Who doesn’t like free VR games? I mean, think about it: after buying the gaming PC, the VR headset, and in some cases, a dedicated space for gaming, who has money left to actually purchase games? Luckily, all of the major players in the VR field have several free games that are perfect for hours of fun.
In this post we take a look at the best free VR games for Rift, Vive, PSVR, Gear VR, Cardboard, and Daydream.
Table of Contents
HTC Vive
Half-Life: Alyx
Half-Life: Alyx is perhaps the most complete VR experience released so far—not to mention an amazing return to the Half-Life series, which is why it shouldn’t surprise you to learn that it won Game of the Year in 2020 Steam Awards. Half-Life: Alyx is set before the events of Half-Life 2, and, as its name implies, puts you in the shoes of Alyx Vance. Your mission is to seize a superweapon belonging to the alien Combine. To complete your goal, you will have to navigate extremely detailed environments, survive dangerous encounters with enemies, and solve physics-based puzzles.
Fallout 4 VR
Fallout 4 is the fourth main game in the beloved series of post-apocalyptic role-playing games. First published by Bethesda Softworks in 2015, the game has you playing as the sole survivor of Vault 111 while giving you the freedom to explore the world destroyed by nuclear war at your own pace. The VR version of Fallout 4 includes the complete core game with all main gameplay systems reimagined for virtual reality. While the game certainly has some weakness—just like every other open-world game—the sheer amount of entertainment it can provide is astonishing.
Beat Saber
Beat Saber is a unique rhythm game set in a neon-lit futuristic world. With a saber in each hand, your goal is to slash colorful blocks representing music beats as they come flying at you. Each level of the game’s numerous levels has been created by hand—not generated by an algorithm—to ensure the best experience possible. In addition to a single-player campaign, Beat Saber features a multiplayer component that lets you challenge your friends or random opponents around the world, so there’s always something to do.
Accounting
One of our free VR games that is definitely not for children, Accounting takes a dark and comedic stance on the profession of accounting. Tax fraud is only the beginning of the horrors that you may encounter whilst rummaging through offices, putting on VR goggles inside VR, and generally tearing apart the human body. Sound like fun? Those familiar with the television show Rick and Morty will already know what they are in for!
War Thunder
Gamers who like free VR games and also enjoy huge, large-scale battles will find themselves right at home with War Thunder. The game pulls players into the major battles of World War II and the Korean War and pits them against dozens of others. With a wide range of plane options, as well as several playable ground vehicles, War Thunder provides hours of entertainment but enough depth to divide the truly skilled players from the lucky.
The Lab
The Lab is a combination of minigames and VR experiences that works as the perfect introduction to the genre for new players. Allowing players to explore a real-world mountain peak, throw robots boxes in Slingshot, destroy meteors and baddies in Xortex, defend a castle in Longbow, or move from demo to demo within The Hub, The Lab offers a huge number of experiences with fantastic graphical fidelity. Even though it is clearly a tech demo of what the Vive is capable of, The Lab is a great way to have fun without committing to hours of playtime.
Rec Room
Rec Room takes the concept of The Lab, throws in a bit of social media, and plants it all firmly in your high school gym class. Players can customize their avatars, join up with thousands of players from all over the world, and play games like Disc Golf, Zero-G Paddle Ball, Dodgeball, and more. That said, because this game draws heavily on the social aspects, there is a lot of chatter and talking involved. Rec Room offers players the ability to mute, ignore, and report players who create a less-than-savory gaming experience.
Portal Stories: VR
Though it may be short and sometimes feel like a demo, Portal Stories: VR still offers an extremely high quality product for free. Players familiar with the Portal franchise will feel at home in the visually enhanced Aperture Science facility. Players will love solving brand new tests using the new ‘Aperture Science Instant Transportation Device’ and the ‘Aperture Science Apparatus Retrieval Tool’.
