At this point, you’re probably bought in to VR gaming or you’ve not. The tech has a notoriously mixed reputation among gamers, some of whom have embraced VR as a gaming option and others who still reflexive sneer at it. I’ve been a supporter ever since the original PlayStation VR launched as I’ve played plenty of great games using the four headsets I’ve owned over the past decade. So believe me when I tell you that this Prime Day is the perfect time to grab a Meta Quest 3, which is currently on sale for $430 at Best Buy .
Released last October, the Quest 3 is Meta’s latest wireless VR headset. It improves on the Quest 2 in just about every way, from resolution to controller design. Of course, a hardware refresh only means so much if that platform doesn’t have good software that takes advantage of it. Thankfully, the Quest 3 has delivered that on the gaming front ever since its launch, and that momentum looks like it’ll continue through 2024.
If you haven’t played any VR games in the past few years, you already have an enormous backlog to choose from. The Meta Quest 3’s big ace in the hole is Asgard’s Wrath 2, the closest thing VR has had to a “killer app” since Half-Life: Alyx. The enormous action RPG is the tech’s biggest feat to date. It nails first-person combat and platforming, has strong live service support, and is loaded with rich RPG customization that feels as deep as a console game. You won’t have to buy it separately either: It comes included with the Meta Quest 3.
One great game isn’t enough of a reason to invest in a headset, though. Fortunately, there’s plenty more recent hits to dig into. Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR is one of the finest games I’ve played on a headset, successfully adapting the thrills of Ubisoft’s stealth action series. It’s smaller in scope than something like Assassin’s Creed Shadows, but that’s a great thing. Instead, it focuses on satisfying moments like smooth parkour platforming and stealth kills that make me feel like a stone cold assassin.
On top of those recent hits, the Quest 3 just got another standout in Cyan Worlds’ excellent Riven remake. The new release does justice to a PC classic by making the first-person puzzle game more immersive than ever. While you can play it on PC, it’s best experienced in VR where its puzzles feel even more tactile and its world more mysterious. As soon as you step into the Starry Expanse for the first time, you’ll understand what can make VR gaming so special.
Looking ahead, VR gaming has some potential winners on tap for the rest of the year. Based on what we’ve demoed so far, Skydance’s Behemoth feels like VR’s answer to Skyrim (even more so than Skyrim VR). It’s a jaw-dropping action RPG that hinges around Shadow of the Colossus-like boss fights that make great use of VR’s sense of scale. What I’m most excited about, though, is Camouflaj’s Batman: Arkham Shadow. The upcoming game looks to capture every defining feature of Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham series and translate it to VR, right down to the free-flowing combat. If it can pull that off, it could be one of the year’s best games — VR or otherwise.
That’s just five new games I’ve mentioned here. That only scratches the surface of what’s currently available on Meta Quest 3, which has a solid catalog of VR games less than a year into its life. With a steady stream of big-budget experiences and plenty of smaller ones in between, it’s never been a better time to experiment with VR gaming. A $70 discount on the best headset you can buy right now is as good a reason as any to jump in.
