Summary
- Survival games are a core staple of the video game industry, so it only makes sense that some of the best games are survival games.
- VR takes survival to another level, becoming immersive and heart pounding, so survival VR games are even better.
- Some games are VR originals, others are VR remakes, and some are VR modes of normal games. Regardless, they're all a blast.
Like many other video games centered around immersion, the ones in the survival genre work better in VR. Picking up branches, stones, and the occasional carcass can almost feel like a tangible experience with a pair of VR goggles. There's also the fact that there are fewer distractions to detract from your digital life-and-death escapade.
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PostsYet, like most VR games, there aren't many for the survival genre. VR remains quite a niche these days due to the steep system requirements. Still, that didn't stop some developers from implementing VR into their finest survival games. There were also some bold ones who specifically made their survival games require a VR headset. Get ready to taste the dirt and desperation with these VR survival titles.
Updated November 15, 2024, by Branden Lizardi: Do you like to be scared? Even if you do, VR might still be too much for you. The format is one of the most immersive way to play a game, and that makes even mild horrors all the more terrifying. Since horror and survival go hand in hand, we've updated this list with that beautiful blend in mind. Just in time for the holidays, too!
19 Resident Evil Village
A Classic Series In A Futuristic Format
Available Platforms
PSVR2
Game Modes
Flatscreen on PC and Consoles, VR mode available on PSVR2
Resident Evil is one of the biggest names in action-horror gaming. So how lucky are we all that developers Capcom have taken to adding VR modes to their mainline games? One of the few Resident Evil games to take place in first-person perspective (though they added a third-person view in an update later on), this makes for a simply fantastical and exciting VR survival horror game.
You follow Ethan Winters, the protagonist of the previous game, as he traverses a cold, rural village run by a family of monstrous mutants in an effort to rescue his baby daughter, Rose. Also everyone is a werewolf, more or less. With each main boss having their own areas of drastically different design, it offers the full gambit of horror variety in an action-packed gameplay experience.
18 Bootstrap Island
Up And Coming Island Survival
Available Platforms
PC (Steam)
Game Modes
VR Only
When sailing the high seas during the golden age of piracy, one very real danger is being shipwrecked. Sailors that don't perish in the ocean might be lucky enough to wash ashore somewhere. Even then, they're alone on a tropical island, left to either survive the elements or wither away. You'll face these same circumstances in Bootstrap Island.
Start fires, hunt for food, and survive the dangers lurking deeper in the island. Break open treasure chests and manually pour gunpowder into your flintlock pistol. The nautical vibes are there in spades. Currently in Early Access, the game is a little thin on content, admittedly. But with a solid foundation already established, this one has the marks to become one of the best island survival games available in virtual reality.
The game recieved a major update in November called Overlord. This introduces new enemies, areas, mechanics, and items. This includes the game's first boss monster. The game is really shaping up in a positive way as development continues.
17 CyubeVR
Looks Familiar, Doesn't It
Available Platforms
PC (Steam)
Game Modes
VR Only
Think of Minecraft but with the graphical fidelity of Crysis. That's cyubeVR. It went under a lot of radars— probably because of the weird name that might have affected its marketing, but that doesn't mean the game is a slouch as far as survival titles go. It's actually one of the most highly-rated VR or survival games on Steam.
Do note that cyubeVR is still in its Early Access phase, so everything you interact with is subject to change. The game touts near-infinite view distance, the ability to build everything you want, and even the ability to turn low-res creations into 4K versions of themselves.
16 Star Shelter
Interstellar Living Isn't Easy
Available Platforms
PC (Steam)
Game Modes
VR Only
Much like Half-Life: Alyx, Star Shelter isn't a game with VR support. It's a game for VR. The developers took a leap of faith and built it from the ground up with VR in mind. Because of this, the game has mechanics and gameplay elements that just won't work without VR headsets.
Star Shelter is a space survival game that should be familiar to anyone who has watched space thrillers such as Gravity or something similar. You get to maintain a space station, but it's not a peaceful job since you have to watch out for asteroids, oxygen levels, and many other stressful things preventing billionaires from fully realizing their space race.
