Want to play non-VR games in VR? Our list of best VR mods on Oculus Quest and PC will help you get started.
Note: This list was originally published on April 7, 2021
There are lots of great native VR titles to enjoy on basically any VR headset these days. But it’s also true that lots of these titles are on the short side and many of gaming’s biggest names are yet to take the plunge with AAA, multi-hour VR offerings. If you’re wanting something a little meatier to play, VR mods are a great place to turn.
Do keep in mind that, while the work on these mods themselves might be first-rate, the games in question haven’t been designed for VR and often won’t offer the most comfortable, immersive experience out there, so play at your own risk! Links to each mod are in their headings.
Best VR Mods – PC
The Legend Of Zelda: The Ocarina Of Time – BrianMP16
One of the all-time greats gets a worthy VR mod. This take on Ocarina still uses a gamepad, but it’s amazing to run around one of the most memorized landscapes in gaming history in 3D for the first time.
Resident Evil 2 And 3 – Praydog
After the superb and terrifying experience that was Resident Evil 7 in VR, we were dismayed to see the excellent Resident Evil 2 and 3 remakes release without VR integration. Modder Praydog has gone above and beyond to fix this, though, with PC VR mods for both games with full first-person and motion control support. There are moments in both that work so well that, frankly, you’ll feel like you’re playing a native VR game.
Resident Evil 7 And 8 – Praydog
Yup, another entry for Praydog’s fantastic work with the RE Engine. But we decided to give Resident Evil 7 and 8 their own entry as both games are already played from a first-person perspective and thus make for a better overall experience than the 2 and 3 mods. Currently, these might be our picks for the overall best VR mods out there.
Subnautica: Below Zero – Native VR Support
The original Subnautica is one of the few big PC games to offer full VR support as an optional extra. Sadly, its standalone follow-up doesn’t include the same integration. But one team pulled together to offer a really impressive mod that lets you play the entire game from start to finish with a controller.
Alien: Isolation – MotherVR
VR veterans will remember that Alien: Isolation was once used to demo the Oculus Rift DK2 headset at gaming expos. Sadly, official support for Creative Assembly’s scary survival game never materialized, but the MotherVR mod provides a pretty excellent alternative. Now with support for the inputs on your respective motion controllers, too.
Elden Ring, Grand Theft Auto V, Red Dead Redemption 2, Horizon: Zero Dawn + More – REAL VR Mods
If you want an official Rockstar game in VR then, right now, your only choice is the excellent (but severely abridged) LA Noire: The VR Case Files. The company’s magnum opus, Grand Theft Auto 5, can be played in VR with this great mod from Luke Ross, however. You’ll still be playing with a gamepad, but there’s nothing quite like experiencing the world of GTAV in VR. What about a Souls game in VR? Same deal here – Ross’ VR mods strive to deliver comfortable, enjoyable ports of some of the best games. To add to that, Patreon supporters can get full access to Ross’ entire suite of mods, including Red Dead Redemption 2, Horizon: Zero Dawn and the Mafia trilogy, with much more to come.
Outer Wilds – Nomai VR
Outer Wilds was a game we always hoped would get native VR support. And it’s a fairly recent release, so hope isn’t lost. But Nomai VR does a great job of porting the experience into VR all the same. The game’s sense of exploration is unmatched and a lot of its mechanics fit into VR with surprising ease. There’s even comprehensive motion controller support, making this easily one of the best VR mods.
Firewatch – Two Forks
When VR first started coming about practically everyone agreed that Firewatch would make for a great port. That ended up being the case, but not officially. Raicuparta’s fantastic, fully finished mod brings the game into headsets with almost native implementation. Subscription to a Patreon campaign is needed to download the mod.
Risk of Rain 2 – Drbibop
Hopoo Games’ roguelike survival game might not have been the first game to come to mind for a VR mod, but the implementation is so solid that it definitely deserves a spot on the list of best VR mods. With full motion control support in first-person and the co-op gameplay intact, this is a great option if you’re looking to play with friends. In fact, the game even has different control schemes depending on which character you control.
Doom 3 – Fully Possessed
There is now an official version of Doom 3 in VR available, but it’s exclusive to PSVR and your mod options are just as good if not better. On PC, Doom 3 Fully Possessed includes motion-controlled aiming and even support for teleportation locomotion. It’s one of the older options out there, but still one of the best VR mods you’ll find.
Minecraft – Vivecraft
Yes, the official Minecraft release has official VR support. And, yes, it’s pretty good – we’d definitely like to see it come to Oculus Quest, but it works well on PC at the very least. Vivecraft, however, goes a few steps further, with full support for physical interactions (like, y’know, actually mining with your arms) and even the ability to scale the world and become a giant within it. If you want to play Minecraft in VR, this is the best way to do it.
Valheim – Brandon Mousseau
The survival game sensation was first treated to a first-person VR mod in early 2021, but its offerings have only grown since then. Valheim itself is still in early access so there’s still work to be done here, but it’s already one of the best VR mods going.
Best VR Mods – Quest
Half-Life – Lambda1
It’s probably worth saying now that essentially all of the best VR mods for Oculus Quest stem from the work of DrBeef and the larger Team Beef outfit. The team has done incredible work bringing some classic PC shooters to the standalone headset, starting with this port of Half-Life that includes full motion-controlled aiming and even support for the game’s expansion campaigns.
Quake 3 Arena – Team Beef
The most recent Quest entry on this list is for Quake 3 Arena, a classic multiplayer shooter that Team Beef has worked long and hard to bring to Quest 2. Including fully tracked VR weapons, support for 90, 80 and 72Hz framerates and cross-platform play with PC and Android players, this is easily one of the best VR mods yet.
Doom, Quake & More – Team Beef Ports
Team Beef has also been busy bringing some id Software classics and their spin-offs to VR. With QuestZDoom, you can play the original Doom, Wolfenstein 3D and titles like Heretic in full 6DOF VR with support for other mods. Plus the team has done full ports of Quake 1 and 2, and its most recent efforts brought Doom 3 to Quest too.
Return To Castle Wolfenstein – RTCWVR
The last on our list of Team Beef greats is the 2001 resurrection of the original first-person shooter series. This lets you tackle the game’s original campaign in VR. The stone halls and snowy surroundings really come to life inside a headset, and the WW2-era weapons feel great, making this one of the best VR mods on Oculus Quest.
What do you make of our list of the best VR mods? Are there any others you think are worthy of inclusion? Let us know in the comments below!
