The Best Open-World VR Games - The first knowledge sharing application in Vietnam

Virtual reality has only increased in interest throughout the past few years; however, there are already large open worlds for you to explore while wearing one of these immersive VR headsets. Some open-world games are now available in VR, and game developers created a few specifically for virtual reality platforms.

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Large landscapes become massive as the true scale of each world becomes almost unfathomably more relative to your own self. If you want to explore large worlds up close and hands-on, here are the best VR games with large open-world areas to explore.

Updated February 26, 2023, by Branden Lizardi: With Sony PlayStation showcasing and releasing the PSVR 2 system, more games are becoming available in levels of fidelity not seen before in VR. Whether it’s a franchise’s first time on the platform or just a generational upgrade, We’ve updated this list to ensure that you’re getting the best the virtual reality industry has to offer.

Thief Simulator VR

Thief Simulator VR may not have as expansive of a world as something like Skyrim, but it’s still a solid game with a lot of open land to explore. You can travel from house to house, stealing from them to try to become the best thief possible.

You can avoid the police and drive a getaway vehicle to make your grand escape. If you want to play a stealth game mixed with an open world, then Thief Simulator VR is a good option. Thief Simulator VR is only available on PCVR Headsets.

Elite Dangerous

Elite Dangerous features a vast Universe, but that’s not all. You can pilot your own starship, flying around space to earn your place among other accomplished pilots in the grander Universe.

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There’s a lot to explore in Elite Dangerous, so it’s a great game to play if you like discovering new things around every turn. Elite Dangerous includes VR support for PSVR Headsets, so it’s a fantastic offering if you use SteamVR and want to play a game set in space.

L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files

If you love detective games but yearn for a more realistic option, then L.A. Noire may be exactly what you’re searching for among the sea of crime-related games. You can solve crimes in L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files, and it’s one of the most immersive VR games available.

Outside of the plot, there’s also an open world to explore. You’ll find NPCs interacting with the world, as well as other immersive qualities that’ll make you forget you’re even inside a game. L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files is available on the PSVR, PCVR Headsets, and the Oculus Quest.

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is one of the most realistic games ever. You can pilot a plane around the entire Earth with startling accuracy; it’s even possible to visit your own neighborhood. In a surprising turn of events, Microsoft Flight Simulator was also released on PCVR Headsets, so it’s fully playable in virtual reality.

Although Microsoft Flight Simulator was already immersive as a regular video game, its realism is at an even higher level with a VR headset. If you’ve always dreamed of traveling the world, then Microsoft Flight Simulator is a legitimate option for exploring some of the landmarks that Earth has to offer.

The Solus Project

The Solus Project is another game set on a planet far away from Earth, but this isn’t an ordinary space game. Within The Solus Project, survival is brutal. You need to survive on an alien planet alone after your crewmates die upon entering the planet.

There’s a whole world for you to explore with a compelling narrative. The Solus Project doesn’t disappoint if you’re a fan of either space or survival games, and it’s one of the best games available that blends these two genres, especially in virtual reality. You can experience The Solus Project on the PSVR and PCVR headsets.

Minecraft VR

Minecraft VR is a more immersive version of the original building sandbox. Throughout Minecraft, you explore a randomly generated world with many biomes to discover and structures to craft.

It’s likely you’ve already played Minecraft at one point or another since it’s such a popular video game. However, Minecraft in virtual reality feels so much more unique because you’re seeing your creations up close. Minecraft VR is available on PSVR and PCVR headsets.

No Man’s Sky

What makes No Man’s Sky unique is its seemingly endless planets and unique organisms for you to discover throughout space. This is an even more fascinating experience when playing the game through a VR headset.

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Flying your spaceship in VR is especially exciting; however, exploring a world on foot is just as fun. No Man’s Sky has a much larger universe for you to explore than other open-world video games, so it’s a great option if you enjoy large open worlds. No Man’s Sky VR is available on PSVR and PCVR headsets.

Population: One

There are a few open-world battle royale games set in VR, but Population: One captures a certain kind of magic because of its unique gameplay, including flying with wingsuits and motion-control climbing.

