Believe it or not, after all those years of waiting the all singing, all dancing consumer Oculus Rift head-mounted display (HMD) has now been officially out for two months. In that time not everything has gone according to plan for the headset manufacturer, with numerous reports of customers not getting their pre-ordered HMDs on launch day or for weeks after. And for those who waited and plan to order one now, current estimated shipping dates on Oculus VR’s online store still list several months wait. But if you’re one of the lucky ones who has got their hands on a device there’s a reasonable content library to choose from, with titles spread across a wide variety of genres. After spending all that money on the HMD, possibly upgrading your PC to run it, and other costs, there might not be a great deal in the bank to spend on videogames. So VRFocus has found some of the best free ones you should tryout.
While there’s quite a few free virtual reality (VR) experiences to be found for Oculus Rift, this guide is purely focused on one thing, videogames. We won’t be looking at 360-degree films through apps such as Jaunt VR, or VRideo, or standalone movies like Henry and Lost, it’s all about interactive gameplay, putting players in the driving seat as they delve into these new immersive worlds.
As software for Oculus Rift isn’t just available from one source, we’ve selected the two main platforms most users will be looking for content on, Oculus Home and Steam. There are other platforms such as WEARVR, but to ensure that the guide doesn’t get too bloated we’ve stuck to just these two. And there’s still plenty to fish through, with both platforms receiving regular updates of content, both paid for and free.
But what makes a good free VR videogame? Just because its free doesn’t necessarily make it worth your time, as no one has endless hours to spend on every experience so picking and choosing which is always important. Another factor present is that the current majority of Oculus Rift owners are going to be VR enthusiasts keen to show off the latest developments in the technology to those not so well versed. And having a few free videogames available to bolster their library, allowing those new to VR to experience a range of virtual worlds is always handy to have.
VRFocus has selected eight free titles that are available either through Oculus’ own hub, Oculus Home or via Valve’s videogame platform Steam. The following suggestions aren’t in a preferential order, they’re just worth having a look for some free VR videogame entertainment.
