Whether you're a PC or console gamer the best games truly immerse you into the action, so you hardly notice your surroundings. There's one system that takes immersion to a different level and that is virtual reality headsets. With a VR helmet on you can really live the game in a way that's impossible on a flat screen.
Up until recently, the VR experience was hampered by slow refresh rates or basic graphics. However, the latest headsets from Meta (Oculus), Sony and others are proving that they can deliver console quality graphics with complete immersion.
Sony's new PSVR headset is still some months off and has given little details on the games it will bring, meanwhile Meta's Oculus has mostly focused on social aspects and fitness experiences rather than serving up versions of big name titles. Though I must admit, I love Beat Saber.
I'm hopeful that 2022 will be the year when the big franchises really embrace VR and give us versions of their games that can be played with a headset. While none of these have confirmed VR version, this is my ultimate list of games i'd love to see on VR.
GTA 6
There's still no confirmation that Gran Theft Auto 6 will launch at all in 2022 but the hype is massive and you can expect something pretty special when it does. What could be more special though, than a VR version of the game? There have been some clever mods of GTA 5 to bring it into the virtual world but if this was built into the new game from the start, the experience would be mind blowing.
I'm not sure the long term effects of playing a VR version of GTA would be on the users. I have enough trouble snapping out of that do-what-you-want mentality enough after playing on my PlayStation. But i'd want to keep going back again and again.
Forza Horizon 5
The latest Forza is a beautiful game. The details on the cars and the environment is enough to make a grown man weep – or at least give an appreciative nod. We've already seen how big sims such as Microsoft Flight Simulator can adapt for VR from PC but taking this into a car racer such as Forza 5 would be incredible.
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Gran Turismo Sport offered some VR support with the PSVR but this was by no means the whole game. There's every chance we'll see a version of Gran Turismo 7 on the PSVR2, perhaps in 2023.
Pokémon Go
Okay, so this is a bit left-field but stay with me. Pokémon Go offers augmented reality through your phone allowing you to catch Pokémon in your surroundings. Just imagine if you could do that with a headset. This would actually suit an AR headset more than a VR headset but you could still build a version of the game with VR. Microsoft did actually produce a demo of it on the HoloLens. Maybe Pokémon Unite would be better for VR but I like the idea of creating a very normal-looking world that then has Pokémon appearing in it.
There are actually loads more titles i'd like to see in VR, from strategy games like Tropico, to first-person shooters such as Red Dead Redemption 2. For me, VR adds an extra element to any game that transports you into the world for the duration of your game, and that's the ultimate aim of any game.
As T3's Editor-in-Chief, Mat Gallagher has his finger on the pulse for the latest advances in technology. He has written about technology since 2003 and after stints in Beijing, Hong Kong and Chicago is now based in the UK. He’s a true lover of gadgets, but especially anything that involves cameras, Apple, electric cars, musical instruments or travel.
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