As we’ve covered before, virtual reality is quickly becoming a reality in our daily lives and it’s touching a number of different industries, like shopping, healthcare, and more. With a headset, almost anything can be turned into an experience that looks and feels like you are really there. It actually makes almost anything into a video game. That feeling is called immersion. Your mind is tricking your body into feeling the physical sensations of that experience. As virtual reality progresses that feeling of immersion will become more intense, and potentially indistinguishable from reality.
For most of us, that’s where our mind goes when we think virtual reality. It represents the next level of video games; a first-person shooter that feels like you’re actually in the dog fight or a role-playing game that takes you on an adventure through the enchanted forest. There’s seemingly no end to the surreal experiences possible through virtual reality games.
Virtual Reality Games are Improving
The main criticism of virtual reality headsets is the lack of good gaming content and selection, but that’s changing quickly. As more headsets have been released from major technology and gaming companies, more money has poured into the development of great games. If you’ve been holding off on buying a VR headset yourself, it may be time to reconsider. Here’s our guide to some of the best virtual reality games on the market today.
I Expect You to Die – https://iexpectyoutodie.schellgames.com/
Systems: Oculus Rift, Vive, Playstation VR
Anyone that has watched a James Bond movie or read a Tom Clancy novel has wondered what life would be like as an international spy. I Expect You to Die gives you the opportunity to dive into the life head first. It opens with your first day on the job as a secret agent and takes you through a series of increasingly difficult tasks, tests, puzzles, traps and missions. It’s more of a problem-solving game than it is a first-person shooter, and that actually makes it closer to what life would probably be like as an international secret agent. If you’re looking for a fun mental challenge, this game should be near the top of your list.
Elite: Dangerous – https://www.elitedangerous.com/en/made-for-vr/
Systems: Oculus Rift and Vive
If you’ve ever dreamt about what it would be like to fly a spaceship through the outskirts of the galaxy, then Elite: Dangerous should be on your virtual radar.  This game takes you on a detailed journey into life as a member of the Pilots Federation, a futuristic coalition that fights space piracy. You start in the shipyard and actually build up a fleet of ships with complete customization. Then, you must work your way through pilot’s training and eventually become a captain of your fleet. The game play is intense and realistic. The game has both single-player story lines and a great online multi-player environment.
Robo Recall – https://www.epicgames.com/roborecall/en-US/home#recall
Systems: Oculus Rift
One stop by the website for this game and you’ll understand why it’s incredibly addictive. This is probably the best first-person shooter game available for Oculus Rift right now. For starters, the graphics are a lot more polished than any other game; it has graphics closer to popular first person shooter games on Xbox and PS4. The game play is exciting and quirky enough to catch your attention.
Hover Junkers – http://www.hoverjunkers.com/
Systems: Vive
This game is a bit more exhausting than your average virtual reality game. It’s a multi-player game that pits your junkyard ship and weapons versus the ships of your buddies. You battle in a virtual playing field that’s the size of whatever room you’re playing in and the action comes at you from all sides. This game only gets more intense as you add more players into the battle. You’ll be dipping, ducking, and diving around the room. Only warning: don’t play this game in a room with anything that can break or injure you. Seriously. You will regret it when you dive into that priceless vase and have to explain that the video game made you do it.
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes – http://www.keeptalkinggame.com/
Systems: PC, Mac, Oculus Rift, Playstation VR, Samsung VR
This game is perfect for your next party or as an excuse to gather the family around for game night. It doesn’t actually require a virtual reality headset to play, but that aspect adds a lot of fun to the game. Basically, one person puts on the headset and they have to diffuse a bomb as their partners explain to them what to do. It sounds simple, but it quickly becomes exhilarating as time ticks down on the bomb. You will be amazed at how much fun a small group of people can have as they try to avoid a virtual explosion.
Mario Kart VR
Racing your friends in Mario Kart Virtual Reality sounds incredible, and the previews look incredible, but we left this virtual reality game last on the list for a reason. You can only play it if you are willing and able to travel to Japan. Mario Kart Virtual Reality was introduced exclusively at a Japanese arcade, which sounds amazing in and of itself, and Nintendo has not release any firm dates for a move into the US market. The preview video of this game alone was enough for us to add it to the list. Mario Kart was addictive on N64. Taking that game to virtual reality is almost enough by itself to buy a virtual reality headset.