As VR becomes ever more popular, more people are looking for traditional games such as multiplayer shooters that they can experience in VR. This has led to a recent explosion in multiplayer VR games, especially with the release of affordable headsets such as the Oculus Quest and Quest 2. Below is a curated list of the top 10 best VR shooting games that have multiplayer, so if you love action movies or traditional games, you’ll be amazed when playing these VR games.
10. Pavlov VR (PS5 VR, Oculus, Windows)
Pavlov VR is one of the most popular and notorious VR shooters currently on Steam. Developed by Vankrupt Games, it’s 23,000 reviews on Steam all explain in detail how this is by far one of the best VR competitive multiplayer shooter games that you can play. Originally being a clone to Counter Strike, the community took the game and have expanded it so much that players can attack each other using Minecraft-inspired weapons (on unofficial servers of course)! This game is semi-realistic, which makes it a little fiddly to use the guns and equipment, but not complicated enough that things like your gun jams happen. I would describe Pavlov VR as the go to for Multiplayer FPS games.
9. Hyper Dash (Oculus, Windows)
Hyper Dash is new to the scene of multiplayer shooters and is insanely fast paced. Having similar mechanics to Overwatch, players can slide across rails and do short teleports to manoeuvre around their enemies for the ultimate kills. There’s a variety of game modes including payload, domination, deathmatch, and control point. This game is all about agility so I could see it being a great workout for people that aren’t into normal workouts. Hyper Dash is definitely an arcade game that is all about having fun, which I would recommend to people who are more into games such as Overwatch, Rocket League, or CSGO.
8. Echo Combat (Oculus, Windows)
If you own an Oculus device, then you need to get this free multiplayer shooter! Inspired by the training game used in the 2013 film Ender’s Game, players are required to move in zero-g and shoot the enemy team. Different body parts score different points, so strategy is key! The large arena has a variety of futuristic neon obstacles that the player can interact with to gain cover, or they can use them to change their orientation. Be warned though, this game can get quite dizzying for new and experienced VR players but check it out if you’re looking for a quirky and fun shooter.
7. VAIL VR (Windows)
While VAIL VR is still in pre-alpha stages, the gameplay looks more than realistic, and the developers are actively looking for participants to play this tactical-focused combat and gunplay experience. The game strives for immersion and focuses a lot on making it an esports game. The game works on all of the main PC VR headsets, such as the Valve Index, HTC Vive, and the Oculus Rift. Once this game goes public, making lasting friends should be easy as VAIL VR requires users to communicate with their teammates in order to win the intense battles! Check out the latest preview footage of the game and you’ll be in awe with how great it already looks!
6. Onward (Quest, Windows)
Onward is one of the older VR multiplayer shooter games, being released in 2016, but it caught the attention of many gamers for it’s CSGO-like similarities. Players fight with up to 10 players and a magnitude of weapons in order to survive. A good variety of maps give users a lot of unique combat situations, and the large range of guns and attachments makes this an interestingly fun VR shooter. The community also create their own maps which are very popular with the players. The Discord community is highly active on this game and it’s very difficult to not get into a game because of the large community. It feels like a midrange simulation shooting game, but the game’s controls give some players motion sickness after a short amount of time. As a final verdict, if you’re looking for a CSGO experience then this is the one for you!
5. War Dust (Windows)
War Dust is all about size, and this one does it perfectly with 32 vs 32 battles that are entirely in VR. The range of guns and vehicles is also spectacular, from transport vehicles to tanks, helicopters and planes, this game is focused on chaos. A lot of people say that this game is similar to the Battlefield franchise, but the vehicles need improving and the player base is a little low for a VR game focused on large-scale combat. The graphics are also in the okay section since they’re okay to look at but feel basic and therefore take away the immersion from the player. Though, it’s important to remember that the developers are working hard to expand their play base, and have been actively releasing updates and improvements, such as a facelift to their classic map War Dust. If you have £20 to spare, I'd highly suggest looking into this action-packed large-scale shooter.
4. Contractors VR (Quest, Windows)
Contractors VR was released in 2018 by Caveman Studio, and is a VR only CSGO alternative. Players have a variety of weapons, game modes such as bomb defusal, and inspired maps from early 2000’s shooters. The game’s storyline is also well written but short, with users only able to experience a total of 8 missions that each have 4 different objectives. A lot of reviews talk about how the game is a mix between simulation VR shooters and arcade VR shooters, which is perfect for new VR users who aren’t yet comfortable with VR shooters. The game also lacks a large range of guns and attachment variety, but otherwise is an all-round good game.
3. Skyfront (Windows)
Skyfront really exploits the VR experience by giving the players the ability to defy gravity and use their grapple hooks to manoeuvre around the map. It’s like fighting in space! The game’s affordable at only £7.19 and has a good number of positive reviews on Steam. Despite only focusing on multiplayer deathmatches, players can level up their characters by doing well in matches, unlocking new and exciting customization assets. The game looks great as well, and the movement system is really fluid and smooth, giving VR players a comfortable experience whilst they slingshot around the map.
2. Stand Out (Windows)
Stand Out is one of the few VR Battle Royale games that you’ll currently find anywhere. Released in 2019 by Raptor Lab, the game has a mix of both Fortnite’s building mechanics and PUBG’s realism. Players can fight it out alone or in squads of up to 4 players, using loot, vehicles, trenches, and any other form of cover to win in this epic battle! The new Summer update has brought players the ability to nuke the entire map, making death imminent. Don’t judge the game for it’s poor graphics, there’s certainly a lot of potential.
1. Zero Caliber (Windows)
Since Zero Caliber’s release in 2018, it has become one of XREAL Games most successful games, with over 2,600 reviews on Steam that praise the game for it’s realistic military guns and equipment. Players can progress through the campaign, or battle players out in multiplayer. With an action-oriented story, a realistic combat system, amazing graphics and a wide variety of weapons, any VR action lover who enjoys realism will really like this game!
