The 10 best Oculus Quest games and apps
Put these VR gems in front of your face, stat
The Oculus Quest is here and it is awesome. It’s not as powerful as the Rift or HTC Vive, but what the Quest lacks in power it more than makes up for with untethered, standalone fun and sheer affordability.
And even this early on in its lifespan, the Oculus Quest already has a stack of stellar games. Some are ports from other VR headsets that are even better without a bunch of cords getting in the way, while others are original affairs designed around the Quest’s unique approach to VR.
In any case, these are the 10 Oculus Quest games and apps you need to check out right now. And stay tuned, as we’ll update this list regularly with new and enthralling releases.
Beat Saber (£22.99)
One of the top VR games on any headset is at its absolute best on the Oculus Quest. This VR take on the classic rhythm game sees you swinging lightsaber-like wands to slash to flying cubes to the beat of the music, and without wires to tether you to a PC or console, the freedom takes Beat Saber to another level.
The rhythmic slashing while dodging hazards is incredible fun, and it’s absolutely one of the first Quest games you should buy if you have any interest whatsoever in music games. Before long, it’ll even have a full 360-degree mode that sees blocks flying in from all directions.
Superhot VR (£18.99)
Superhot was already a super-cool gaming idea when it was on traditional screens, shaking up the classic first-person shooter design by essentially pausing the world until you move. As you gradually shift your body and fire your weapons, enemies also start to move and react at the same speed.
It’s even more mind-blowing in VR, serving up a series of bite-sized challenges that task you with surviving each perilous scenario. You’ll grab guns, throwing stars, and other objects and try to blast and punch the gleaming ruby foes before they smash you to bits. Superhot VR is another game that feels even more precise and intuitive on the Quest.
Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series (£7.99)
Surely, we can all assume that Darth Vader is an intimidating presence, but you can get as close to the real experience as possible by playing the first episode of Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series.
Right off the bat, you’ll be face-to-face with the Sith Lord… or face-to-chest, really, since he’s such a tall and imposing figure. It’s a memorable moment that kicks off an episode full of puzzles and lightsaber slashing, and while it’s super short (an hour or less), it’s also cheap and very well executed. Two more episodes are coming to complete this VR-exclusive campaign.
Download Vader Immortal here from Oculus
Also Read › Oculus Quest review
Moss (£22.99)
Oh, how we adore Moss. It began life on PlayStation VR, where it was one of our favourite games on that headset – and despite less power onboard the Quest, this mouse-manipulating adventure doesn’t lose anything in translation.
It’s a charming storybook-like quest about a brave mouse caught up in a magical adventure, and while Moss hardly screams "VR," it doesn’t have to – the benefits come from the atmosphere as you soak in the terrain, navigate the little heroine around the environments, and solve unique puzzles within the world. It’s an extraordinary little gem.
Tilt Brush (£14.99)
The Oculus Quest essentially feels like a VR game console, given the self-contained nature and what comprises the vast majority of the library – but there are some non-gaming bits worth scoping out as well. Tilt Brush is by far the best of them.
It’s a VR drawing platform, but instead of just sketching on some flat virtual canvas, the entire world around you is the canvas – and you can draw anywhere in 3D space. The freedom to doodle right in the air using a variety of brushes and effects, and see those lines and squiggles hang exactly where you placed them as you move around the room, is pretty astonishing.
Job Simulator (£14.99)
"Job Simulator," you might ask? "Why on earth would I need a VR headset to recreate something I already know and hate?" Relax: Job Simulator is indeed about the mundane nature of office gigs, but not in the way that you might expect
See, Job Simulator takes place in 2050, when robots have taken over all of the human jobs – so as a human, you’ll enter a job museum to participate in various virtual virtual work scenarios as a mechanic, chef, or office worker. It’s goofy, rambunctious, experiential fun. And look out for Vacation Simulator, which is set to hit Quest in the future.
Robo Recall: Unplugged (£22.99)
On the other hand, if you’re tired of the robots ruling the future, you can pop into Robo Recall: Unplugged and deal them a heavy dose of justice with an array of high-powered firearms.
This past Rift standout holds up super-well on the Quest, and feels like a light gun shooter that just happens to take place in 360 degrees. You’ll blast pouncing robots from all angles, freely aiming and blasting in a way that feels incredibly natural – and reaching over your shoulder to grab a shotgun feels as appropriately badass as it should.
Thumper (£14.99)
Look, you don’t have to play Thumper in VR – it’s plenty exciting on a TV screen or even a smartphone screen, as this tense, rhythmic experience takes hold. But wrapped in a virtual world, it really comes alive in a whole new way.
Thumper delivers what it calls "rhythm violence," and it does so via a slightly unsettling world in which your gleaming space beetle speeds across a track and delivers mighty blows to demonic creatures off in the distance. It is weird, enticing, and all the more engrossing when you’re locked inside its universe within the confines of the Oculus Quest.
Virtual Virtual Reality (£10.99)
If the title doesn’t give it away, then we’ll confirm from experience: yes, Virtual Virtual Reality is totally meta. It’s a VR game about various VR worlds, and providing virtual companionship to artificial intelligence entities. Indeed, that’s silly.
It’s also a blast, with Virtual Virtual Reality following in the footsteps of Portal as an extremely funny, offbeat experience. You’ll enter a variety of different silly scenarios – more than 50 in total – as you attempt to escape your boss by leaping through different realities. Also, as the official game listing notes, "An artichoke screams at you." How can you go wrong?
Journey of the Gods (£22.99)
The Oculus Quest doesn’t have a Legend of Zelda game – and let’s face it, the headset probably never will. But if you’re on the hunt for an ethereal adventure that lets you slash a sword and wield some magical skills, then Journey of the Gods is your game.
This Quest original challenges you to beat back the servants of the evil chaos moon, and in addition to swatting your blade and blocking attacks with your shield, you can also load up a crossbow and take out enemies from afar. It’s sparse, but charming… plus you can transform into a giant god and sprout trees from the earth. That’s different.
Andrew Hayward
Freelance Writer 
