Best Meta Quest 2 games to play in 2023

Beat Saber is quite possibly the darling of virtual reality, but it performs at its best on the wireless Quest 2. If you’re one of the few people that have yet to experience Beat Saber, the concept is simple: you slash notes to a beat, dodge incoming obstacles and try to get the best score possible.

It’s much more than that though; as you slice your way through the ever-growing tracklist (including the recent Lady Gaga and Billie Eilish tracks) you feel empowered, energetic and more than a little addicted – especially when you hit a perfect combo you’ve previously struggled with. Throw in recent features like competitive multiplayer and you’ve got the perfect beat rhythm game.

It’s the most regularly played game on our Quest 2, and simply put, it’s a VR must-have.

Bonelab is a sequel to the popular PC title Boneworks, bringing the highly physics-driven game to the Quest 2 for the first time – and it’s a real treat for VR fans.

The game is essentially a playground of physics experiments, mods and challenges, many of which you’ll have to figure out yourself with very little hand-holding from the developers. In fact, there was one part I was stuck on for well over an hour before I realised what I was supposed to do. But even in those frustrating moments, the incredible physics-based gameplay brings endless entertainment, whether I’m frantically reloading my rifle to fight off incoming skeletons or trying to do a bit of parkour.

There’s also an entirely new mechanic that allows you to change avatar mid-game, with different avatar’s heights and weights actually making a difference in the game. If your character is too heavy, you might not be able to jump high enough to reach the ledge you need to get to. It’s an interesting addition, though it doesn’t come into play until quite a way through the campaign.

There are some complaints, including the lack of a comfortable teleport traversal mode, but if you’ve got a stomach of steel and an interest in shooters or melee combat, Bonelab is a real treat.

If you’re looking for a strong narrative-driven VR title with an open world, in-depth systems and plenty of zombies to kill in interesting ways, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is the perfect option.

Based on the post-apocalyptic world of the popular TV series, Saints & Sinners sees you trekking through the remains of New Orleans to survive. It’s not just another zombie slasher though; there are human enemies to keep you on your toes too, and a survival system means you’ll have to keep on top of items in your inventory.

Throw in detailed environments to explore, side quests to follow and a real-world physics-based combat system that makes you really throw those punches, and you’ve got one of the most immersive VR games on the market right now.  

Onward is a gritty online shooter with a focus on realism that you’ll either love or hate.

Its focus on real-world shootouts means it’s not quite as easy as some online shooters, requiring manual reloading and other elements often overlooked in favour of a smoother gameplay experience, but it’s much more immersive than most rivals and requires real tactics and teamwork to win.

Admittedly, the game’s visuals aren’t quite as impressive as the PCVR counterpart, but it’s worth it for the wire-free experience, allowing you to literally go prone if you need to. Squad up, soldier, and get ready for the shootout of your life.

While some had doubts about just how well Resident Evil 4 would fare as a VR title, it’s become one of the most popular zombie shooters on the Quest 2.

Offering a different experience to The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners, Resident Evil 4 VR is a full port of Leon Kennedy’s most popular zombie adventure complete with first-person view and, importantly, full motion control support for an immersive experience.

While virtual flatscreen cutscenes aren’t the perfect workaround, they fade from memory as you’re fighting hordes of zombies fighting to eat your flesh. Even if you didn’t play it the first time around, Resident Evil 4 VR is a thoroughly enjoyable full-game experience.  

The only downside? The game takes up so much space that you’ll have to practically delete every other game on your Quest 2 if you’ve got the OG 64GB variant – though those with the larger 128/256GB capacities shouldn’t have any issues.

It wouldn’t be a gaming chart without at least one Battle Royale game, right? Enter Population: One, the VR-based battle royale that infuses elements of Fortnite into its DNA.

The game takes place on a large map full of points of interest, with teams of three battling it out to be the last ones standing – although there are occasionally modes with duos and even singles if that’s more your thing. Choose where to drop, scavenge for supplies and weapons and stay away from the ever-shrinking boundaries of the world.

The mechanics make for an interesting battle royale experience too, with the ability to scale up walls to get a better vantage, glide using a wingsuit to traverse the environment quickly and be able to build walls and other forms of cover from scraps you find around the world. Communication is key and Population: One has a very chatty playerbase, making for a social shooting experience that some might prefer.

Oh, and did we mention there’s full cross-play support for other VR headsets too? If you want your VR battle royale fix, Population: One is the one to go for.

It’s rough around the edges in its current state, but Blade and Sorcery: Nomad is one of the most entertaining combat games on the Quest 2 with a focus on real-world physics.

The game offers two primary modes – tackling waves of enemies in an arena or sneaking through procedurally generated dungeons – with a focus on close-quarters combat with swords, magic powers and other fun utilities that you can use to inflict damage on your enemies. The real-world physics means you’ll have to really swing and punch if you want to inflict damage, making for an immersive (if not slightly tiring) experience.

It’s not a horror, but you might scare yourself with what you’re capable of in this eerily realistic combat title.

While the idea of Unplugged is ambitious to say the least, relying solely on the Quest 2’s hand tracking to provide an unparalleled air guitar experience, it actually works.

Unplugged is a Guitar Hero-style game that requires you to strum in time to the beat, with changing finger patterns. But instead of holding a peripheral, you simply hold your hands in the air like you’re holding an air guitar and strum to your heart’s content.

It’s not technically perfect, and there is a bit of a learning curve when you first pick up that imaginary guitar, but when you finally hit a streak on one of your favourite rock tunes and hear the crowd go wild, you’ll feel like a real-life rockstar.

If you like the idea of Beat Saber but prefer shooting to wielding lightsaber-like weapons, Pistol Whip is the perfect alternative, blending elements of Beat Saber, Superhot and John Wick to create something unique.

It too offers a beat-based gameplay system, but ditches sabers and boxes for guns and enemies that’ll definitely fire back at you as you make your way through the hypnotic neon-lit worlds. As with most beat games, timing is everything, and the fast-paced soundtrack means you’ll likely get a sweat on as you shoot your enemies and dodge bullets like something out of the Matrix.

It’s a familiar yet distinctly different experience with plenty of customisable options to make gameplay easier or more challenging, and with new content added frequently, it’ll continue to improve over time too.

Ultrawings 2 is the follow-up to the hugely popular Ultrawings, delivering the same fun physics-based flying experience with more planes, more locations and, simply, more of everything gamers loved about the original. 

The game puts you in the pilot seat of an ever-changing roster of planes, and while it’s easy to pick up the core mechanics, they’re difficult to master. That may put casual players off, but the payoff is an incredibly enjoyable (arcade-y, but not quite full arcade) flight experience.

You’ve got four islands to explore, five vehicles to unlock and plenty of missions to undertake, offering 40+ hours of gameplay in the bright, vibrant open world. 

In addition to the main game, there’s a new combat operations mode that’ll pit you against enemy fighters, ground forces and ships. The additional mode provides a surprisingly engaging flight combat experience for those that want to break away from the main campaign, so much so that we wouldn’t be surprised if it became a spin-off further down the line.