The 8 best PSVR 2 games of 2023 – what should play on Sony's new VR headset
As 2023 comes to a close, we're celebrating the PSVR 2’s first year on the market by ranking some of the very best games we’ve played from its catalogue.
Sony's second-ever virtual reality headset was released this year, entering the scene back in February. But the PSVR 2 headset didn’t get off to the most successful of starts, lacking backwards compatibility with its predecessor’s games library and only launching with one true first-party exclusive. That said, the PSVR 2 continues to be one of the most accessible ways to experience VR games like never before, harnessing the power of the PS5 to let VR enthusiasts enjoy true next-level graphics.
If you’ve just recently picked a PSVR 2 up, or have plans to do so in the future, you’re probably wondering which games to play first. Luckily, we’ve put a whole bunch of PSVR 2 titles through their paces this year, and are primed to let you know which PlayStation VR games out of the headset’s growing library you should play first. With that said, 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 platforms like PSVR 2 and Meta Quest 3. And while there’s a case to say that the in-depth survival aspects of The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners make it the best one, the recently released Arizona Sunshine 2 is far less stressful and absolutely nails the simple satisfaction that comes from endlessly mowing down the undead hordes.
You’ll be hacking, bashing and shooting your way through zombies – or “Freds” as this ill-fated protagonist calls them – in a bid to find more survivors and a cure. Arizona Sunshine 2 is easily one of the most feature-complete zombie shooters on PSVR 2, outdoing the first with the addition of a dog companion you use to solve puzzles, attack flesh-eaters and more. If you want to gun down zombies as part of a campy story, this one is it.
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Before Your Eyes
How much of one person’s entire life can you squeeze into a single game? That’s exactly the question asked in GoodbyeWorld Games’ emotional adventure where time is pushed forward any time you blink. And sure, Before Your Eyes packed a brilliant punch when it first launched on PC a few years ago, but playing through a PSVR 2 headset brings you closer to this heartfelt (and sometimes heart-wrenching) tale about just how quickly life can pass you by.
The PSVR 2’s eye-tracking technology makes interacting with these world vignettes all the more engaging than they were before, making a case that this version is the definitive way to play. It’s not the most visually stunning game, true, but this is made up for by a beautiful pastel art style and ingenious blinking gameplay wrapped up in one of VR’s best stories.
C-Smash VRS
Part psychedelic rhythm game, part sci-fi brick breaker, as well as being one of the most visually striking PSVR 2 exclusives to release 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 the intergalactic scene, using your reach and the environment to knock a ball into several floating blocks to achieve the best time and score.
What starts as a very simple premise actually proves difficult to master, as you’re encouraged to shift your weight and move your whole body to predict each bounce and get the best rally possible going. Backed up by an incredible soundtrack of both chill and amped-up synth beats, C-Smash VRS is like no other PSVR 2 game you’ll play this year – and it’s only continued to get better with newly added co-op, an Infinity mode, and an AI bot to play against.
Horizon: Call of the Mountain
The PSVR 2’s showpiece title at launch was none other than this interquel set within the same world as Horizon Forbidden West and its predecessor. Firmly placing you in the shoes of another outsider called Ryas, Horizon: Call of the Mountain lets you experience these lush environments from an all-new perspective. From chasing down storm birds with a bow, to having the PSVR 2’s headset vibrate immensely as a Tallneck passes you overhead, this Horizon spin-off is still one of the best-looking and playing games on the platform.
Horizon: Call of the Mountain is stacked full of set-piece moments, being a technical showcase for the platform and true evidence 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 on such a level any time soon on PSVR 2 again. That said, it’s a must-play for anyone who picks the headset up.
Journey to Foundation
Is classic literature not your thing? This VR spin on the novels of legendary sci-fi writer Isaac Asimov might be a good substitute. For all its inspirations from the Foundation books, however, Journey to Foundation plays like a much more straightforward affair, setting you hundreds of years into the future as a member of the peace-keeping Commission, who must investigate crimes and errors while making tough choices.
This more narrative-driven approach does give Journey to Foundation a slower pace compared to a lot of other VR games out there – to the extent that pulling out your blaster can sometimes feel odd. Rather, the game is at its best when you’re questioning subjects, exploring spaceships and planets, and using your unique mental abilities to read the minds of others and influence them. Simply put, Journey to Foundation is one of the most thoughtful PSVR 2 games out there.
Synapse
Roguelikes are big business in the video game world these days. It makes sense, therefore, for PSVR 2 to have its own dedicated first-person shooter that adopts the format. Fortunately for players, this comes in the form of Synapse, an impossibly addictive and polished VR title that challenges you to dive into multiple layers of a person’s mind to do battle with his thoughts and his minions within.
Synapse’s gunplay is some of the best on PSVR 2, fully taking advantage of the controller’s haptic feedback capabilities to make you feel every kick and recoil. A fully integrated upgrade system helps every run feel unique, too, as you get ever more powerful depending on whether you want to play aggressively or defensively. Synapse offers a near-endless amount of replayability, which is appreciated in a PSVR 2 title like this.
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Paper Beast – Enhanced Edition
If you’re seeking something a bit more ethereal and chill, Paper Beast – Enhanced Edition released for PSVR 2 this year, to once again remind us that a story without words can sometimes be the most powerful. Sure, it’s been out for a fair few years now, way back around the time that the original PSVR headset launched, but this enhanced edition looks even better – benefiting greatly from the improved eye-tracking and haptic feedback.
You play as an unmade explorer tasked with following and assisting the titular paper beasts throughout a vast desert, not too dissimilar to the one seen in Journey. Here, however, you’re tasked with keeping them safe 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 only 3 to 4 hours in length, Paper Beast – Enhanced Edition is an enjoyable descent into the dreamlike.
The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR
Don’t be fooled by the terrible title. The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR is actually a successful continuation of the VR ghost train shooter concept developer Supermassive Games first experimented with back on the first PSVR with Until Dawn: Rush of Blood. In this instance, the on-rails shooter is based on entries into the titular Dark Pictures saga, letting PSVR 2 players relive the events of those horror games while aboard a sinister rollercoaster.
Expect to see familiar frights from Little Hope, Man of Medan, House of Ashes and other games featured across the Dark Pictures anthology. Here, however, all are subtly tied together as part of a wider story being conducted by The Curator. The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR isn’t one for those who suffer from motion sickness, true, but it’s an effective way to enjoy PSVR 2 while seated and incur plenty of scares in the process.
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