Upcoming PS VR2 Games That Will Justify The VR Headset Purchase

PlayStation VR2, a brand-new headset for the PlayStation 5, should be a major consideration for VR gamers following its February 22, 2023 launch date. With over 100 games currently in development, fans of the headset will be spoiled for choice in a slew of genres to be experienced and enjoyed with the benefit of VR. Several launch titles have already made a considerable splash on the system, such as "Gran Turismo 7," the latest installment in the hit racing game franchise. Other launch titles include "NFL Pro Era" and "Pavlov VR," a popular multiplayer shooter. The full list of launch titles can be found on PlayStation.Blog.

Those who have, or are planning to pick up Sony's latest foray into VR gaming will have plenty more to look forward to in the coming months. While few titles are currently tied to release dates, the list of confirmed games continues to grow by the week. With a software catalog this expansive, the PS VR2 should be a must-have for consumers who prefer VR to a more traditional gaming experience.

Here are 16 upcoming PS VR2 titles that should help justify the system's lofty $549 price tag.

DEFICIT Games' "VR Skater" will fill a massive void in the skateboarding genre on the PS VR2. Based on the initial gameplay footage, it appears to be a clean-looking game that could cultivate a similar vibe to the genre's major franchises (ie; "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, "SKATE") thanks to its independently curated soundtrack featuring artists such as We Are the Union and Thousand Oaks. The game's overall success will ultimately boil down to the gameplay, though the game's trailer effectively displays how the player's real-time actions affect the VR skateboard in real-time.

There do not appear to be any limits as to what one can accomplish on the skateboard in "VR Skater." Players can land a kickflip just as easily as they will be able to grind on rails. Additionally, there appears to be a customization aspect to the game as the trailer highlights an in-game skate shop where players will be able to customize their deck, lending itself to an authentic VR skateboarding experience for the consumer base. Like many upcoming PS VR2 games, "VR Skater's" release date is still to-be-determined.

"Walkabout Mini Golf" is a visually stunning game for a title that brands itself as a VR miniature golf experience. As simple and self-explanatory as the gameplay might be, the game's visuals should have no issue drawing the player in with crisp, bright graphics and a presentation that should age well throughout the headset's life cycle. As a result, "Walkabout Mini Golf" should be a must-have for players, no matter whether or not they have a vested interest in sports games or the mini-golf subgenre.

Despite the simplicity of the game's graphics, "Walkabout Mini Golf" boasts true-to-life physics that should help make the game as authentic an experience as possible. The game will also feature online multiplayer modes in addition to a "night mode" that will open the door to more challenges should more seasoned players wish to pursue them after mastering the 16 courses in the game. An additional eight courses will be made available by way of downloadable content after the game releases later this year.

Horror fans will have no shortage of options on the PS VR2, with "Afterlife VR" serving to add another quality game to the genre. "Afterlife VR" brings many of the same things to the table as "Another Fisherman's Tale" does, albeit in a more lifelike, unsettling setting. Players will assume the role of Adam Bernhard, a young police officer navigating through a mental hospital in search of his long-lost sister. Players will have to ward off the hospital's patients along the way, keeping themselves alive long enough to uncover the secrets that will lend to the game's completion.

"Our talented team developed many interesting mind games and puzzles that our player needs to think many times how to solve and combine to have a great solution," Vahe Asloyan of Split Games, "Afterlife VR's" developer, said. Asloyan added that the game's enemies will behave differently in different situations, calling for the player to come up with unique solutions in order to progress in the story. "Afterlife VR" is expected to land on the PS VR2 later this year.

PS VR2 owners will get to experience a rail shooter in a vivid horror backdrop with "The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR." Like "Afterlife VR," "The Dark Pictures" is a growing franchise, with the latest installment sure to move the series another step forward. The game is not only a spin-off from "The Dark Pictures Anthology," but also a spiritual sequel to the 2016 VR game "Until Dawn: Rush of Blood," which came out for the original PS VR headset. The fully immersive experience will take players to a variety of settings, chock full of reactive enemies who will only move when the player blinks.

The game's developer, Supermassive Games, announced earlier this year that "The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR" would be delayed until March 16, 2023 to allow for some time to give the game an additional polish. While the game was originally thought to release alongside the PS VR2 headset, fans of the genre will have plenty to keep themselves occupied until the game does make its way onto the headset in mid-March.

Those looking to pick up a PS VR2 headset to get a glimpse of the future will find solace with a game like "Low-Fi." From a visual standpoint, the game looks to be something akin to games such as "Cyberpunk 2027" and the "Wipeout" series, and could compare favorably depending on how immersive and interactive the surrounding world is. The game will place an emphasis on exploration in the sandbox-style open world as well as the story.

The game will allow for much more than story progression, however, as players will also have the option to simply hang out in the game's city and spend their hard-earned credits in a virtual world reminiscent of the movie, "Ready Player One." No matter how the player chooses to allocate their time within the game, the title should appeal to both hardcore and casual gamers, and thus could wind up being an essential title to own on the PS VR2. According to one of the game's developers on Twitter, the "Low-Fi" is expected to be released within the next few months.

"Galaxy Kart" will be one of the prettiest-looking racing games on the platform when it releases, and quite possibly the best for gamers who prefer arcade-style racing games to the simulation style of games such as "Gran Turismo 7." The game features a wide array of goofy characters ranging from clowns to robots to a humanoid hotdog with a face. The characters only serve to add to a pretty world with race tracks set in various different locations in fantasy and reality.

"Galaxy Kart" places a special emphasis on combat, and given its arcade style, it is more or less a combat game masquerading as a racing game, much like how Nintendo's "Mario Tennis Aces" is a fighting game masquerading as a sports title. Regardless of how it is classified, "Galaxy Kart" can appeal to the PS VR2's casual base thanks to its warm colors and design choices that help it stand out from other racing games. While the game is currently without a release date, it was released on Steam Early Access back in 2020 and will likely release on the PS VR2 before the end of the year.

Horror fans will have one more game to sink their teeth into when "Ovrdark: A Do Not Open Story" comes to the PS VR2 later this year. This game is a spin-off of "Do Not Open," another horror game released for PS5 and PC. The game's plot revolves around one fateful night in November 2019 when three people, Julia, Ann and Mike, turn up missing. The player will be tasked with navigating through a cursed house and keeping themselves out of danger as they look to uncover the truth of what happened on that November 2019 evening.

According to UploadVR, the game is being developed exclusively for VR, which could lend itself to a more detailed VR experience. While no trailer for the game exists just yet, if the title's sister game, "Do Not Open" is anything to go off of, horror fans will have a field day with this game, which only adds to an impressive catalog of games in the genre.

"Final Fury" is perhaps as intriguing of a fighting game as any set to come to the PS VR2 later in 2023. The game seamlessly shifts back and forth between a first-person and third-person experience, though its art style is what ultimately puts it over the top and separates it from other games in the genre. The game is set in a fantasy-like backdrop, with fighters able to perform magic in addition to hand-to-hand combat. The game's cool, wintery tones succeed in creating a vibe that could translate beautifully to VR.

"Final Fury" comes from the same studio that brought gamers "Synth Riders," which recently released on the platform to rave reviews. "We grew up playing games like 'Street Fighter' and 'Killer Instinct' and wanted to be the first to bring this genre to VR in order to fully immerse ourselves in the fights," Kluge Creative Director Abraham Aguero said in the game's announcement. Given the game's influences and the studio's increasingly impressive track record, "Final Fury" could steal the show as far as VR fighting games are concerned when it drops on the PS VR2 later this year.