The best PSVR games for 2023

Over a decade later and we’re somehow still talking about Skyrim. The 2011 Bethesda RPG captivated gamers with its expansive open world, but its allure came from its choose-your-adventure mentality. After a series of ports that have made it impossible for Skyrim to fade into the past, the fantasy experience entered the proposed future of gaming — virtual reality. For a game as wide in scope as Skyrim, its voyage onto PSVR is extremely impressive. The visuals line up more closely to the original Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Skyrim, but it’s hard to consider that too much of a knock given the scope of this title. The game can be played with the PlayStation Move controllers, adding more immersive combat. While the default movement system effectively utilizes short-range teleportation to remove the threat of motion sickness, the free movement actually works surprisingly well — better than other first-person games on the platform. Skyrim hasn’t quite overstayed its welcome just yet, and returning to Tamriel in VR is a delight, sure to intrigue longtime fans and newcomers alike.

BoxVR won’t give you the actual boxing simulation gameplay of something like Creed: Rise to Glory, but in its place is a game that can give you a genuine workout. BoxVR plays like Guitar Hero or Beat Saber, but with musical notes and sword swipes replaced by boxing moves. You must jab, hook, and uppercut the symbols that move toward you and even dodge and block to keep your combo going. You can genuinely work up a sweat playing BoxVR, and though it does require a little more room than most stationary PlayStation VR games, it is still much less space than you would need for a traditional gym. The bumping soundtrack and statistics trackers should also help to keep you motivated when you might otherwise want to quit. Because the routines are designed by real fitness experts, you can be sure they’re effective, too.

Zombie games are a dime a dozen these days, but VR is enough to give Arizona Sunshine a refreshing boost to make it worth your time. The game takes place in Arizona, as its name suggests, and in it, you’re tasked with surviving against a deadly horde of zombies while trying to make your way to safety. It’s a first-person shooter that requires the move controllers, so make sure you’ve got a pair before you jump in. Much like some of the great zombie games before it, Arizona Sunshine features different kinds of infected — some of which require more effort to take down than others. What’s cool about this game is that you can play the story mode solo or with a friend in co-op, which adds to the fun. Along with the campaign is a horde mode that requires you to defeat wave after wave of zombies.