15 SURV1V3
Dark, Violent, Zombie Killing
Available Platforms
PC VR, Meta Quest 1-3, PSVR 1/2
Game Modes
VR Only
Have you ever wished Left 4 Dead had a more serious version with a VR component? Then SURV1V3 is just that and more. It's a dedicated VR-only game where you can team up with three other players online to survive in a zombie apocalypse landscape. It's also a later release, meaning its visuals and gameplay are up to par with the current standards.
When it comes to the horror aspect and the content, SURV1V3 will both sate and terrify. Because unlike the more arcade Left 4 Dead, SURV1V3 touts itself as a realistic game. The physics are less forgiving, and you can't expect to wing it and make as many mistakes as possible while still having fun or success.
14 The Solus Project
A Sci-Fi Survival Story About Isolation
Available Platforms
PC (Steam), Consoles*
Game Modes
Flatscreen and VR
The Solus Project is not unlike the other space games mentioned, except it actually preceded both. It's a highly acclaimed game that also taps into the classic psychological sci-fi horror trope. It's primarily advertised as an exploration adventure game but has survival elements.
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Posts 1The Solus Project sees players as an opportunity for mankind to restart again on another planet after Earth is permanently destroyed. You assume the role of one of the pioneers. Unfortunately, one of the planets you find is filled to the brim with weird phenomena despite being seemingly uninhabited.
While it's reportedly available for Xbox One and PlayStation 4, the title does not appear to be available on these consoles at time of writing.
13 No Man's Sky
Literally Endless Worlds To Explore
Available Platforms
PC, Xbox One/Series, PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch
Game Modes
Flatscreen on all, VR on PSVR and PC VR
It has been said before, but in case people still aren't convinced: No Man's Sky is now more than worth it. The developers have come a long way from their release blunders back in 2016. So much has been added to the game that there's almost something for everyone. Sure enough, there's plenty to chew here for those with VR headsets.
The graphical improvements and smoothened gameplay loop make the VR transition worthwhile. Moreover, No Man's Sky offers game modes that make survival even tougher and a permadeath mode for those looking to live their galaxy-exploring life on the edge.
12 Song In The Smoke
Because Survival Games Need More Dinosaurs
Available Platforms
PC, PlayStation 4/5, Meta Quest 1-3
Game Modes
VR Only
Song in the Smoke isn't unlike Valheim. It's a cel-shaded survival game with conservative graphics. The true strength, however, lies in Song in the Smoke's VR exclusivity. The game was made with only VR in mind, so it takes full advantage of all the VR bells and whistles.
The Oculus/Meta game features cross-buy. Buying the game on either the PC Oculus store or on the Meta Quest store will unlock it on both platforms.
Gameplay is thus embedded in the VR controls, and players must be warier about their surroundings as even something in their peripheral vision shouldn't be underestimated. Apart from that, it's pretty standard as far as survival goes. You'll have to craft necessities, hunt animals, and generally just survive.
11 Into The Radius
It's A Real Roadside Picnic Experience
Available Platforms
PC, Meta Quest 2-3
Game Modes
VR Only
Fancy a VR-only game that takes after a cult-status series like Stalker? Then Into the Radius is the best in its class. This VR-exclusive game even appears like a Stalker sequel at first glance. The big difference is that the graphics are good, especially since it's a VR title.
You get to explore the Pechorsk Radius Zone in Into the Radius VR, where all sorts of cryptic and odd physics anomalies exist. Don't worry; you get your trusty companion, the AK, a compass, and some post-soviet era rations so that you get to survive.
10 Cosmodread
In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream
Available Platforms
PC, Meta Quest 1-3
Game Modes
VR Only
Cosmodread is a VR game that should tick plenty of boxes. It's VR-only, like Star Shelter, and leans more toward the horror element. It also incorporates roguelike mechanics, where you will have to start over again from the beginning after failing or dying.
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PostsCosmodread isn't about maintaining a space vessel, however, but more about escaping a sinking ship (or, in this case, disintegrating). You'll have to find a way out of the gradually dying space vessel while scrounging for scraps of resources so as not to die in the process of evacuation. It's a great game, though it's understandable if some people want to steer clear of it, as the VR component makes it too scary.
