one in a game that’s a mix between the racquetball and the disc game from Tron.
CCP launched Sparc as a timed exclusive for PSVR in August 2017. In November the game landed on the Steam and Oculus platforms.
- HMD Support: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, PSVR
- Crossable Platforms: SteamVR, Oculus, PlayStation Network
- Input: Motion Controllers
- Publisher: CCP Games
- Developer: CCP Games
- Store Page: Steam, Oculus Store, PlayStation Store
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Payday 2
Payday 2 is a four-player cooperative crime game. Form a team with three other players to co-ordinate everything from small-time robberies and kidnappings to epic bank heists. Work together to subdue guards, grab the loot, and get out before the cops shut you down.
Overkill released Payday 2 in 2013, but the developer gave the game a major overhaul in November 2017 that included beta VR support. The new version of the game allows desktop and VR players to play together.
- HMD Support: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Desktop PC
- Crossable Platforms: SteamVR, Steam
- Input: Motion Controllers, Keyboard & Mouse
- Publisher: Starbreeze Publishing AB
- Developer: Overkill
- Store Page: Steam
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Serious Sam VR Franchise
Croteam is one of the few developers that transitioned from standard game development into VR development. The company converted its back catalog of Serious Sam games to support VR, and it preserved the co-op features of these games.
The Serious Sam VR franchise is available on Steam, and it supports HTC Vive and Oculus Rift HMDs. The developer also enabled cross-platform support so that players with VR HMDs can play with their friends even if they’re playing on a traditional display.
- HMD Support: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Desktop PC
- Crossable Platforms: SteamVR, Steam
- Input: Motion Controllers, Gamepad, Keyboard & Mouse
- Publisher: Devolver Digital
- Developer: Croteam
- Store Page: Steam
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Project Cars 1 & 2
Project Cars from Slightly Mad Studios is one of the best racing titles available, and it’s the only racing game that supports cross-platform racing.
Project Cars landed on Steam in March 2015, and before the game was out, the developer committed to supporting VR. When the Rift landed in March 2016, Slightly Mad Studios was ready with a copy of the game for Oculus Rift. A patch for the Steam version, which added Vive support, came out in May 2016.
Unfortunately, the version of Project Cars that you can get on the Oculus Store isn’t compatible with the Steam version. If you buy the game through the Oculus platform, you can only play against other Oculus Rift owners. However, the Steam version of the game supports HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and desktop PC players in the same instance.
Project Cars 2 also supports cross-platform gameplay between Vive, Rift, and desktop players on Steam. It is also available for PlayStation 4, but it does not support PSVR. Project Cars 2 is not available on the Oculus Store.
- HMD Support: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Desktop PC
- Crossable Platforms: SteamVR, Steam
- Input: Motion Controllers
- Publisher: Slightly Mad Studios, Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Developer: Slightly Mad Studios
- Store Page: Steam, Oculus Store
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Racket: NX
Racket: NX is a fast-paced futuristic racquetball game for VR. It features a single-player mode that allows you to learn ropes, but the action really picks up when you compete against another player.
Racket: NX is available on the Steam VR platform, with support for the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and the Microsoft Windows Mixed Reality HMDs. You can also get the game from the Oculus Store or the Windows Store. It’s even coming soon to HTC’s Viveport platform in Asia.
Racket: NX supports cross-platform gameplay between Steam VR and Oculus players. The developer hasn’t announced Windows MR cross-platform support.
- HMD Support: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality
- Crossable Platforms: SteamVR, Oculus
- Input: Motion Controllers
- Publisher: Keshet International Gaming
- Developer: One Hamsa, Waves Audio
- Store Page: Steam, Oculus Store, Windows Store
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AltspaceVR
AltspaceVR is the original VR social application. It was first available as a standalone application for the Oculus DK2, and over the past few years, it’s grown to support almost every VR platform you can think of. AltspaceVR is a multiplayer, cross-platform, VR community hangout where you can play games with friends, take in live VR entertainment, or meet new people from around the world. AltspaceVR pioneered several multi-user VR technologies, such as FrontRow for unlimited-capacity live events, and VR Capture, which enables replays of live VR events.
AltspaceVR announced that it would close its doors in the summer of 2017, but Microsoft swooped in at the final hour and saved the company from financial demise. Ironically, Microsoft’s Windows Mixed Reality is the only major VR platform that isn’t natively supported by AltspaceVR. You can use a Windows MR HMD in AltspaceVR, but you must access the software through SteamVR.
- HMD Support: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, OSVR, Windows MR, Desktop PC, GearVR, Daydream
- Crossable Platforms: SteamVR, Oculus, Desktop App, GearVR, Daydream
- Input: Motion Controllers, Gamepad, Keyboard & Mouse
- Publisher: AltspaceVR
- Developer: AltspaceVR
- Store Page: Steam, Oculus Store, Altvr.com
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VRChat
VRChat is another virtual reality social environment. VRChat offers several games and activities to pass the time. It also allows you to submit custom environments to share, and you’re free to upload any 3D avatar that you would like.
VRChat is available on Steam and Viveport, and it supports the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift headsets. You don’t need a VR headset to enjoy VRChat, though. If you want to, you can connect to VRChat with a regular gaming PC and flat monitor.
- HMD Support: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Desktop PC
- Crossable Platforms: SteamVR, Steam, Oculus
- Input: Motion Controllers, Keyboard & Mouse, Gamepad
- Publisher: VRChat
- Developer: VRChat
- Store Page: Steam, Viveport
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Sprint Vector
Sprint Vector is Survios’ second VR title. It’s nothing like Raw Data, but Sprint Vector adheres to the developer's mantra of building active VR games.
Sprint Vector is a VR foot race game that requires physical movement to navigate through the course. Survios integrated the Fluid Motion system, which offers ArmSwinger locomotion, a system that lets you throw yourself into the air by grabbing the environment, and a Superman flying system to help you get from point A to point B as fast as possible.
Survios plans to release Sprint Vector in Q1 2018. The game will be available on the Steam and Oculus stores, and players from each platform will be able to race against each other.
- HMD Support: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift
- Crossable Platforms: SteamVR, Oculus
- Input: Motion Controllers
- Publisher: Survios
- Developer: Survios
- Store Page: Steam, Oculus Store
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Sports Bar VR
Sports Bar VR (formerly Pool Nation VR) is a VR simulation of--you guessed it--a sports bar. You can play a game of pool, or try your luck at some darts. Sports Bar VR also features skeeball, air hockey, and many other bar games to play.
Sports Bar VR supports Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR, and as of November, players from all three platforms can mix and mingle together. The game supports up to eight players, so you can invite a bunch of your friends to come hang out at the bar—even if they don’t live in the same city.
- HMD Support: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, PSVR
- Crossable Platforms: SteamVR, Oculus, PlayStation Network
- Input: Motion Controllers
- Publisher: Perilous Orbit
- Developer: Chery Pop Games, Perilous Orbit
- Store Page: Steam, Oculus Store, PlayStation Store
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