Best Upcoming VR Games 2023 (And Beyond)

While 2023 hasn’t exactly been kind to VR development, new VR games and headset revisions are just on the horizon.

Many of this year’s biggest VR titles are sequels to popular experiences and virtual reality spin-offs of beloved franchises.

In this list, we’ll highlight the best upcoming VR games to get excited for in 2023 and beyond across all major platforms.

For more gaming recommendations, reach out on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube, and let us know what lists you would like to see in the future!

Related:Best Upcoming PSVR Games 2023 (And Beyond)Best VR Games 2023Is PlayStation VR Worth It?

Although cockpit VR games have been done to death, there’s something about Ziggy’s Cosmic Adventures’ colorful, upbeat tone that continues to hold our attention.

The game casts you as a space thief who comes into possession of a cute alien research subject named Ziggy and has to escape hostile forces looking to take him back.

Gameplay revolves around resource management, arcade dogfighting combat, and interacting with stations throughout a room-scale cockpit designed for VR immersion.

Every level will introduce new unique challenges, secrets, trophies, and cosmetic items to discover as you inch your way toward the edge of the solar system.

Firmament is a new steampunk-inspired adventure game from developer Cyan, best known for classics like Myst, Riven, and Obduction.

Self-described as a “monumental voyage through diverse and curious realms,” the VR game sees you exploring a mysterious landscape brimming with puzzles to solve and lore to soak up.

Along your journey, you’ll be joined by a mechanical companion made of clock parts that act as a key to opening new gateways to other worlds.

With a track record like Cyan has, we’re expecting Firmament to deliver a satisfying and immersive experience worthy of VR. 

Low-Fi made its debut on Kickstarter where it quickly met and surpassed indie developer IRIS’s goal in a matter of only four days after the campaign had launched.

Described as a “non-linear open-world sandbox,” the game drops you in a crime-ridden metropolis in need of a tough but fair police officer who’s not afraid to break a few laws or completely ignore them, too.

As a new transfer, you’ll patrol city block 303 and get to know its many inhabitants while solving cases and advancing the game’s story.

Alternatively, you have the option of diving headfirst into the city’s criminal underworld where accepting bribes and killing anyone who gets in your way is common practice.

Vertigo 2 picks up right where the first game left off, offering an atmospheric and story-driven VR experience tailored for high-end headsets.

Much like the original, the FPS sees you exploring a massive underground facility belonging to Planck Interdimensional Energy Solutions, the industry leader in providing energy derived from black hole-powered quantum reactors.

Your mission is to reach the reactor’s core while dealing with parallel dimensions colliding, aliens from other universes, and deadly androids programmed to exterminate anything that breathes.

The sequel looks to be just as weird as the original, but if you try to keep an open mind, chances are you’ll end up enchanted by the game’s absurdity.

Undead Citadel is an upcoming action-adventure VR game that sees you traveling across a fantastic setting with over 10 levels to discover the origins of a strange plague.

Along the way, you’ll have to slash, stab, crush, shoot, and dismember foes for survival as waves of undead soldiers try to stop you.

The game features a hybrid physics-driven combat system that attempts to replicate the player’s movement 1:1 with no delay between real and virtual hand movements.

This will come in handy while wielding Undead Citadel’s 60+ unique weapons spanning swords, axes, war hammers, maces, shields, and bow and arrows.

Anyone who enjoyed playing Half-Life: Alyx should keep an eye out for the upcoming sci-fi game Into The Darkness VR.

The game is set in the near future where humanity is trying to achieve immortality by transferring consciousness to machines.

Taking on the role of Agent Frank, players will venture to a research facility that’s mysteriously gone dark.

To uncover the dark truth behind the experiments, you’ll have to navigate tricky environments, solve puzzles, and battle mechanical enemies using real-world physics.

Hellsweeper VR is an upcoming action game with roguelike elements that comes from Mixed Realms, the same studio behind Sairento VR.

Building off of the developer’s previous title, it features several locomotion refinements that allow for wall-running, power-sliding, backflips, and more all while delivering satisfying action.

In it, you take on the role of an undead immortal tasked with traversing an underworld teeming with dark creatures to smite using an array of weapons and elemental powers.

Players can upgrade, customize, and combine skills to discover unique variations of abilities and carve out their own playstyle.

For those unfamiliar, House Flipper is a home renovation simulator where players turn absolute dumps into dream houses by making repairs and filling them with furniture.

House Flipper Pets VR expands the formula to give you a cute and cuddly four-legged buddy to brighten up your day in between renovation projects.

The further you progress, the more apartments, furniture, wallpaper, and other decorations become available.

However, you’ll also have to keep an eye out for your furry friend and provide them with food, toys, and love to prevent them from causing trouble or making messes.

Blunt Force is an episodic, first-person VR shooter developed by Monad Rock and set during the events of WWII.

The game sees players experiencing two parallel storylines, one set before the war in which a spy is tasked with uncovering a mole within their organization.

The second story takes place during the war and has players controlling a soldier fighting against the Nazi army.

Eventually, the two tales will converge and their hidden meaning will be revealed to the player.

Reminiscent of games like Portal, Chrono Weaver is an upcoming puzzle VR game that features time-bending kinetic puzzles.

In it, you set out to explore a unique sci-fi setting filled with challenges that require you to create copies of yourself by traveling through time.

Doing so, allows you to find solutions for every puzzle and conquer seemingly impossible tests.

As mentioned before, the game shares a similar look and feel as Portal while relying on VR to create a more immersive experience.

Next up is Black Trail VR, a Western first-person shooter that sees you shaping the fate of a war between settlers and Native Americans.

Playing as both a bounty hunter and a native warrior, you’ll follow each character’s interwoven story while immersing yourself in their unique perspective.

This includes wielding historically-accurate weapons as you explore, infiltrate, loot, and escape from enemy-controlled areas.

Along the way, you’ll have to fight for survival using various weapon-item combinations tailored for each encounter.

If you’ve ever dreamed of building your own arcade, you can finally do so through the power of virtual reality in Arcade Legend.

In this management sim VR game, you’ll clean out an old facility before getting started designing your own virtual arcade.

You’ll be able to customize the appearance of your arcade and fill it with a wide selection of machines and cabinets to play games with friends.

Aside from earning you digital currency to buy in-game goodies, arcade machines will net you tickets to spend on prizes as well as bragging rights among your peers.