The Meta Quest 3 is finally available and, with that launch, comes a slew of new games for Quest 2 and Quest 3 gamers to get excited about. Thankfully, all of these games are coming to both systems and it's not likely Quest 2 support will be ending any time soon.

For folks who choose to upgrade, many of the best Quest games will feature improved graphics for the Quest 3 and most of the games on this list should be expected to offer increased clarity and visual quality. Ready for greatness? These VR games will keep you playing for months to come.

Just released

Micro Machines: Mini Challenge Mayhem

Hasbro's first big VR game, NERF Ultimate Championship, might not have lasted very long so its next venture is out to try something a little different. Instead of competing with other human players in a dart-shooting arena, players will be constructing their own Micro Machines tracks and racing cars, doing crazy stunts, and solving challenges.

There's even a flippin' sweet mixed-reality mode that lets you build tracks right on your furniture and elsewhere in your home!

Buy now on Quest store

Townsmen VR

The strategy genre is finally filling out nicely in VR, and Townsmen VR is the perfect example of how to bring an established franchise to the Meta Quest. Surprisingly, Townsmen VR is the first Meta Quest 3-exclusive game, taking advantage of the new headset's enhanced processor power over its predecessor.

Townsmen VR is a medieval-themed city building simulator where you play the role of a benevolent god that can do as much or little to help your civilization thrive. Explore over a dozen different islands in a fully narrated single-player experience, then take on the sandbox mode to improve your islands even more.

Buy now at Quest store

Meta Quest games releasing in January 2024 and beyond

Toy Trains VR

Model trains are an expensive hobby, but there was always something special about my grandfather's collection that held my attention when I was a kid. Apparently, I wasn't alone, as the story behind Toy Trains VR fits this exact same scenario. In the game, you find a collection of toy trains holed up in the attic and can build to your heart's content.

Equal parts puzzle game and zen relaxation tool, Toy Trains VR lets players unwind and solve each puzzle at their own pace, or just hang around in the cozy old attic for some much needed play time. The free demo will be available on Steam VR starting December 4, so give it a shot there if you've got access to a PC capable of running VR experiences!

Release date: January 16, 2024

Bulletstorm VR

If you've forgotten about Bulletstorm, don't worry. It's coming back in VR and will blow your mind even more than it did when it was released on the Xbox 360 back in 2011. Epic Games is finally getting into VR by porting one of its classics and few games offer the thrills and adrenaline rush that Bulletsorm does.

This port comes from Green Hell VR developer Incuvo, Bulletstorm VR will have the same campaign and combat as the original, except you'll use motion controls to yank foes into the air or aim your duel-wielded weapons. 

Release date: January 18, 2024 (Preorder now)

Demeter: An Asklepios Chronicle

Demeter: An Asklepios Chronicle is a full-length game crafted entirely for mixed reality on the Meta Quest platform that's designed to be played in any size room thanks to an ingenious procedurally generated world.

This action platformer features a "strong narrative" with puzzles focused on physical volumetric space, which the developers say only makes sense in VR.

Release date: January 25, 2024 (Preorder now for 10% off)

Crumbling

Crumbling is a VR roguelike action-adventure in which you use hand tracking (or the Touch controllers) to control a miniature action figure. You'll "fight against an onslaught of plastic monsters in hack'n'slash combat that is all about timing."

It looks like a cute family-friendly RPG, and you can try the free demo now if you're interested.

Release date: January 2024 (wishlist now)

Stranger Things VR

Stranger Things VR treads familiar ground for fans of the show, but with a new twist: you play the game as Vecna, one of the show's main antagonists, as he develops his powers and torments the main cast.

Being evil isn't easy, but someone's got to do it. Learn why Vecna turns into a hideous monster, what his motives are, and why he's so hellbent on eliminating Eleven as you embody him and all his telekinetic powers in this single-player narrative-driven built-for-VR game.

Stranger Things VR was originally supposed to be released on November 30 but has been delayed until February to ensure the best experience possible.

Release date: February 2024 (wishlist here)

Swarm 2

The sequel to one of our favorite arcade-style VR games of all time looks like everything we could have ever dreamed of. Swarm is "Spider-Man with guns," in a nutshell, and the fast-paced action will keep you glued to your headset for longer than you thought possible for an arcade-style game.

