The 10 Best Meta (Oculus) Quest 2 Games

Best Exercise In Disguise: Beat Saber

Beat Saber is a rhythm game that sees you slicing colored blocks to the beat of pounding music tracks. It shares some DNA with games like Guitar Hero and AudioSurf, although slightly simplified and tricked out for VR. Your controllers are represented in-game by blue and red lightsabers, and you have to slice blocks that correspond with those colors. The blocks come in time with the music, so it ends up feeling intuitive after you get used to it.

While you can play Beat Saber in seated mode, the real fun comes when you turn on obstacles and stand up. In addition to the sliceable blocks, you face walls you need to dodge and duck under, turning what was already an entertaining rhythm game into a bit of stealth exercise. It's no Wii Fit, but VR really can help you get fit, and the increasing difficulties and fast-paced songs will get your blood pumping.

Best Meditative Puzzler: Tetris Effect

Tetris has been around so long that nearly everyone has played it in at least one iteration, but you’ve never played it like this. While Tetris Effect doesn’t take advantage of the VR environment in terms of gameplay, the trippy visuals surrounding the field, accompanied by a brilliant soundtrack, elevate the already meditative nature of the game to an entirely new level.

A lot of the charm gets lost at higher difficulty levels, with the pieces falling too fast to appreciate the fantastic visuals and accompanying soundtrack, but this is still a must-play for Tetris fans and a must-consider for everyone else.

Best Environment Interaction: Job Simulator

Job Simulator has been around forever, and it’s available on every VR platform under the sun, but it’s still worth playing if you haven’t gotten around to it yet. It's one of the first VR games that got it in terms of letting you explore a virtual space in a gamified way, and it’s still one of the best introductions to VR you’ll find.

The gameplay loop places you in a job environment, like at an office or convenience store, with the twist that an AI is running the simulation, and it doesn’t exactly understand humans as well as it thinks it does. The result is often hilarious and almost universally fun. While there are tasks you’re supposed to complete, most of the fun comes from just interacting with objects in the environment to see what strange results you can create.

Best Sensory Overload Shooter: Rez Infinite

Rez is a bit of a strange case, as it’s essentially a 20-year-old game that works far better in virtual reality than it did on its original hardware. The original game was updated with Rez HD in 2008 and Rez Infinite in 2015, with the Quest iteration of the game being a direct port of the 2015 release. That long history means you may well have already played this one, but it’s still worth a look if you haven’t played it in VR.

Rez Infinite is technically a rails shooter, but it’s meant to be a whole sensory experience. The soundtrack is a big part of the game, and shooting enemies alters the soundtrack and creates a vibration. The game initially achieved this effect with a peripheral, but modern controllers like the Oculus Touch Controllers have vibration built right in. Taking that and dumping it in the immersive realm of VR results in a sensory overload, and VR is the best way to experience this classic game.

Best Co-op Chaos: Cook-Out

Cook-Out is essentially Overcooked, in VR, with a similar gameplay loop. The object is to assemble increasingly complicated orders placed by a colorful cast of characters. The single-player mode provides a decently long campaign, with a robot buddy to help you make orders, but the real fun comes when you play co-op with other people. Up to four people can work together to assemble orders, bark orders and assign blame, and of course, assault each other with fountains of mustard and ketchup.

Best Free Social Games: Rec Room

Rec Room is a free game where you can gather and socialize in private and public rooms and play various social games. The developer provides a wide variety of games, and there are also tools available you can use to create content. It's a great way to hang out and have fun with your friends or family, either in person or remotely.

The only caution here is there’s a massive online aspect to the game, so parents of young children need to be vigilant. Younger children can be assigned junior accounts, which will prevent communication, but it could use some more robust parental controls, especially for older kids. There are also in-app purchases, so keep that in mind.

Most Adorable Platformer: Moss

Moss is a platformer where you guide a tiny mouse through a variety of puzzles and combat. Instead of putting you into the game in first-person like most VR experiences, you play in the third person, peering into the beautifully rendered levels as if they were miniature dioramas.

The only real issue with this game is the campaign isn’t very long. If you’re good at puzzles, it may only take you a few hours to complete, and there isn’t a lot of replayability. It is an enjoyable experience while it lasts, though.

Best Frenetic Family Fun: Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is a party game that’s been around for a long time, but it shines when you bring in the virtual reality component. It’s an asynchronous game, so one player puts on the Quest headset while the other players access a bomb-defusing manual on a different device. The VR player is faced with a bomb, and the non-VR players need to look up instructions in the manual to walk them through disarming the bomb.

While it’s a pretty basic concept, this game is a whole lot of fun in practice, especially when played in person, with the bomb-defuser and manual-readers all in the same room. Plus, there’s a ton of replayability, so get ready to take turns wearing the headset and defusing the bomb.

Best Kart Racer: Dash Dash World

Dash Dash World is a kart racer in the vein of Mario Kart, with a wide variety of colorful tracks and gameplay modes, weapons you can pick up and use against your opponents, and fast, responsive gameplay. It doesn’t have the same charm or strong art style as Mario Kart, but it’s the closest thing you're going to find on the Quest.