Best VR Games To Play With Friends

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The world has changed a lot since the beginning of the COVID-19 p&emic. But one thing, surprisingly, hasn’t changed with social distancing: hanging out with friends. With the help of virtual reality technology, friends are still able to meet up & play games without being concerned about disrupting social distancing guidelines.
There are a lot of different options available for VR headsets & even more games at the players’ disposal. But when it comes to multiplayer VR experiences, not all games are created equal.
Updated on November 27, 2022, by Ritwik Mitra: VR has slowly become more & more accessible over time, with the idea of entering a virtual world to play around being a huge draw for many gamers. As more & more studios have decided to make VR games, the quality of these titles has slowly improved over time, & that also means the quality of co-op & multiplayer VR games has similarly increased over the years. Now, owners of a VR headset can easily get their friends together & play many unique & engaging titles in a group, with the best of the bunch being mentioned below.
14/14 Beat Saber

It would be impossible to talk about VR party games without mentioning Beat Saber. This title is arguably the most popular casual title for VR headsets, featuring incredible community content & a wealth of tracks that players can sink a ton of time into.
Watching friends try & hit all blocks during a tough sequence & nailing all of them is quite entertaining, & players shouldn’t be surprised if hours pass by while playing this Unbelievable arcade game. Rhythm games have become quite popular on VR, & Beat Saber shows exactly why.
Beat Saber Release Date & Platform Availability
Beat Saber was released on May 21, 2019, & is available on Oculus, PC, & PS4.
Beat Saber Critical Reception
Beat Saber received positive critical reception across the board, with many critics considering the title to be a perfect fit for VR.
13/14 Synth Riders
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While Beat Saber is a fun rhythm game with a ton of content, some people may argue that the act of slashing blocks gets somewhat boring after a point. This isn’t a problem that players experience with Synth Riders, which ensures that players move to the beat of the music.
Players will genuinely start dancing after a point, which makes for a great time indeed. After all, what’s more fun than someone dancing to a great tune while others cheer them on?
Synth Riders Release Date & Platform Availability
Synth Riders was released on June 21, 2018, & is available on PlayStation 4 & Microsoft Windows.
Synth Riders Critical Reception
Critics consider Synth Riders to be a fun & accessible title that fans of VR games will have a great time with.
12/14 Fruit Ninja VR

Fruit Ninja is one of the most popular mobile games that players still check out to this day. With the advent of VR, it only made sense for the studio to make a VR version of this title.
It’s brilliant just how accurately Fruit Ninja captures the experience of slicing fruits & avoiding hazards. There’s obviously a vast difference between swiping a finger & slashing with one’s arms, after all.
Fruit Ninja VR Release Date & Platform Availability
Fruit Ninja VR was released on July 7, 2016, & is available on Oculus Quest & Microsoft Windows.
Fruit Ninja VR Critical Reception
Critics appreciated the translation of the title’s gameplay to VR, although the lack of content was highlighted by some.
11/14 Space Pirate Trainer

Space Pirate Trainer was one of the first VR games to Advance out that showed the potential of the series. The game has received many great updates ever since & is genuinely a fun title to check out even now.
This game will definitely make players learn how to shoot using a virtual gun, which is great to prepare newbie VR players for more hardcore titles. Of course, it’s also a great party game that a group of friends can spend quite some time on.
Space Pirate Trainer Release Date & Platform Availability
Space Pirate Trainer was released on April 5, 2016, & is available on Oculus Quest, PS4, & Microsoft Windows.
Space Pirate Trainer Critical Reception
Critics hailed the fast-paced experience of this title, even if some people found the gameplay to be somewhat shallow.
10/14 Onward

No matter if gamers are under the Call of Duty or Battlefield banner, everyone can Advance together under Onward as the most immersive military-sim experience to date. This VR experience puts the player right in the heat of battle with their closest friends as a deadly strike force against their opponents.
Onward is a relentlessly intense experience that has hooked players from all over the world in the same time-sink that the classic military simulation games have for decades with the increased feeling of actually living it. The cherry on top is that combat can be experienced in community-created content, meaning constant access to new, custom battlefields.
Onward Release Date & Platform Availability
Onward was released on August 29, 2016, & is available on Oculus Quest & Microsoft Windows.
Onward Critical Reception
There aren’t too many critic reviews of Onward, but those that exist state that this game is great fun due to being entertaining, challenging, & exciting in equal parts.
9/14 Storml&