Swarm 2 redefines the gameplay by introducing roguelike elements, giving players ways to earn and upgrade their powers and weapons to take on bigger and badder enemies and levels.

Release date: March 2024 (preorder now for 12% off)

Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted 2

FNAF Help Wanted 2 is the sequel we've been waiting for! The sequel to one of the most popular VR games aims to improve nearly everything about the original, including more creative jump scares. As a new Fazbear employee, you'll have to run through the gamut of tasks at the Pizzeria to ensure you've got what it takes.

You'll be testing all the games, prepping food, getting the bots ready for their freaky performances, and even visiting the sister location with special VR versions of classic minigames once you're ready. Fans are going to die for it!

Release date: Spring 2024 (preorder now)

Tiger Blade

Are you a fan of old-school arcade shooters like House of the Dead or Time Crisis? Ever wonder what it would be like if you had swords instead of lightguns? Tiger Blade might be just the game you've been looking for, then!

As you might expect from an arcade-style game, Tiger Blade is designed to be played through multiple times, encouraging players to keep topping the leaderboards as they progress. Take to the streets of an alternate Korea and show those mobsters who's boss!

Release date: Early 2024 (wishlist now)

UNDERDOGS

It's hard to get enough of controlling mechs in VR, and that's where UNDERDOGS clearly shines. The dystopian city of New Brekka prominently supports a league of deadly mech fights much like you might expect a modern-day city to have a football or basketball arena. Upgrade your mechs with chainsaws and wrecking balls, box, dodge, and fly your way across arenas in a story-heavy single-player ultraviolent roguelike next year.

Release date: Early 2024 (wishlist now)

Soul Covenant

Developed by members responsible for everything from MegaMan Battle Network, Chrono Trigger, Xenoblade Chronicles, and Ace Attorney, Soul Covenant promises to be the Japanese VR tactical action game you'll want to play in 2024. It's a "moving experience of a story of life told through death" that looks filled to the brim with action, grandiose effects, compelling visuals, and a superb soundtrack that'll rival the best of them.

Release date: Early 2024

Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable

While little information is known about Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable, the premise is likely as "simple" as you might expect. We imagine taking down a titan as a regular-sized human would be a great time. Meta released the trailer above at the Meta Gaming Showcase 2023 and while it doesn't show realtime gameplay, it certainly gives us an idea of how the game is going to play.

If you're really itching to give it a shot right now, there's an indie SideQuest experience that you can play right now that gives a low-res, unauthorized sneak peek of what the game could be like.

Release date: 2024

Next Move

Next Move is a VR platformer with a twist. You won't be using joysticks or teleporting to get around, just your arms. But this isn't Gorilla Tag-style locomotion, either. The idea is that you'll run in place, climb, hang, and, of course, jump your way through surreal worlds.

And it's not just platforming that's happening in Next Move. The game is also filled with puzzles and even time traveling elements, letting you rewind your mistakes or use time as a way to solve intricate puzzles. What's your next move?

Release date: 2024 (Try the free demo now)

Astro Hunters VR

While the trailer doesn't reveal much, the Steam Store description gives us some pretty high expectations. Astro Hunters VR is an open-world VR action game set in space where you can explore "diverse planets, fight with different enemies, craft, gather resources and upgrade your weapons."

The game is designed to be played both solo and multiplayer, similar to Wenkly Studios' latest game, Survival Nation.

Release date: 2024

Throwback

As a kid, I played plenty of games like Paperboy and Road Rash but I never thought any developer would somehow meld the two together, much less in VR. Enter Throwback, a game that tasks players with tossing newspapers, fighting aliens, and getting high scores as they adventure out into the great unknown and far beyond the usual paperboy route.

Release: 2024

Self-described as a liminal action horror game, Defy aims to defy your expectations of reality and answer the question "can you really have enough horror games in VR?" Traverse dark hallways, run from twisted creatures, and sweat with terror all from the comfort of your living room.

Release date: 2024

Final Fury

You'll find plenty of first-person action games on the Meta Quest platform, but there aren't too many traditional fighting games on the system. Final Fury channels the awe and wonder of 90s and early 2000s console fighting games, transforming the perspective from side-scrolling to first-person in this arcade-style fighter.