Oculus Rift
The Climb
Some of the best VR games currently available let you experience thrills you might not dare to experience in the real world, such as climbing a mountain, which is exactly what you can do in The Climb. Developed by Crytek and powered by CRYENGINE, this climbing simulator is guaranteed to get your adrenaline pumping as you ascend to seemingly impossible heights and discover hidden shortcuts along the way. The game even has a simplified gameplay mode, called Tourist, that you can use when introducing the game to an inexperienced friend.
Onward
Onward is arguably the best VR military simulation game released for Oculus Rift to this date. Just like in other popular mil-sims, such as Insurgency, there are no crosshairs or mini maps, so you really have to be aware of your surroundings all the time and coordinate with your teammates to survive. The game masterfully blends realistic combat mechanics and artificial locomotion to push your skills to their limits across a large variety of maps. Before playing against human opponents, you can practice against AI enemies in several different gameplay modes.
Arizona Sunshine
If you’ve been playing video games for a while, you probably know what it’s like to fight hordes of zombies. But do you know what it’s like to fight them in VR? Arizona Sunshine is a zombie shooter built exclusively for VR, allowing you and up to three of your friends to tackle co-op campaign mode or test how long you can survive in Horde mode. The game features over 25 realistic weapons and a variety of environments, including deserts, canyons, and mines. Besides English, Arizona Sunshine is also available in Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, and Spanish.
Robo Recall
Technically speaking, this game costs $30. That said, it requires the Oculus Touch to play — and that accessory happens to include the game. In Robo Recall you find yourself confronted with some deranged robots that have rebelled against the system. The game offers added value in the rather comedic voices of the robots, slightly reminiscent of the battle droids from the Star Wars franchise. With many weapons to be unlocked and further customized, hours of exciting robot slaughter are in store.
First Contact
Designed to be an introduction to the Oculus Touch, players rave about the magical first experiences that they had in this single room title. Touch and interact with a variety of objects in the room and enjoy the company of a robot friend. High quality visuals provide the player with the kind of immersion that VR was created to provide.
Rec Room
Wait didn’t you see this already? Yep, but it’s also for Oculus Rift. As previously mentioned, Rec Room takes the concept of The Lab, throws in a bit of social media, and plants it all firmly in your high school gym class. Players can customize their avatars, join up with thousands of players from all over the world, and play games like Disc Golf, Zero-G Paddle Ball, Dodgeball, and more. That said, because this game draws heavily on the social aspects, there is a lot of chatter and talking involved. Rec Room offers players the ability to mute, ignore, and report players who create a less-than-savory gaming experience.
Farlands
Farlands is one of those rare titles that comes along and blows away first impressions. Free games, unfortunately, have a bit of a negative connotation. Farland’s absolutely beautiful graphics and implementation of VR mechanics make it one of the better free titles available on Rift. Despite the somewhat silly plot, the daily updates keep the game interesting and encourage the player to revisit the title time and time again.
Lucky’s Tale
At two hours long, Lucky’s Tale isn’t one of the epic free VR games that you’ll be talking about for years to come. However, it does serve as a great introduction to virtual reality gameplay. The VR implementation grants a feeling of depth as the camera sinks in around you in tight spaces or in the way Lucky waves if you lean in. That said, much of the title is too easy for more hardcore players. It’s a great title for a non-gamer curious about VR, but serious gamers will likely want something with more depth and challenge.
PlayStation VR (PSVR)
No Man’s Sky
No Man’s Sky is one of the best comeback stories in the video gaming industry. Its developers have managed to repair their shattered reputation by tirelessly adding new features, fixing bugs, and polishing everything that could possibly be polished. The result of their effort is an amazing exploration survival game that takes place in an infinite procedurally generated universe, and all PlayStation VR owners can now play it in virtual reality.
GET IT FROM THE PLAYSTATION STORE!
Superhot VR
Some games receive raving reviews because they push the boundaries of realism, delivering jaw-dropping graphics with life-like animations and physics. Other games become wildly popular because they bring to the table innovative gameplay mechanics. Superhot VR is in the second category. In this FPS game, time moves only when you move, allowing you to plan several steps ahead before unleashing mayhem on your enemies.
GET IT FROM THE PLAYSTATION STORE!
