The Meta Quest 2 (formerly the Oculus Quest 2) has been atop our list of best VR headsets for a while. If you are brand new to the world of virtual reality it’s still the best headset to start with, due to a relatively low price, untethered design (doesn’t need to connect to a gaming PC) and a wide variety of apps and games. If you are looking to get someone a VR headset as a gift, it’s an easy choice.
Once you have the headset, what next? Well, you’ll need to download some games. Luckily, the headset often comes with the hit game Beat Saber and this holiday season you can even get it for $50 off with Beat Saber and Resident Evil 4. After you’ve experienced those two games — which are two of the best Meta Quest 2 games — there’s another handful of games you should definitely try right away.
One more note: this list only has games that can natively be run on Quest 2. It's possible to play some other games that are more graphically intensive via a PC connection but for new users, but it's best to focus on some games you can play instantly.
Beat Saber
Beat Saber is probably the flagship game for Meta Quest 2. You get it for free with the headset if you buy it new from Meta’s store. It’s easy to see why Meta uses this to showcase what VR can do — it’s fun, you can play for two minutes or two hours and it gets you moving around. One of the selling points of VR is that you can use it to break a sweat, and while Beat Saber isn’t exactly running a marathon it will definitely get your heart rate going. Definitely hop into this rhythm-based cube slasher before you do anything else.
Buy Beat Saber @ Meta Quest store
Resident Evil 4 VR
If you bought a Meta Quest 2 this holiday season, you may have been lucky enough to get this game for free. But if you didn’t, this game is still worth the price of admission. The Quest 2 version of Resident Evil 4 is incredibly well done, even if the graphics aren’t exactly cutting-edge. Plus, this isn’t a little slice of the console game — this is the full Resident Evil 4 experience. That’s easily 10 or more hours of gameplay. Once you play the game in virtual reality, you won’t want to go back to a console.
Buy Resident Evil 4 @ Meta Quest store
Pistol Whip
It was tough to choose between this game and Superhot VR. Both are great VR shooters and both are definitely worth a playthrough. But if we had to pick one, it has to be Pistol Whip. Especially since after Beat Saber, you’ll already have some familiarity with Pistol Whip’s mechanics. This game is a rail shooter, meaning it pulls you through a gauntlet of enemies while you twist and turn to shoot bad guys and avoid their bullets, but like Beat Saber, the flow of the gameplay is synced up to the excellent soundtrack. And for those who like a challenge, the hardest difficulty is definitely hard.
Buy Pistol Whip @ Meta Quest store
Moss: Book II
You should arguably play Moss before playing its sequel, especially since it will only take a few hours of your time. Still, if you can’t, the sequel is worth playing on its own. Moss: Book II won our VR Game of the Year 2022 and is an excellent follow-up to the original game. Plus you get new enemies, upgraded combat mechanics with new weapons and improved level design. In short, if you’re okay with skipping the prequel, the sequel is worth it for the upgraded experience. Besides, it's not like you can’t always go back once you are done.
Buy Moss: Book II @ Meta Quest store
Marvel's Iron Man VR
Marvel's Iron Man VR has been out on VR for a while, but the Marvel game had been limited to PlayStation VR until this November 2022. Which is awesome, because why doesn’t want to fly around as Iron Man in virtual reality? This first-person shooter is a blast, and getting to let the suit build itself around you as you fall through the air is exactly the type of unreal experience that VR was built to do.
Buy Marvel's Iron Man VR @ Meta Quest store
Among Us VR
Among Us VR is a lot of fun. If you’ve played the original on PC or mobile, the premise is very much the same: walk around, complete tasks and uncover the imposter among you. But the virtual reality version of the game may be the best way to play it. The controls are well-designed and the proximity chat feature is awesome. Since you’re in VR, you actually need to talk to your teammates to communicate and their voices change in volume depending on how far they are from you. This game is a great way to experience VR with your friends — as long as they have their own Meta Quest 2 headset. If not, it’s a great excuse to make some new virtual friends.
Buy Among Us VR @ Meta Quest store
ForeVR Bowl
If you’re not in the mood to fly around, defeat some baddies or break a sweat, Quest 2 does have some options for you. ForeVR Bowl may not be the deepest game in terms of features but it does exactly what it advertises — let you bowl in virtual reality. The experience is immersive and the physics of the game feel realistic. If you need a way to relax and unwind ForeVR Bowl is the perfect Quest 2 game.