Storml& is a charming game that captures the imagination from the beginning of the release trailer. Being able to experience the rich story & diverse l&scapes with friends makes it even better. The player is a robot who has awoken in a world they no longer recognize, determined to take revenge on the faction that has destroyed it & attempted to eliminate him.
Friends can help the player out no matter which part of the story both players are currently working through, & open exploration in the evolving environment is an option once the story is completed. Both exploration & combat offer several hours of entertainment on the alien planet.
Storml& Release Date & Platform Availability
Storml& was released on November 14, 2019, & is available on Oculus Rift & Microsoft Windows.
Storml& Critical Reception
Critics have mostly positive things to say about Storml&, as it has excellent movement mechanics, wonderful world design, as well as a deep & fun combat system.
8/14 The Forest

The Forest is an Unbelievable survival horror game that takes place on a remote isl& after a plane crash. Even though the player is the sole survivor of the plane crash, they are not alone on the isl&. This incredibly detailed simulation is just as frightening as it is addictive.
Scavenging, building, & planning during the day mean survival from mutated cannibals at night. With the help of friends online, chances of survival can only increase. Hunkering down & simply surviving can turn into taking the fight to the enemy once help arrives.
The Forest Release Date & Platform Availability
The Forest was released on April 30, 2018, & is available on Microsoft Windows & PlayStation 4.
The Forest Critical Reception
Many consider The Forest to be an awesome blend of the horror & survival game genres that balances things very well. Gamers also consider the open-world nature of this game to be an immersive trait that adds replay value.
7/14 Star Trek: Bridge Crew

This game is every Star Trek fan’s dream & yes, it is every bit as Cold as one would hope it would be. Now, the player & three of their closest mates can form a real space fleet crew & experience all of the adventures & trials that have long since inhabited their dreams.
The roles to choose from include Captain, Helm, Tactical, & Engineer, but the game can be played solo as well. Thanks to procedural generation, the fun can go on forever as players travel the stars, fight classic enemies, & comm& their vessels all from the heart of the U.S.S. Aegis.
Star Trek: Bridge Crew Release Date & Platform Availability
Star Trek: Bridge Crew was released on May 30, 2017, & is available on Microsoft Windows, Oculus Quest, & PlayStation 4.
Star Trek: Bridge Crew Critical Reception
This VR game gets praised for being very fun to play with friends who are also fans of the Star Trek universe. It provides genuinely immersive experiences that feel appropriate for the setting.
6/14 Payday 2

This game was perfectly designed for players to experience the fast-paced, high-stakes thrill of the heist, all from the comfort of their living room. Work alone or with up to three other friends to cooperate in perfect synchrony to pull off a flawless heist mission.
Payday 2 plays like a thrilling first-person shooter with stealth elements in a fanciful & intense world with personal customization to make it feel all the more real. Some of their heists include bank robberies, narcotics production, & armored car hijacking. The only real question is if the player can get away with it.
Payday 2 Release Date & Platform Availability
Payday 2 was released on August 13, 2013, & is available on Microsoft Windows, Linux, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, & Nintendo Switch.
Payday 2 Critical Reception
Despite the massive backlash the game developers at Overkill are getting for the introduction of microtransactions in-game, when Payday 2 was released (& for years afterward), it had a thriving & dedicated community.
5/14 Phasmophobia

Put simply: this game is not for the faint of heart. But that doesn’t mean that it isn’t an absolute blast. Honestly, even if the player is a notorious “scaredy cat”, they will still have worlds of fun playing with friends. There aren’t many multiplayer scary games, but Phasmophobia certainly takes the cake of those out there.
The player & their friends are a part of a ghost-hunting team that is tasked with uncovering & collecting evidence of the supernatural. Not only are there over ten types of ghosts to encounter, but they can actually hear the player through their microphone. This game features multiple sites & is cross-platform so everyone can join in on the unsettling fun.
Phasmophobia Release Date & Platform Availability
Phasmophobia was released on September 18, 2020, & is available on Microsoft Windows.
Phasmophobia Critical Reception
Gaining a very positive reception for its incredible sound design & immersive environment, Phasmophobia‘s in-game features were further enhanced by being multiplayer & VR-capable, so one can get spooked alongside their friends.
4/14 Rec Room

