Heading into the heart of the holiday season, Oculus released a list of the top virtual reality apps and games of 2020. Recognitions ranged from “Top Interactive Story” to “Top Adrenaline Rush.” In fact, I’m not sure some of the categories existed prior to the Oculus list being compiled.
Below is a list of the games and apps that I’m either interested in or have used extensively, such as POPULATION: ONE. The full Oculus list can be found here.
Paid App of the Year: Beat Saber
“Beat Saber is a unique VR rhythm game where your goal is to slash the beats (represented by small cubes) as they are coming at you.”
Developer: Beat Games
Platforms: Quest, Rift
Free App of the Year: Echo VR
“Experience the freedom of zero-g movement and high energy competition in Echo VR! Team up with friends and clash against AI or opposing Echo Units in the Echo Arena.”
Developer: Ready at Dawn
Platforms: Quest, Rift
Action Game: Onward
“Become fully immersed in the firefight! Experience a first person shooter as you never have before: Onward combines mil-sim gameplay with the experience of playing in virtual reality. Players cannot rely on crosshairs or mini maps, instead you rely on coordination and communication with your squad in order to succeed at your objective. Realistic combat mechanics and artificial locomotion will push your combat survival skills to their limit as you engage in infantry combat across a large variety of maps and combat situations.”
Developer: Downpour Interactive
Platforms: Quest, Rift
Interactive Story: Down the Rabbit Hole
“Down the Rabbit Hole is a VR adventure that takes place in Wonderland prior to Alice’s arrival. You will discover a girl in search of her lost pet, Patches, that has wandered into Wonderland. Guide her as she moves through the mysterious world. But which way should she go?”
Developer: Cortopia Studios
Platforms: Quest, Rift
Arcade Game: Blaston
“In this slow motion bullet-hell, you duck, dodge and weave to evade incoming attacks while preparing your dazzling next combos in a flash of skill. You feel like Neo and leave each session with your heart racing – super fun tactical workout.”
Developer: Resolution Games
Platforms: Quest
Entertainment App: YouTube VR
“The YouTube VR app turns every video on the platform into your own virtual reality experience and reimagines YouTube as a 3D world you can explore from the inside.”
Developer: Google
Platforms: Quest, Oculus Go
Creativity Tool: Tilt Brush
“Tilt Brush lets you paint in 3D space with virtual reality.
Unleash your creativity with three-dimensional brush strokes, stars, light, and even fire. Your room is your canvas. Your palette is your imagination.
The possibilities are endless.”
Developer: Google
Platforms: Quest, Rift
Adrenaline Rush: The Climb
“Feel the exhilaration of extreme free solo climbing. Experience the adrenaline rush as you ascend to epic heights, explore caves, and find shortcuts. Race against your friends’ routes to compete for the fastest times on leaderboards. Navigate and enjoy stunning landscapes from around the world, including the Alps, Southeast Asia, and the American Southwest.”
Developer: Crytek
Platforms: Quest, Rift
Sports Game: Eleven Table Tennis
“Hone your skills against our AI or with our minigames designed to help you improve, then see how you stack up against players from around the world!”
Developer: For Fun Labs
Platforms: Quest, Rift
Fitness App: FitXR
“Who said exercise needs to be full of pain and misery? Not us!
We believe it’s easy to get fit and stay motivated when you enjoy your workout.
FitXR is bursting with Box and Dance workouts that you’ll love. We’ve got a class for every mood, goal and fitness level—all guaranteed to get you feeling sweaty and uplifted.”
Developer: FitXR
Platforms: Quest
Multiplayer Game: POPULATION: ONE
“Drop into a colorful, near future world with limitless combat possibilities. Welcome to POPULATION: ONE, where you and your squad must fight together to survive until the end.”
Developer: BigBox VR
Platforms: Quest, Rift
What are the best apps and games you’ve found in virtual reality this year? Let us know on YouTube or Instagram.