With over 1,000 apps already available to download, Oculus Go owners are pretty spoiled for choice when it comes to experiences. Facebook’s first standalone VR headset leverages much of the content that was already available on Gear VR to deliver a vast, varied library to dive into. But, let’s be honest, you’ve just spent $199 on a new headset, it might be nice to ease off the wallet for a little while.
Fortunately there are plenty of great free Oculus Go apps available right now too. We’ve gone through the list and picked out some of our favorites, though note that one or two still have in-app purchases. Still, they offer enough content before asking you to get your money out that we thought they deserved to be in the list.
Face Your Fears
One of Gear VR’s most popular apps gets a new lease of life on Go. Built by Evolve developer Turtle Rock Studios, Face Your Fears features a collection of scenes designed to scare the life out of you. If that sounds like your thing then the first couple of scenes are free to play and well worth checking out, though you’ll have to pay up for other scenes, including one that ties into Stranger Things.
Dead and Buried
If you’re looking to unload some lead in VR then Dead and Buried should be your first port of call. This Western-themed shooter, developed internally at Oculus itself, turns you into the fastest gun in VR, mowing down hordes of zombies in survival modes and facing off in tense one-on-one shoot outs. This is just a taster version of the full thing, but it’s still well worth diving into.
Easter Rising: Voice of a Rebel
A pretty intriguing glimpse at the VR documentary, Voice of a Rebel recreates scenes from the Easter Rising campaign with the help of an official account. Its stylized visuals and moody atmosphere make for a story you won’t soon forget.
6×9
One of the first VR experiences produced by The Guardian, 6×9 really gets to the core of VR with an experience that grounds you in solitary confinement as you hear various accounts of what it’s like to be locked away. This is the perfect example of how VR can deliver genuinely new experiences you wouldn’t otherwise have.
Master Works
Fancy a spot of traveling? Master Works is a great way to jump around the world without ever leaving your living room. Here you can travel to three different historical sites and inspect them in close detail. This goes above and beyond the usual 360 videos with fully VR environments as well as detailed voice-over work filling you in about the areas you explore. You definitely shouldn’t miss this one.
Sea Hero Quest VR
Sea Hero Quest isn’t just a fun, free VR game, but also an unexpected tool in the battle against dementia. The game tests your navigational skills out in the big blue ocean, with data being tracked so that scientists can analyze it to help study human spatial navigation. Even outside of that, this is a bright, fun VR game you shouldn’t miss out on.
Ctrl
If you want to see what VR could do for darker filmmaking then we absolutely have to recommend Ctrl to you. This debut project from Breaking Fourth remains one of the most memorable and harrowing VR experiences out there, following a young boy’s desperate struggle to free his family from an impossible situation. And, if you’ve already seen it once, note that this is a remastered version that adds a bit more clarity and flair to the experience.
BBC Virtual Reality
There are plenty of hubs for great, free 360 degree content on Go, but we’re particular fans of this set of amazing educational experiences that showcase what the platform can do for journalism too. Travel to various corners of the world to learn about places and people in an entirely new way, all without spending a penny.
The Turning Forest
Speaking of the BBC, we’d be remiss if we failed to mention the storybook charms of this short film. The Turning Forest is a gorgeous VR adventure that would make for the perfect plot to tuck kids in at night. It sees you travel on the back of a majestic beast to impossible landscapes filled with interactive delights. You really shouldn’t miss out on this one.
Invasion!
There’s also Pixar-esque delight to be found in Baobab Studios’ first VR production, Invasion!, which follows a cutesy bunny on a chance encounter with a pair of goofy aliens. This is a breezy, humorous little short that’s sure to go down well with just about any family member.
