Meta’s online marketplace now includes a fresh section (initially noticed by
UploadVR
) titled “All-Time Best-Sellers” that lists the top 50 most successful VR games starting from the initial release of the Oculus Quest. This serves as an excellent wishlist for some of the most beloved titles throughout history, although it may not be entirely indicative of current trends.
best
Virtual reality games. Nonetheless, they offer an intriguing glimpse into what has become popular within this relatively specialized category.
It’s uncommon to find such detailed information about VR games, so I’ve delved into it quite extensively. The list has unexpected exclusions as well as surprising entries, and several rankings that were unforeseen. For beginners entering the world of virtual reality gaming, this serves as an excellent starting point; however, it’s important to highlight certain aspects not featured on this list — and also to caution against giving too much weight to others.
Early VR Is Still The Most Successful
Surprising absolutely no one,
Beat Saber
is 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 of
Gorilla Tag
and VRChat.
It’s logical that older games available for longer periods might generate higher sales figures; however, this trend may also suggest diminishing revenue streams or insufficient new ideas within the industry. Among the highest-selling fifty titles listed recently, some newer entries include 2024 releases such as “Thrill of the Fight 2,” “I Am Cat,” and “I Am Security.” They follow several 2023 releases like “Ghost of Tabor” and “Shave & Stuff.” Generally speaking, many of these leading games can be considered quite outdated.
Big Games That Underperformed
I’m astonished to find Resident Evil 4 ranked so low at number 24. The game is outstanding, not to mention it has a PlayStation VR2 edition available.
Resident Evil 4 Remake
This remains the sole method to experience the original RE4 in VR. Additionally, I anticipated seeing Arizona Sunshine ranked much higher than 38, considering its reputation as one of the finest VR shooter games. Similarly, “The Room VR: A Dark Matter” should be noted.
should rank significantly above 44
.
I’m even more surprised to find out that some of the top VR games are completely missing from this list. I was looking forward to seeing Shell Game’s Until You Fall included.
somewhere
on 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 are
Asgard’s Wrath 2
and
Batman: 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 believe
Iron 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? No
Tetris Effect
!? Are VR players really into enjoying games?
VR has turned out to be quite challenging, and I greatly admire the studios that have persevered in this field throughout the last ten years, even when faced with a difficult marketplace and declining sales figures. Provided that each year continues to bring titles as impressive as Batman: Arkham Shadow and Metro Awakening, I suppose I shouldn’t grumble excessively; however, I do wish my favorite games could dethrone some of those established classics. After nine years, I believe it’s safe to say that Vader Immortal isn’t particularly well-regarded anymore.