Meta’s digital store has a new category (first spotted byUploadVR) called “Best-selling of all time” which ranks the top 50 most successful VR games going all the way back to the original Oculus Quest. It’s a great shopping list of the most popular titles ever, though it’s not necessarily representative of thebestVR games. Still, it’s an interesting peek into what’s been taking off in the somewhat niche genre.
It’s rare to get this kind of data on VR games, so I’ve been exploring it pretty thoroughly. There are some surprise omissions and inclusions here, and some rankings I never would have expected. This is a good place to start for new VR players, but it’s worth mentioning some of the things you won’t see on this list - and some of the things you should ignore.
Early VR Is Still The Most Successful
Surprising absolutely no one,Beat Saberis the Quest’s number one top seller. For three generations of Quests, it’s remained the most recommended VR game and the one almost everyone plays first when they first get their headset. As simple as it is, Beat Saber has been instrumental in shaping the types of experiences that people like to play in VR, including many of the games in the top 50.
The top ten is almost entirely made up of games that first launched on the original Quest. 2016 games Job Simulator, Superhot VR, Onward are joined by several other pre-pandemic games, including Vader Immortal, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners, Blade & Sorcery, and even Guy Godin’s Virtual Desktop. The newest game in the top ten is 2022’s Among Us 3D. Clearly, the classics are classics for a reason.
Free-to-play games aren’t on this list, otherwise you’d definitely see the likes ofGorilla Tagand VRChat.
It makes sense that the games that have been on the market the longest would sell the most copies, but it could also be an indication of dwindling sales or a lack of innovation in the market. The newest games I found on the top 50 list are 2024’s Thrill of the Fight 2, I Am Cat, and I Am Security, followed by a few 2023 titles like Ghost of Tabor and Shave & Stuff. Mostly, the top 50 games are all pretty old.
Big Games That Underperformed
I’m surprised to see Resident Evil 4 all the way down at number 24. It’s excellent, and even though there’s a Playstation VR2 version ofResident Evil 4 Remake, this is still the only way to play the original RE4 in VR. I also would have expected to see Arizona Sunshine significantly higher than 38 given its status as one of the best VR shooters ever, and The Room VR: A Dark Matterdeserves to be much, much higher than 44.
I’m even more shocked to see some of the best VR games aren’t on the list at all. I was hoping to see Shell Games’ Until You Fallsomewhereon there, but at least the studio’s other VR hit, I Expect You To Die, made the cut. The sequels to Saints & Sinners, Moss, and Arizona Sunshine weren’t as successful as the originals, apparently. The biggest omissions areAsgard’s Wrath 2andBatman: Arkham Shadow- two of Meta’s first-party VR games - but considering they’ve both been offered as pack-ins for the Quest 3, hopefully they were more successful than it appears.
I can’t believeIron Man VR, Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR, Demeo, and Myst aren’t on the list, but that goes to show how hard it is to sell games that appeal to the core gaming audience on the Quest, even when they’re excellent. Also, there’s no sign of Tetris Effect: Connected. Seriously? NoTetris Effect!? Do VR players even like fun?
VR has proven to be an incredibly tough nut to crack, and I have a lot of respect for all the studios that have stuck with it over the past decade, despite its tough market and seemingly decreasing sales. As long as we keep getting all-timers every year like Batman: Arkham Shadow and Metro Awakening I guess I can’t complain too much, though I would like to see some of my personal favorites bump off some of these old-timers. Nine years on, I think we can finally admit that Vader Immortal kinda stinks.
