The most wanted PCVR games coming in 2025

Vertigo 2 DLC: Into the Aether is coming 25 April, so in a few days, and a story trailer has just been released:

Find the DLC/game here:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3305800/Vertigo_2_Into_the_Aether/

Recommended system specs are:

OS: Windows 7 or higher

Processor: Intel i5 4690k

Memory: 4 GB RAM

Graphics: NVidia 1080ti

Storage: 8 GB available space

VR Support: SteamVR

Seems there will be no OpenXR support, but SteamVR is of course perfect for Index, Vive (Pro) and BigScreen Beyond users who have native SteamVR driver support.

Vertigo 2: Into the Aether and Umami Grove are out - here are some screenshots and impressions:

Into the Aether has much the same difficulty as Vertigo 2 - and requires similar hardware. If you can run Vertigo 2 on your rig, Into the Aether should run fine

Great to be back - even if you do play a different character - and explore a new location

Textures and surfaces are great - does look like real rocks on the moon to me 🙂

As usual in Vertigo 2, there're nice dynamic shadows

I guess with the moon's gravity and this weapon, I do float like a butterfly and sting like a bee 😉

Find Into the Aether here:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3305800/Vertigo_2_Into_the_Aether/

Umami Grove is great too - here are a few impressions:

This is Umami Grove - far from as polished as Into the Aether, but still worth a visit. Due to trees/leaves and 3D grass, polygon levels can be extremely high

Full Index finger tracking is supported - nice touch

Umami Grove took about 6 years to make, and was made ground-up for PCVR. There is teleport, full locomotion, snap & smooth turning, head or hand direction, etc.

An example of view distance, which can be great

Another example of view distance

In the game you collect recipes, ingredients, cook, but also solve some simple puzzle. For kids new to VR, this game can be a great start - and for relaxing

The inventory design is special, but does get the job done

You get a 3D map - some levels can be rather big-ish

The game is physics-based for making the dishes. It was not that easy to cut the salmon and carrots - and then fry them on a pan, but everything worked out nicely 🙂

After a long day at the office, it's great to get out and enjoy nature 😉

Maybe the most massive use of straws and 3D grass so far in a VR game. For max details, an RTX 4070 or better is by far not wasted on this game

There are some darker environments - like this swamp and the ghost-like fruit, but this is an outlier, the game is not scary in any way

You do get to visit the sea and some beaches. The game does remind me of Garden of the Sea, but Umami Grove is much more hardware demanding

One of the nicest forests to visit in VR - with butterflies, birds, and much more, the world feels alive and very immersive

You can shop too - but I'm not sure I really trust this rather spooky dude ...

There are some houses to visit

Finally found a tomato plant - some plants may not be found in the location where you got a recipe requiring such plants

I'd much rather have a cheeseburger - but I guess this is better for me 🤗

Find the game here:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1394470/Umami_Grove/

The Midnight Walk just arrived and is an incredible VR experience - which deserves its own thread:

https://communityforums.atmeta.com/t5/VR-Experiences/The-Midnight-Walk-best-VR-experience-so-far-in-2025/td-p/1320473

- or find the game here, 10% off until 15 May:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2863640/The_Midnight_Walk/

It could easily be my VR game of the year, but many competitors for that title will soon arrive, so let's wait and see. Some screenshots from The Midnight Walk:

There's a new playable and free 10GB demo of the game "Of Lies and Rain" available:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3629230/Of_Lies_and_Rain_Demo/

See the new video here:

https://packaged-media.redd.it/e2p26umlyr0f1/pb/m2-res_1080p.mp4

Even if the game has been designed for the extremely low-end Quest 2-3 standalone hmds, the PCVR version seems to be greatly enhanced - and devs suggest an RTX 3070 or better:

Recommended system requirements:

• Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
• OS: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
• Processor: Intel 9th gen i7
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: > RTX 3070 - 8GB VRAM
• VR Support: Meta headsets and Valve index only

Many seem to love the demo - I'm yet to try it, but have just installed the demo. 

Some good news - the high-end PCVR exclusive game Into The Darkness launches next week, although in early access:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1529530/Into_The_Darkness_VR/

Estimated price $20 - final game expected later this year.

And yesterday Out of Sight VR launched on Steam - and is a great game, even if also in early access and requires a fast gaming PC - my RTX 3090 with the power of nearly 20 Quest 3 hmds running in parallel can barely handle the game, but motion smoothing is my friend 🤗

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3558720/Out_of_Sight_VR/

Devs say they are working hard to improve and optimize the game - but it is fully playable and enjoyable in its current state.

Slightly bad news is that Zombie Army VR got postponed to June 12 - but only a few weeks longer than the original May 22 launch date:

Here are a few screenshots I just took when playing Out of Sight VR:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3558720/Out_of_Sight_VR/

The game just launched with VR or 2D support - the VR version is seperate from the 2D version though, you must choose as you do not get both if you buy one. 

The lighting is great - this is your room, Some evil adults keep you prisoner in a room.

You guide a blind girl through a big house/maze, trying not to get caught - the game uses in both 1st and 3rd person perspectives

You can move objects to solve puzzles

Graphics are great considering this is early access - but you need a fast gaming PC until the game gets better optimized

POOLS VR has launched:

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2663530/view/507330049932788374

Quote: 

Some more games of potential interest:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3538210/Alliance_Peacefighter/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3362660/World_War_Z_VR/

A hopefully big positive surprise - even if it's a Quest port:

Find the game here: 

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2800080/Thief_VR_Legacy_of_shadow/

Interesting that devs mention Valve Index and Meta Rifts first for supported headsets, I wonder if this game began its development several years ago. 

A few early screenshots by the devs:

Judging from the trailer, the lighting, realtime shadows and textures do look nicely enhanced for PCVR.

A free playable demo of Ghost Town is available:

Find it here:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2496180/Ghost_Town/

Also note that devs wrote that the PC version is much enhanced compared to the ultra-low-end Quest standalone version:

"The PC versions does contain some improvements [...] realtime environmental shadows,
realtime torch shadows, higher render resolution, higher resolution textures, higher lod distances & higher vfx fidelity to name a few things."

Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/virtualreality/comments/1l4p0pq/our_new_vr_puzzle_adventure_game_ghost_town_has_a/