Astro Bot: Rescue Mission
This PSVR exclusive brings the platforming genre to virtual reality, allowing you to take control of a robot named Astro as you help him rescue his crew. Each of the game’s 26 missions is filled with dangerous enemies, deadly traps, and challenging bosses. To succeed, you will have to move with accuracy and master a variety of gameplay mechanics, including shooting slingshots and deadly ninja stars. Your past adventures are automatically immortalized in your collection room, which doubles as an addicting mini-game where you can win prizes.
GET IT FROM THE PLAYSTATION STORE!
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Virtual reality can be terrifying, especially with a horror game like Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. Thanks to its RE Engine, the game’s developers have been able shift the series to first person view in a photorealistic style and successfully return to its survival horror roots. Gameplay systems have been updated to meet the expectations of today’s gamers, featuring a grid-based inventory system that lets you combine items together to increase their usefulness. The finished product is a spectacular horror adventure that is guaranteed to test your courage.
GET IT FROM THE PLAYSTATION STORE!
Star Wars: Squadrons
If you’re a fan of the Star Wars franchise or space combat games like Wing Commander, FreeSpace 2, or Elite, then Star Wars: Squadrons will be right up your alley. As the game’s name suggests, you take control of starfighters from both the New Republic and Imperial fleets as you complete a single-player campaign and participate in two main multiplayer modes: dogfights and fleet battles. Regardless of if you decide to play the game solo or with friends, you’ll always be able to experience first-hand what it’s like to be a pilot in the Star Wars universe.
GET IT FROM THE PLAYSTATION STORE!
Gear VR
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
The premise of Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is simple and addictive. You’re trapped inside a virtual room with a ticking bomb in front of you. To defuse it, you need to cooperate with other players, whose objective is to give you the instructions to defuse the bomb from the Bomb Defusal Manual. Because of the game’s co-op nature, you need at least one friend to play it, but the good news is that only one Gear VR headset is required. Just be careful when playing it with your spouse because not every relationship can survive a ticking time bomb.
Minecraft VR
Minecraft is one of those few games, along with Tetris, Pac-Man, and Super Mario, that don’t need a lengthy introduction. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to live in the game’s blocky world, then the Gear VR version of Minecraft should be able to satisfy your curiosity, allowing you to build, explore, and fight mobs in a truly immersive way. Exploring complex cave systems while looking for rare resources is now even scarier thanks to 3D audio capable of realistically reproducing even the faintest sounds.
Aftershock VR
Aftershock VR is not a game in the traditional sense, but a VR documentary which brings viewers to Nepal where, in 2015, two earthquakes devastated the country and brought water shortages. Join Krishna as he seeks to restore water to his village. A true example of how VR can be used to promote greater understanding of people and their lives!
Totems in Dreamland
This game combines pleasing visuals and challenging gameplay to create an experience not worth missing! You will have to carefully trace the path you want the main character XiaoShan to follow. Enemies will try to stop your hero from reaching the totems which form the game’s objective. Players are sure to be entertained for hours while they search for the lost totems.
Skylight
Skylight forces the player to think strategically as they command their fleet to attack the enemy. Great visuals only enhance the experience, and allow you to visualise the battle like never before. It is free to start playing, but unlocking the rest of the weapons and missions require an in-game purchase. Nevertheless, this is one of the better strategy games for the Gear VR!
Oculus Arcade
Oculus Arcade is just what it sounds like: a virtual arcade that lets you dive into beloved classics like Pac-Man, Sonic, and other Sega and Midway titles. While the free version limits the titles you have access to, paying for the full version will let you play all 22 games for as long as you want. However, it’s definitely one you’ll need a game pad for; the Gear VR controls won’t cut it for this one.
Sky Fighter: Training Day
Sky Fighter does something everyone secretly wants to do: it puts the player in control of an Iron Man-like suit. Training Day is the first mission of the game, and is available for free to Gear VR users. Additional missions must be purchased. The game looks impressive, particularly for a Gear VR title, and the experience of piloting a mechanized suit of armor is one you don’t want to miss.
