PSVR 2 has had a great launch year despite an undeniably rocky start, as these great games prove.
As 2023 comes to a close, we’re celebrating the PSVR 2’s first year on the market by ranking some of the best games we’ve played from its catalog.
Sony’s second virtual reality headset was launched this year, hitting the scene back in February. But the PSVR 2 headset didn’t get off to a flying start, lacking compatibility with the previous game library and only launching with one true first-party exclusive. However, PSVR 2 remains one of the most accessible ways to experience VR gaming like never before, harnessing the power of the PS5 to allow VR fans to enjoy truly next-level graphics.
If you’ve recently purchased a PSVR 2, or have plans to do so in the future, you’re probably wondering which games to play first. Fortunately, we’ve put a whole host of PSVR 2 titles through their paces this year, and we’re ready to let you know which PlayStation VR games from the headset’s growing library you should play first. However, here’s our list of The eight best PSVR 2 games released in 2023.
Arizona Sunshine 2
Zombie shooters are a dime a dozen on VR consoles like PSVR 2 and Meta Quest 3. And while there’s reason to say that the in-depth survival aspects of The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners make it the best, the Arizona game released Lately Sunshine 2 is much less stressful and gives you the simple satisfaction that comes from endlessly grinding through hordes of the undead.
You’ll hack, attack and shoot your way through zombies – or “unique” as the ill-fated protagonist calls them – in an attempt to find more survivors and a cure. Arizona Sunshine 2 is one of the most feature-complete zombie shooters on PSVR 2, one-upping the first by adding a canine companion that you use to solve puzzles, attack flesh-eaters, and more. If you want to kill zombies as part of a campy story, this is it.
Before your eyes
How much of one person’s life can you fit into one game? That’s exactly the question posed in GoodbyeWorld Games’ emotional adventure where time is pushed forward any time you blink. Before Your Eyes was certainly a hit when it first launched on PC a few years ago, but playing through the PSVR 2 headset brings you closer to this honest (and sometimes heart-wrenching) tale of how quickly life can go by. . by.
PSVR 2’s eye-tracking technology makes interacting with these vignettes of the world even more engaging than it was before, confirming this version as the definitive way to play. It’s not the most visually stunning game, true, but that’s made up for with a beautiful pastel art style and innovative flashy gameplay wrapped in one of VR’s best stories.
C-Smash VRs
Part psychedelic rhythm game, part sci-fi title, and in addition to being one of the most impressive PSVR 2 exclusives to be released this year, C-Smash VRS is also guaranteed to keep you moving. Based on Sega’s 2001 arcade classic of a similar name, your goal is to master your squash playing skills in an intergalactic landscape, using your reach and the environment to hit the ball into several floating blocks for the best time and score.
What starts out as a very simple introduction actually proves difficult to master, as you are encouraged to shift your weight and move your entire body to anticipate every bounce and get the best possible progress. Backed by a stunning soundtrack of both relaxing and boosting musical beats, C-Smash VRS is unlike any other PSVR 2 game you’ll play this year – and it only continues to get better with newly added co-op, Infinity Mode, and an AI bot to play against.
Horizon: Call of the Mountain
PSVR 2’s masterpiece title at launch was nothing more than this in-between set within the same world as Horizon Forbidden West and its predecessor. Putting you firmly in the shoes of another outsider named Ryas, Horizon: Call of the Mountain lets you experience these lush environments from a whole new perspective. From hunting down stormtroopers with a bow, to making your PSVR 2 headset vibrate wildly when a long jacket passes you over your head, this Horizon spin-off is still one of the best looking and playing games on the platform.
Horizon: Call of the Mountain is full of solid moments, being a technical showcase for the platform and a true demonstration of what’s possible in VR when a first-party team is given a good budget and has the time to make something special. At this point, it’s unlikely we’ll see anything at this level anytime soon on PSVR 2 again. However, it’s a must-have game for anyone who picks up a headset.
Trip to the institution
Is classic literature not your thing? This virtual reality spin on the novels of legendary science fiction writer Isaac Asimov might be a good alternative. For all its inspirations from the Foundation books, Journey to Foundation feels like a more straightforward affair, placing you hundreds of years in the future as a member of a peacekeeping commission, who must investigate crimes and wrongdoings while making difficult choices.
This narrative-driven approach gives Journey to Foundation a slower pace compared to a lot of other VR games out there – to the point where pulling out your blaster can feel awkward at times. Instead, the game is at its best when you’re interrogating subjects, exploring spaceships and planets, and using your unique mental abilities to read the thoughts of others and influence them. Simply put, Journey to Foundation is one of the most thoughtful PSVR 2 games on the market.
Synapse
Roguelikes are big business in the world of video games these days. So it makes sense that PSVR 2 would have its own dedicated first-person shooter that embraces this format. Fortunately for gamers, this comes in the form of Synapse, a polished and addictive VR title that challenges you to dive into multiple layers of a person’s mind to do battle with their thoughts and minions within.
Synapse’s gunplay is one of the best on PSVR 2, taking full advantage of the controller’s haptic feedback capabilities to make you feel every kick and bounce. A fully integrated upgrade system helps make each round unique too, becoming more powerful depending on whether you want to play aggressively or defensively. Synapse offers an endless amount of replayability, which is appreciated in a PSVR 2 title like this.
Paper Monster – Enhanced Edition
If you’re looking for something a little more exciting and quiet, Paper Beast – Enhanced Edition was released for PSVR 2 this year, reminding us once again that a story without words can sometimes be the most powerful. Sure, it’s been released for a few years now, pretty close to the launch of the original PSVR headset, but this enhanced version looks even better – making great use of improved eye tracking and haptic feedback.
You play as an unmade explorer tasked with following and helping paper monsters throughout the vast desert, not too dissimilar to the ones seen in Journey. However, here you are tasked with maintaining their integrity and using them to shape the environments around you as needed, with water, rocks and of course sand requiring unique solutions to get around. At just 3-4 hours long, Paper Beast – Enhanced Edition is an enjoyable journey into a dream-like world.
Dark Images: Switchback VR
Don’t be fooled by the terrible title. The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR is actually a successful continuation of the virtual reality ghost train shooter that Supermassive Games first experimented with on the first PSVR with Until Dawn: Rush of Blood. In this case, the on-rails shooter is based on entries in the titular Dark Pictures saga, allowing PSVR 2 players to relive the events of those horror games while on a sinister rollercoaster.
Expect to see familiar spooky rides from Little Hope, Man of Medan, House of Ashes and other titles featured across the Dark Pictures anthology. However, here, everything is skillfully tied together as part of a broader story being conducted by The Curator. The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR isn’t for those who suffer from motion sickness, it’s true, but it’s an effective way to enjoy a PSVR 2 game while sitting down and enduring a lot of scares in the process.