VR gaming is still fairly new. The earliest games tend to feel more like tech demos than full-fledged experiences, but that has changed in the last few years. Here a few must-plays: Half Life: Alyx Alyx is VR gaming’s killer app. Combining FPS and puzzle gameplay with triple-A story and production, it’s an incredible example of what VR can do when applied to a traditional big-budget game. Playing it is a wild experience. It’s one thing to shoot at a zombie with a controller. It’s another entirely to aim at him, miss because of your shaky hand, and physically lunge backwards to dodge an attack. Boneworks Technically, Boneworks is a single-player, narrative-driven first-person shooter. It’s a pretty good one! But what sets Boneworks apart is its physics engine. You can pick up and manipulate everything in the game. It’s incredible, a little janky, and leads to stuff like this. Boneworks is a good single-player game and an incredible sandbox. Beat Saber Beat Saber is the single best argument for VR gaming. It’s simple: you have two lightsabers. You must hit slash blocks in time with music, like lightsaber Guitar Hero. The songs range from originals to Linkin Park and Kpop. It is an immediate and joyous thing to play, infinitely moddable, and a really good workout. If you only get one VR game, it should be Beat Saber. Tetris Effect Tetris Effect is a fantastic intro to VR gaming. The gameplay doesn’t require VR: it’s just Tetris. Which is a good thing. Instead of focusing on augmenting the gameplay, the VR piece of the game provides an immersive light show set to music. VR gaming doesn’t need to be active and stressful, sometimes you just want to chill. It’s weird to call a puzzle game transcendent, but Tetris Effect is just that.