Google Daydream
Damnfields
Horizons
Have a thing for both free VR games and rhythm games? If so, you’re going to love this one. In the game you use the Daydream motion controller to control the colors around you. Paired with a good set of headphones, this game is meant to really amp up both your audio and visual senses in a way that might not be a normal ‘game’, but it still is a hell a lot of fun. One thing we will note is that this one gets a bit repetitive with time… so it’s replay value is a bit limited. Then again, hard to complain when it’s on our free VR games list.
Twilight Pioneers
When it comes to VR RPGs, the Google Daydream doesn’t offer a whole lot in the way of choices, but the good news is that it does have one very good option in the action RPG Twilight Pioneers. The game utilizes Daydream’s head tracking as its primary method of control, has a reasonably decent story line and all the staples you’d expect from an action RPG like minor character customization, boss fights, and more. For those that like relatively advanced mechanics even in their action RPGS, this isn’t that game. We will admit the game’s mechanics are actually pretty simple, but it’s still certainly worth giving a try, especially since it on the free VR games list.
Google Cardboard
Deep Space Battle VR
Deep Space Battle VR is a thrilling VR space shooter that you can enjoy for free with any Google Cardboard headset. The game lets you engage in fast-paced dog fights as you navigate your spaceship t through a colorful galactic landscape. Thanks to the game’s simplified gameplay mechanics, you don’t even need a controller, making Deep Space Battle VR perfect for players who are just getting into virtual reality.
Hardcode
Who said that you need an expensive VR headset to play immersive shooters? Hardcode demonstrates that an inexpensive Google Cardboard headset and just about any wireless gamepad can be enough to deliver hours of entertainment. The game cleverly mixes third-person combat with addictive puzzle mechanics to test your reflexes and critical thinking alike.
Star Wars VR
Star Wars is one of those fictional worlds that almost everyone wants to experience. While the recent release of Battlefront made it possible, it doesn’t hold a candle to actually stepping into the world of Star Wars through virtual reality. Star Wars VR lets viewers immerse themselves in the universe. See the wreckage of a crashed Star Destroyer, listen as a speeder flies past, and watch as BB-8 happily rolls his way across the sands of Jakku.
Radial G-Infinity
Radial G-Infinity is a simple, fun racer that follows a familiar pattern. Follow the tracks, but make sure to change lanes to avoid holes, aliens, and slowdown zones. You can also pick up items and power-ups to help you along the way. The pace of the game is rapid, but captivating; it will keep you coming back to get your score just a little bit higher each and every time.
Roller Coaster VR
Roller Coaster VR is another member of the free VR games list that is less game and more movie, but it’s a great simulation of what an actual roller coaster is like. You’re able to look around and check out a lot of different angles while on the ride. Just be warned: with this much movement, motion sickness is a possibility.
Cyclops Duck Hunt
How many gamers’ first peripheral was the light gun on the NES? Now that experience is back. In Cyclops Duck Hunt, you take the role of a cyclops who woke up from a nap, only to discover that ducks have invaded his territory. You use your laser vision to blast them out of the sky. The game is as straightforward as that; look around in 360 degrees and try to knock out as many as possible. Shooting a duck will kill it, and it will drop cash on the ground. As you shoot them and fill up a meter, a special duck will appear. The game is simple, easy fun with a bit of nostalgia tossed in.
A Chair in a Room
A Chair in a Room takes the limited controls of the Google Cardboard and turns them into something terrifying. You begin the game in a room with a single light and a chair at the table; that’s it. You’ll spend the entire game in this room, but that’s where the true terror begins. As you examine newspaper clippings and follow the story of a young girl who was kidnapped, the light begins to flicker and you’re forced to turn to your not-so-trusty flashlight. However, it requires periods of recharging, during which you’re in the pitch black room. Strange, eerie sounds emanate from all around. A Chair in a Room does a wonderful job of ratcheting up the creep factor with its limited control scheme and ominous setting.
What do you think of these free VR games and have you tried any out? Have we missed one that you think should be on the list and which is your favorite game for your VR headset? Let us know your views down below.
