Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series

The Star Wars franchise has been very hit or miss in recent years. But if you’re a fan from way back, playing Vader Immortal will make you quote Han Solo from the Sequel Trilogy: “We’re home.”

You play as a smuggler who must investigate Vader’s fortress on Mustafar. Along the way, you’ll pick up a lightsaber, solve puzzles, and learn some of the biggest secrets of Darth Vader.

If you’d like to feel excited about what VR can do, this is the game to make it happen.

No Man's Sky VR

No Man’s Sky had a frustrating launch, but the developer spent the intervening years adding new features and tweaks to the game until it eventually exceeded its original promises.

This now includes a VR expansion that is a must-have for fans of sandbox games and sci-fi.

After all, half the fun of these games is the Star Trek–style ability to explore strange new worlds.

And that exploration takes on new meaning once you can see every detail of every planet in stunning VR.

Archangel: Hellfire

Sometimes the best VR games are the ones that get back to basics. For example, almost every gamer has imagined what it would be like to pilot a high-tech mech as you see in MechWarrior or the various Gundam series.

Archangel: Hellfire brings this fantasy to life in a big way.

The campaign is fun and worth the cost of admission alone. But PC players can also enjoy a multiplayer experience like nothing else.

This is the kind of game you take out for a friend when he says he’s never been impressed by VR.

Fallout 4 VR

Let’s be honest, Fallout 4 wasn’t the best game in the series. It traded out some of the cool roleplaying of previous games for an unexpected emphasis on gunplay and crafts.

But the VR version of Fallout 4 makes the most of the things this game is good at. And if you’re a fan of the franchise as a whole, this is the most immersive way to experience Fallout.

Superhot VR

In many ways, the Matrix movies showed us the future of VR gaming. Characters would jack into the computer and master everything from superhuman jumping to kick ass kung fu.

Superhot VR is like a love letter to The Matrix. Time is frozen while you stand still and moves as fast as your character moves, allowing you to experience a kind of bullet time.

And it takes both skill and planning to dodge bullets, take enemies out, and generally feel like an action badass.

Batman: Arkham VR

Arkham Asylum and its sequels were a revelation to gamers and fans of the Caped Crusader.

These games prove that licensed titles can be downright amazing. And if you enjoyed those games, buying Batman: Arkham VR is a real no-brainer.

Instead of focusing on fighting, this game returns Batman to his detective roots. You get to solve cool puzzles, explore sweet locations like the Batcave, and generally immerse yourself in one of the greatest game worlds ever created.

Rec Room

Remember the childhood thrill of screwing around with your friends and inventing silly games on the fly? Believe it or not, Rec Room has translated that thrill into a VR experience.

This free game features a number of digital sandboxes as well as more focused gameplay experiences.

Above all, it is a social game. If you’ve been hesitating to chat with strangers in VR, this is the game to help get your feet wet.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR

This next one doesn’t need much of a description. It’s exactly what it sounds like. The addictive and immersive world of Skyrim translated to VR.

While the core game is still mostly the same, being able to actually swing your weapons with your real arms is amazing.

Simply taking a closer look at NPCs and locations can be breathtaking, especially if you’ve installed any graphics mods along the way.

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Not everybody is into flight simulators. But if you are, Microsoft Flight Simulator might be the best game ever made, and VR makes this game even better.

You can look around in the cockpit and at the immaculate detail of your controls. Or simply get lost staring into the clouds.

Thanks to the game’s abundance of real-world data, you can truly see your house from here while flying the virtual skies.

Beat Saber

Beat Saber is a game that mashes up the matching rhythm gameplay of Rock Band and Guitar Hero with the visceral thrill of moving in a virtual space.

The end result is an addictive game that is likely to wear you out.

With your controllers, you need to swipe in the right direction at the right time during songs. And while the included 10 songs are bangers, this game (PC version only) doesn’t really come to life until you start to import your own favorite songs.

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes

One issue with most VR games is that the only multiplayer options are online. So if you’re having friends over to your home, the last thing you’d do is reach for your VR headset.

But Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes changes all of that. The person with the VR headset can see the bomb and defuse it but doesn’t know how to do it. Everyone else has instructions for defusing but can’t see the bomb.

You’ll have to perfect your communication skills to make it through these rounds alive.

Star Wars Squadrons

Sure, you can play Star Wars Squadrons without playing it in VR, and this beautiful, dogfight-intensive game is the best Star Wars game we’ve had in years. But VR takes things to the next level.

The ability to look around your cockpit makes everything more immersive without disrupting gameplay. In fact, this can help you get a better idea of where the enemy is.

But once you trick out your cockpit with items like a Baby Yoda on the dashboard, it may be hard to focus on the action.

Half-Life: Alyx

Half-Life fans are still waiting to get a proper Half-Life 3. Until then, Half-Life: Alyx is the next best thing.

The game works just as well for cool world-building as it does for exciting gameplay. For example, veteran Half-Life fans will love exploring the intricate world of City 17 in a slick VR setting.

But even newcomers can appreciate the heart-pounding, Combine-fighting action and mind-tickling puzzles that make this into a standout VR title.

Minecraft VR

Minecraft can be a pretty divisive game.

Some players see it as the ultimate creative sandbox and have been playing it for nearly a decade. Others don’t get the appeal of this simple game of blockbuilding.

If you’re a Minecraft fan, Minecraft VR is a must-play experience. You’ll look at this world and its designs with brand new eyes. Just be warned, cave sounds are even scarier when you’re exploring in VR.

Star Trek: Bridge Crew

The best thing about the various Star Trek series is that you can take them seriously or treat them as a goofy space romp, which is the exact vibe of Star Trek: Bridge Crew.

In this multiplayer game, up to four players take roles on a ship such as Captain, Helm Officer, and Tactical Officer. Solid communication will help everyone survive the terrors of space.

But even when things get silly and you die in increasingly bizarre ways, it’s fun to play redshirts in space with your best friends.