Rec Room is the epitome of bringing people together no matter the distance or barrier. This game features more than 3 million rooms & boasts over 40 million monthly visits from gamers all around the world.
Rec Room is unique in the fact that it has so many different games & experiences, all wrapped up into one free title. The rooms are user-generated & can be crafted by anybody. This has become the hang-out spot for those looking to spend a few hours playing games, or just sitting in a gorgeous, fanciful virtual environment to catch up with their friends. Whatever the gamer’s interest that day, there is certainly a spot in Rec Room for them.
Rec Room Release Date & Platform Availability
Rec Room was released on June 1, 2016, & is available on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Oculus Quest, iOS, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, & Android.
Rec Room Critical Reception
Playing with a ground of friends one knows in real life, or from other online gaming experiences, can make Rec Room a ton of fun, however, there are many consumer complaints about poor room moderation & sometimes toxic players appearing to disrupt the fun.
3/14 Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes

If anyone has ever wondered how they & their friends will respond in an emergency situation, Keep Talking & Nobody Explodes is the best (& safest) way to find out. The player & their crew are tasked with defusing a bomb, but there’s a catch: one player is alone with the bomb, & their friends have the manual explaining how to diffuse it, but they can’t see the bomb.
Communication has to be on-point here, obviously, & tensions are high. This is not a game that can be played solo, & is worth noting that the bomb changes each round along with a br&-new manual.
Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes Release Date & Platform Availability
Keep Talking & Nobody Explodes was released on July 16, 2015, & is available on Android, Microsoft Windows, OS X, PlayStation 4, Linux, Nintendo Switch, & Xbox One.
Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes Critical Reception
Despite being a game that’s fun factor heavily relies on who one plays with, if one picks the right partner, players can have a blast. Keep Talking & Nobody Explodes also won multiple awards for its excellent design.
2/14 Arizona Sunshine

Arizona Sunshine is a delightfully crafted open-world zombie survival game that can be played solo or with friends. For those looking to live out some Walking Dead experiences, this is certainly a game to do so.
This game was built specifically for VR & can be enjoyed in free-play or story mode. Players must manage scarce ammo & consumables while trying to find other survivors & survive themselves. There is a wide range of weapons that h&le almost as well as they do in real life & exploration without restraints to fully immerse into.
Arizona Sunshine Release Date & Platform Availability
Arizona Sunshine was released on December 6, 2016, & is available on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, Windows Mixed Reality, HTC Vive, & Valve Index.
Arizona Sunshine Critical Reception
In an unprecedented & sneaky marketing maneuver, it was revealed that Arizona Sunshine was heavily favoring platforms with the Intel Core i7 CPU by providing unadvertised enhanced features. When this was discovered, the developers received a lot of outraged comments, &, to appease the public, released these secret features for all available platforms.
1/14 Population: One

The argument between PUBG & Fortnite can finally Advance to a close with the creation of the most immersive battle royale experience—in VR. This game allows players to fight from anywhere with unparalleled freedom of movement in a colorful, familiar-feeling world.
This fluid, immersive experience boasts a wide array of weapons, multiple maps, & the ability to climb anything & glide anywhere. Players may also build shelters & shields on the spot to protect them from bullets raining from above. Whether new to the battle royale scene or a seasoned veteran, this game is worth the entry fee.
Population: One Release Date & Platform Availability
Population: One was released on October 22, 2020, & is available on Oculus Quest & Microsoft Windows.
Population: One Critical Reception
Many critics praise the game’s vertical movement as liberating & exhilarating to play in VR. Players have even given this experience a new name: BR (Battle Royale VR), which could very well turn into a flourishing genre if Population: One‘s popularity catches on.
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