The roseter of futuristic combatants each comes with their own unique abilities and combos, and developer Kluge — the folks behind the ever-popular Synth Riders — have taken the time to figure out how traditional fighting mechanics could translate to a VR space without feeling like a cheesefest.

Release date: 2024

Wanderer: The Fragments of Fate

Who doesn't love a good time-travel adventure story? I know I sure do, and this complete reboot of the PSVR's Wanderer looks to not only address complaints but adds tons of new content and ideas, culminating in an experience that's basically brand-new.

The game prides itself on instant time travel, eschewing loading screens for a far more wow-worthy experience as you jump between characters and places in an effort to rewrite the past in order to reshape the future.

Release date: 2024 (wishlist now)

Vail made a name for itself on the PCVR platform by creating a seriously competitive atmospheric shooter which later became an eSports gaming legend. Now, the competitive hijinx are coming to the Quest, bringing the game's iconic art style and serious gameplay along with new mechanics, modes, weapons, and every update the PCVR version has enjoyed so far. Plus, Quest players will get an exclusive selection of in-game cosmetics to enjoy.

While you're waiting for the full version to debut, play it on App Lab right now!

Release: 2024

Death Game Hotel

From the studio founded by Deadly Premonition designer SWERY, Death Game Hotel sounds just as disturbing as its name implies: you'll play games of chance while betting your life or body parts in order to stay in the pot. It has single-player, co-op, or 6-player online game modes, including "Death Poker" and "Goblet of the Reaper."

The trailer shows it'll mix VR minigames with visual novel-esque cutscenes with your fellow death game contestants. Try not to get attached, either to your rivals or to your limbs!

Release date: 2024 (wishlist now)

Silent Slayer: Vault of the Vampire

From the minds at Schell Games — makers of VR classics like I Expect You To Die, Among Us VR, and Until You Fall — comes a very different type of stealthy stabbing game. As you might expect from the title, you'll be opening the coffins of vampires in an attempt to stake them through the heart before they can wake up and attack you.

But beware, vampires are a crafty sort that expect folks to try to waltz in and kill them in the middle of a nap. You'll have to disarm traps along the way and move silently enough not to wake them, which is actually very challenging given their supernatural powers.

Release date: 2024 (Wishlist here)

Warp Lab

Ever since modern VR headsets debuted in 2016, gamers have been wishing for a VR remake of the classic Portal games from Valve. While Valve still hasn't delivered the goods, one other developer seems brave enough to try its hand at matching up to the gaming classic.

Warp Lab takes the portal concept from Portal and adds in sentient beings, guns, and a host of other environmental challenges that attempt to not only bring Portal in VR but to one-up its action sequences with plenty unique ones of its own.

Release date: 2024

Puttzzle

Fans of classic rolling puzzler games like Marble Madness and Super Monkey Ball will no doubt love Puttzzle. A fantastical mashup of putt-putt golf and classic puzzlers, Puttzzle aims to deliver clever mechanics, tough puzzles, and lots of fun. Better yet, if you've got SideQuest set up on for your Quest, you can play a version of the game right now.

Release date: 2024 (try it now on SideQuest)

Red Flowers

Red Flowers sounds like a nice, peaceful title from the onset, but that instantly turns brutal the moment you dive into the trailer. The game seems to share at least some minor similarities to the Ubisoft-developed Red Steel games back on the Nintendo Wii, except with the accurate and visceral combat needed to bring an action title into VR.

Developer Joy Way games has made a name for itself in recent years with games like Against and Stride, and Red Flowers looks to take the studio's pedigree for fast action-packed games and add in a katana and plenty of building hopping parkour to go along with it.

Release date: 2024

Tin Hearts VR

This heartwarming puzzler is a full remake of the classic Tin Hearts game on consoles, rebuilt from the ground up for VR headsets. Tin Hearts sees players guiding little toys along a treacherous route filled with adventure, magic, and plenty of mystery. This one is by the folks who put together the iconic Fable series and is sure to delight with VR-centric mechanics that make the mechanics feel even better than the original release.

Release: 2024

Ancient Board Games

If you've ever wondered what people of ancient times did to pass the time, you're about to find out. Ancient Board Games is exactly what you would imagine, packing a series of historical board games into one VR game that lets you battle against your friends using the knowledge of the ancients.