There’s a large map to traverse in Population: One, and even though it’s a battle royale, it still has one of the best open environments out of any VR game because of how much you can explore and experience on the map. The combat mechanics are also great. Population: One is a game available on the Oculus Quest and PCVR headsets.

Fallout 4

Fallout 4 is the best post-apocalyptic RPG video game with VR support because of its expansive mechanics, such as dialogue choices and the VATS combat system. These features are even more fun in virtual reality than in the regular game.

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Exploring the Commonwealth has never been more immersive, and you can even turn Fallout 4 into a survival game by turning on Survival Mode. You won’t be disappointed by Fallout 4’s detailed world and terrifying enemies. Fallout 4 VR is available for PCVR headsets.

Subnautica

Underwater gameplay is hard to create realistically; however, Subnautica delivered on immersion. Subnautica is a survival game where you can explore the ocean on an alien planet and survive long enough to eventually leave the unique world.

Subnautica received a virtual reality feature, and it’s now one of the most realistic VR games ever because there aren’t very many survival games set in virtual reality environments. If you want a great survival game or just a swim underwater in VR, then Subnautica is an amazing experience where you can explore an entire ocean. You can experience Subnautica VR on PCVR headsets.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim

Like Fallout 4, Skyrim is another game that Bethesda released VR support for years after release. Skyrim is a fantasy open-world game with over a dozen cities and towns to explore, among the other dungeons scattered throughout the snowy region.

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There are many ways you can approach decisions and combat in Skyrim, so it’s a video game with a lot of replayability. Skyrim VR is available on PSVR and PCVR headsets.

Spider-Man: Far From Home

Spider-Man: Far From Home is more of an experience than a complete game; however, you can enjoy hours of fun that you can’t experience in other VR games. After launching Spider-Man: Far From Home, you’ll become Spider-Man and gain the ability to swing across a city with webs in first-person.

Although the web mechanics in Spider-Man: Far From Home aren’t perfect, you’ll still have lots of fun swinging through the air past skyscrapers and completing the story mode, which consists of a battle with a giant robot. You can also explore the city full of skyscrapers to your heart’s extent and even complete special challenges. Spider-Man: Far From Home is available for free on the PSVR and PCVR headsets.

The Forest

The Forest is another survival game incorporating base-building as a core component, similar to Minecraft. However, The Forest has terrifying enemies and environments for you to explore. Survive in a temperate forest while cannibalistic mutants stalk you through the night.

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If you want a more challenging open-world experience in virtual reality, then The Forest is a great option, and you won’t regret experiencing one of the best base-building games of the last generation. The Forest is available on PSVR and PCVR headsets.

The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners

If you’re a fan of The Walking Dead tv show, then you’ll probably know just how interesting it would be to explore the franchise’s world in virtual reality, and now you can in The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners.

Saints & Sinners features up-close zombie action and a variety of weapons for you to use to defeat zombies. There’s the main story, and you can also explore the world while scavenging and fighting zombies, which is a dream come true if you enjoy this genre. The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is available on the PSVR, PCVR headsets, and the Oculus Quest.

Green Hell VR

Green Hell’s VR version is somehow both a more and less terrifying take on what The Forest offers. Taking place in a jungle setting, you need to utilize all sorts of skills to survive the harsh climate. While it doesn’t have mutants hunting you down, you have to contend with all of the more severe and dangerous aspects of surviving in the wilderness, including infection, diseases, and hostile wild animals and insects.

Green Hell lets us live out the fantasy we all have of whether we could survive out in the wild. Offering one of the most authentic takes on the survival genre, the difficult and sometimes gruesome process will both humble and excite any VR users who like a good survival game. Green Hell VR is available on PC, Meta Quest 2, and PSVR2.

Stormland

Many of the previously mentioned games only have a VR version following their release. However, Stormland is a VR game developed for virtual reality headsets.

In Stormland, you primarily use guns for combat, but a lot of your experience won’t be with combat at all. Instead, most of the time, you’ll be exploring the open world and discovering everything that Stormland has to offer. You can play Stormland on PCVR headsets.

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