Best VR Horror Games in 2023

As far as horror franchises go, none is quite as suited to VR as Resident Evil. With three decades honing their craft, Capcom’s VR debut was always going to be a momentous occasion, and Resident Evil 7: Biohazard doesn’t disappoint.

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is an unnerving, deliciously unsettling experience on PC and console, but the VR version ramps the fear factor in every respect. Dropped in a haunting Louisiana estate owned by the crazed Baker family, protagonist Ethan Winters is faced with the task of tracking down his missing wife. The Bakers are no ordinary family and one that’s hiding a bleak secret. VR brings every shadowy corner, distant structural groan, and filthy detail of the Bayou cabin to life like never before.

What makes Resident Evil 7: Biohazard a must-play on VR is the polished quality of the production married to a well-paced story that leans heavily on superb audio design, a genuinely terrifying atmosphere, and attention to detail rarely found in VR titles.

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard doesn’t eschew classic jump scare mechanics, but these aren’t gratuitous; instead, they are married with an ever-present dread, a visceral fear of an unseen horror creeping around the Baker’s haunting cabin. Suspense and anticipation are just as effective as the enemies who’ll cross your path.As the most complete VR horror experience out there, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is largely unrivaled. The only real catch is that it’s a PSVR exclusive, so PC players are out of luck. Additionally, the game doesn’t support the PS Move controllers and is only playable with a controller.

Another long-running franchise bound to jump to VR at some point, Five Nights At Freddy and its unique brand of animatronic horror transitions splendidly to the immersive qualities of the platform in the shape of Five Nights At Freddy’s VR: Help Wanted. Don’t just take our word for it: the game is one of the best-selling VR games, all genres confused, on Steam and a fan favorite among VR horror buffs.

As the newest hire at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, you’re tasked with surviving five successive nights in the kid’s pizzeria. Easy enough on paper, other than the pesky issue of animatronic fur balls romping around the place as soon as the sun sets and a concerning absence of decent lighting. It goes without saying that said fur balls are out to end your gainful employment early.

Five Nights At Freddy’s VR: Help Wanted is framed as a series of mini-games and game modes that include throwbacks to previous entries in the series, maintenance tasks, creepy hide and seek sessions, and on-rails shooting, among others. Naturally each is characterized by the ever-present fear of an animatronic aberration springing up out of nowhere. Expect jump scares from series staples, plenty of references, and a ton of collectibles to amass throughout those five fearful nights.

While Five Nights At Freddy’s VR: Help Wanted’s VR experience ranks up there as one of the most enjoyable and terror-inducing, it isn’t the most polished affair on a graphical level. That said, it’s available on a broad range of headsets and platforms, including Oculus, SteamVR, and PSVR headsets.

Alongside Among Us and Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, Phasmophobia was one of the unexpected hits of the Covid lock down-ridden 2020, and it has its very own VR mode that’s free alongside the ‘flat’ gaming version.

As part of a crack team of paranormal investigators, you’re tasked with diving head-first into a variety of haunted locales to gather evidence, detect strange otherworldly activity, and if everything goes right, dispatch over a dozen different types of ghosts. At your disposal is an arsenal of ghost hunting gear, including sensors, EMF readers, CCTV cameras, thermometers, and more. Additionally, you can use your voice to interact with the ghosts; pester them too much, and things quickly go south.

Phasmophobia heightens the suspense by throwing a timer into the mix, adding a sense of urgency to the fear factor. More gathered evidence and more ousted specters equate to better pay, which you can then invest in better gear to ease subsequent investigations.

Though Phasmophobia proposes a decent single-player experience, it’s best played with others in four-player co-op, not least because of the endless trolling opportunities afforded by sowing panic among already on-edge friends. Nothing quite beats sharing the sudden terror of a ghost appearing with others.Phasmophobia is available via Valve’s Steam digital storefront and consequently only fires up with SteamVR compatible headsets such as the Valve Index, Oculus Quest 2, HTC Vive, and WMR headsets. There are rumors of a PlayStation 4 version in the works, but no firm confirmation yet from developer Kinetic Games, so it’s the waiting game for PSVR owners for now.

The Exorcist: Legion VR gorges unapologetically on the works of the late author William Peter Blatty, famed for penning the seminal The Exorcist novel in the 1970s, among others, and to great effect.

Broken down into five thrilling and easily digested episodes, The Exorcist: Legion VR drops you in as an investigator tasked with plying your trade as a demonic exorcist, confronting sinister entities, and unearthing secrets, all while navigating richly detailed and immersive environments. Each area needs to be thoroughly combed and explored to solve puzzles, uncover clues, and even find a smattering of Easter eggs.

It’s an intense horror experience that is only enhanced through the lenses of a VR headset. The slow, creeping crescendo of horror at the core of The Exorcist: Legion VR is well-paced and accompanied by stellar audio design. No jump scare feels surplus to requirements, and the five chapters lead to a climactic finale that will have you quaking in your boots in terrified delight.

With each episode tallying up to half an hour of gameplay, The Exorcist: Legion VR is on the short side, but given the intensity and emotional toll of the horror experience on offer here, that’s all for the better.The Exorcist: Legion VR is available on Steam, Oculus, and PSVR, granting compatibility with most of the major headsets currently available. It’s an unmissable VR game for any self-respecting horror buff out there.