Best VR Shooters For The Oculus Quest 2

Shooting video games have been popular for decades. It is one of the first few gaming genres that most gamers truly latch onto. To this day, first-person and third-person shooters dominate the market, which means that there’s no shortage of these games on every platform.

Meta Quest 2 has some of the best shooting VR games out there. Moreover, shooting is a genre that seems to fit the whole setup of virtual reality quite well. These Quest 2 shooting games are a must-have gaming experience that any fan of the genre must try on a VR headset.

Updated October 12th, 2023: There are a lot of great games out there for the Meta Quest 2 and the lineup of titles is growing each day. Although VR isn’t as mainstream as other games yet, there are still some amazing options for players looking to dive into the tech, including some great VR shooting games. To better outline some of the best games available on the Meta Quest 2, the following list has been updated with a companion video.

Into The Radius

Into the Radius should satisfy VR owners searching for a slower-paced shooter that emphasizes preparation above everything else. The survival game is set in post-apocalyptic Russia, which means a lot of eerie nothingness punctuated by shattered remnants of a dead society. Unsurprisingly, this setting inspires the worst of humanity to come forward, as people do what they can to see another day.

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Provided a player does not mind lackluster visuals and punishing difficulty, Into the Radius is a stellar experience that nails its environmental storytelling. The gameplay forces players to really own their weapons, as they have to maintain them or risk a technical malfunction in the middle of a firefight.

Pavlov: Shack (Beta)

One of the more popular multiplayer VR games, Pavlov: Shack is the free-to-play version of Pavlov VR. Focusing on 5v5 matches, Pavlov has realistic weapons along with decent visuals for the medium. The former feature is the game’s strongest asset, and the gun’s handling is among the most immersive in the VR scene.

As this is a multiplayer-only title, Pavlov: Shack matches vary significantly in quality depending on who is taking part. Still, due to its free status, the game is nevertheless worth a download.

Contractors also offers a similar experience to Pavlov: Shack.

Arizona Sunshine

Arizona Sunshine is one of the better-known VR games, serving as something of a technology seller. A zombie-themed shooter is hardly a novel concept, and the game does not offer much originality when it comes to its story or presentation. However, the controls are great, and ultimately, that is the most important thing.

Arizona Sunshine emphasizes VR’s potential for immersion, both in terms of its world and, more importantly, gunplay. The latter has an arcade feel to it, offering a simplistic but satisfying experience that leads to plenty of exhilarating sequences. Arizona Sunshine 2 is confirmed to be in the works.

Drop Dead: Dual Strike

Drop Dead; Dual Strike has been around for a while, and although the game shows its age in places, it is still among the Oculus Quest’s most enjoyable on-rail shooters. Courtesy of Doctor Monday, the world has become infested by zombies, forcing players to pick up an arsenal of guns and melee weapons as they shoot and smash their way through an army of the undead.

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Feeling like a throwback to arcade shooters, Drop Dead is simple but effective, delivering over-the-top action along with a decent level of difficulty. The gunplay generally works well and is responsive, and the campaign has enough content to justify its price tag. The game also has a horde mode for players who want to continue their zombie-busting adventure after the credits roll.

In February 2023, Soul Assembly released Drop Dead: The Cabin, which is also an above-average shooter.

Blaston

Virtual reality has proven to be a great medium for projects that emphasize brief play sessions. Blaston has a simple concept: two players spawn in a bright room filled with floating guns. Once the timer runs down, they have to quickly pick a weapon and shoot their enemy first. Easy to grasp but difficult to master, Blaston has a stellar gameplay loop that motivates players to always go for one more match.

While mainly a multiplayer experience, Blaston also offers the option to face AI opponents. This can be useful for beginners who are looking to get some practice before they jump into the leagues.

Bonelab

Bonelab is a physics-based shooter that promotes players to use mods. Although the package includes a short campaign, the game’s main reason for existing is its sandbox maps, which give players the foundations they need to build their own unique experiences.

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As a single-player VR shooter, Bonelab is not that impressive; however, as an immersive project with endless potential for expansion, it is among the best options on the Meta Quest 2.

Medal Of Honor: Above And Beyond

Medal of Honor is all but retired in this day and age. Despite being massive in the early 2000s, the legendary military shooter was a shadow of its former self by 2012, which would be the last year the franchise would produce a mainline home console entry. Since then, Medal of Honor‘s only project was 2020’s Above and Beyond, a VR exclusive set during World War 2. In some ways, this game feels like a greatest hits compilation, one that guides players through a series of familiar combat zones and set pieces intercut by prolonged sections of dialogue.

Above and Beyond is solid by most metrics; the gunplay feels fine, the visuals are top-tier, the campaign is fairly long, and the unlockable documentary videos are great. The game, in general, is not lacking in content, which is not something that can be said for every VR shooter. That said, considering the pedigree and prestige behind it, Above and Beyond does fall short of greatness, which largely comes down to its uneven single-player mode.

Compound

Wearing its retro influence on its sleeve, Compound is a lesser-known VR FPS that nails nearly everything it is trying to be. The roguelite tasks players with working their way through a tower’s levels, gradually blasting their way through a corporation’s minions en route to its CEO. Basic as it sounds, the premise is perfect for this sort of experience and does not get in the way of the action.