From what we can gather from the trailer, you'll be visiting various regions throughout ancient Mesopotamia, enjoying scenic views while you defeat friends and foes alike with your newfound skills.

Release date: 2024

Cosmic Overdrive

Fly through an obstacle-strewn portal to its end in Cosmic Overdrive. Its gameplay reminds us a bit of the asteroid fields and warp zones of Star Fox 64, only in first-person and without the talking animals. You'll need to dodge some obstacles with your reflexes and lateral thrusters while blasting away others in procedurally-generated on-rails courses. 

Release date: 2024

Next Player Please

Next Player Please sees players sitting around a physical table, passing the headset to one another to complete minigames with just their hands. The trick here — at least based on the trailer — is that the VR headset doesn’t have a strap and players don’t use controllers.

Those two key points make it easy to pass the headset along to others quickly, as what appear to be Wario Ware-style minigames will likely be faster-paced than in other VR titles. 

Beta available now

Full Release date: 2024

Behemoth

Skydance Interactive, developers behind the Quest's best game — that's The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners — are back with a brand new, wholly original IP that looks to take Saints & Sinner's gameplay to a new level. The trailer above debuted at The Game Awards 2022 and showcased a plague-ravished snowy wasteland that Skydance says used to be a glorious empire.

Behemoth utilizes Skydance Interactive's unique physics system and takes it to a new level, opening up pathways to cause environmental destruction and take your enemies down along with it. As in Saints & Sinners, players will scavenge the land to survive and craft new armor, weapons, food, and other utilities that will help in the game's progression. The developers say the human AI has been leveled up this time around, so don't expect to just be slicing dumb zombies this time around.

Players will also have a grappling hook which will come in handy for traversal across the landscape and, of course, for climbing up those bulking behemoths that give the game its name. It's got some serious Shadow of the Colossus meets The Elder Scrolls vibes, and we're all here for it.

Release date: 2024

Laser Dance

Fancy yourself a spy in the making? Laser Dance is the perfect spy simulator that'll help you hone your sneaking skills! Duck, dodge, weave, and crawl under and over lasers that are designed to keep you from getting to that precious button on the other side of the room. What better way to show off the mixed-reality features of your Quest 3?

Release date: 2024

Taskmaster VR

Based on the hit UK comedy TV show, Taskmaster has players completing a series of ridiculous tasks in the most creative ways possible. Greg Davies is virtually represented and will be the fierce judge of your abilities to do the ridiculous and weird.

There's no telling how far the brainchild behind the series will go with the unlimited creative potential of VR, but you'd better expect plenty of hilarity along the way.

Release date: 2024

The Thrill of the Fight 2

The announcement video gives no release window and shows no new footage, but we do know a little bit about the new title thanks to some short developer interviews. The original is one of the best exercise games on the Quest 2, and the sequel will be "co-developed" by original creator Ian Fitz and Halfbrick Studios (Fruit Ninja VR 2).

Thrill of the Fight 2 promises "to improve the mechanics to make fights feel fairer and more realistic." Plus, the team is adding in multiplayer, more fighting combinations, and lots of other new mechanics as they say "player needs have evolved" over the years in VR.

Release date: 2024

Contractors Showdown

Population: One has been the best battle royale in VR for many reasons but one of them is the fact that it's the only battle royale VR game. Sure, some games like Rec Room have battle royale modes but Contractors Showdown looks to take the popularity of the original Contractors game — thanks, in part, to its Star Wars: Battlefront VR, Halo VR, and CoD Zombies-like modes — and translate those mechanics over to a new formula.

The teaser trailer above does what teasers do best: whet our appetite without providing much detail. But we're guessing this is more PUBG in VR than anything else with a more realistic feeling instead of Pop: One's more cartoony Fortnite-esque style.

Release date: 2024

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas VR

(Image credit: Rockstar Games)

During Facebook Connect 2021, Mark Zuckerberg confirmed that a virtual reality game based on the extremely popular Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas will be released. 

While not too much is known about the title, we do know that Video Games Deluxe, the same studio behind the LA Noire: The VR Case Files port, will be working on it. Will it still happen this year? We'll just have to tune into Meta Connect on September 27 to see.

Release date: TBA