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While death means a return to square one, players can unlock unique guns to take on their next missions, so failure is not the end of the world. The core gunplay is rock solid, and Compound incorporates a relatively involved reload system compared to other shooters.

Zero Caliber: Reloaded

The Oculus Quest 2 has plenty of first-person shooters, but most of the games have rather limited scope. There is nothing wrong with that since it is better to do one thing well than five things poorly, however, that also means there aren’t many games that feel like complete projects. Zero Caliber: Reloaded is an exception.

Originally, the game launched with a single-player campaign that also supported co-op. This mode has a good selection of missions, fun weapons, and a few enjoyable set pieces. The visuals are not incredible, but they are passable as well. Recently, Zero Caliber introduced a PvP mode, adding a whole new dimension to the package. While somewhat rough around the edges, this VR shooter is worth keeping an eye on.

Space Pirate Trainer DX

Space Pirate Trainer DX is a first-person shooter standalone version of the popular Oculus Rift/Valve Index title. It’s a shooter that focuses on giving players a retro yet sci-fi feel they can’t get anywhere else.

The reviews are a testament to how good Space Pirate Trainer DX is, as the game stands at a staggering five stars with over 3,000 reviews on the Oculus store. Moreover, the game came out in 2019, making it relatively new compared to other games on the list. Anyone looking to find a good shooter should pick this one up.

Phantom: Covert Ops

Phantom: Covert Ops might sound like a Call of Duty title, but it is not. This game is a stealth game that is all about keeping cover and being a silent predator. In-game players assume control of an operative who can engage with enemies lethally or infiltrate unnoticed right from a military kayak.

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Popular virtual reality channel VR Oasis has described the game as “The most unique stealth action game I’ve ever played,” which is an excellent review to sum this game up. Phantom: Covert Ops is a must-play for Quest 2 owners as it is one of the most comfortable games on the platform.

Robo Recall Unplugged

Similar to Space Pirate Trainer DX, Robo Recall Unplugged is a standalone version of the popular Rift shooter by the same name. In this game, players have to take on hordes of robots as they try to stop their uprising from succeeding.

This game offers tons of weapons and customization options that are enough to keep players engaged for a long time. With a $30 price tag, Robo Recall Unplugged stands at an astounding five stars with over 4,000 verified reviews. It is certainly one of the high-quality Quest 2 games that everyone should try out.

Superhot VR

Superhot is a popular PC and console game that originally came out in 2016. While the game went viral at the time, its true form didn’t come out until 2019. Superhot VR is a Meta Quest 2 standalone version of the original game, and it enhances every aspect of the classic game in various ways.

First, this game works exceptionally well in virtual reality. Second, it is a great shooter with a fairly minimal art style, resulting in basically no major graphical downgrades. Superhot VR is one of the must-own Quest 2 titles, and it’s all thanks to its movement-based gameplay.

Resident Evil 4 VR

Who would have thought that the 2005 classic game would get remade for one of the best virtual reality headsets in 2021? For many, Resident Evil 4 VR is a dream come true for its stellar gameplay and incredibly well-optimized gunplay mechanics. While the old game does feel outdated, the virtual reality version feels like a brand-new experience.

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The story of Resident Evil 4 is pretty decent, which largely stays the same in the VR version. However, the gameplay is completely revamped, making it an unbelievable experience. In RE4VR, players can do whatever they could in the original, but with much more intractability. They can manually reload, knife in any direction, throw grenades precisely, and explore the scary village in first-person view.

Pistol Whip

Pistol Whip is one of the ideal Quest 2 shooters, as it offers gameplay that works extremely well in virtual reality. Players who have already played Thumper or Beat Saber will easily connect to this game for its rhythm-based shooting gameplay that is wholly satisfying for various reasons.

Pistol Whip can make a player feel like John Wick or the guy from Equilibrium since the game is extremely stylish and quick-paced. The shooter offers a variety of hand-crafted scenes, which are from situations like an uprising or heist, and is guaranteed to make everyone feel like a superhuman.

Sniper Elite VR

Anyone who has played a Sniper Elite game knows that it is all about taking the perfect shot and watching the bullet crush through enemies one by one. Sniper Elite VR captures the same feel through and through, and it doesn’t let it get lost in the virtual reality gameplay design.

In this game, players can precisely aim with their snipers, throw grenades, fight enemies, and fulfill their duty as war veteran sniper solider. The game is available as a standalone on the Oculus store or as the PCVR version on Steam.

Onward

While still in early access, Onward is the perfect shooter for people who are looking for something like Battlefield. This game has everything that makes it a good military sim, be it gunplay or realistic combat mechanics.

The players who want to try it out can do so at a relatively low price and enjoy modes such as solo, co-op, and multiplayer. The online of this game supports up to ten players in various modes and allows players to use a wide variety of weapons. The game also offers community-created content, which expands the playability even further.

The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners

The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners isn’t just a shooter, but a full-blown action-RPG game. This game encapsulates the best parts of a zombie game and mixes them up with virtual reality gameplay that is extremely satisfying.

In Saints & Sinners, players will have to fight the horrors of the zombie invasion as they make hard decisions and see them play out. The game offers a variety of weapons, both melee and ranged, and is a pretty solid shooter on the whole. This game is also a VR-only title, which means there is complete freedom.

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