Update: Since this list was originally published we’ve continued internal discussions (while also considering feedback from the community) and decided to make a few updates. LA Noire is out now and has been added to a handful of the categories, Raw Data was added to the list for Best Multiplayer, and we’ve also included both VRChat and High Fidelity to the list for Best Social.
Stay tuned for the winner announcements later this week!
Original: This has been one busy year for the virtual reality industry. As the first full calendar year of consumer-grade virtual reality we’ve got a lot to digest. From consistently great new game releases, inventive and creative tools, to the gripping, emotional experiences that pulled at our heart strings, there has truly been something for everyone this year so picking our best of the year nominations wasn’t easy.
Whether you prefer the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, PlayStation VR (PSVR), Gear VR, Daydream, or something else all together, VR is here to stay. To commemorate such an amazing year, we’ve put together a few lists of nominations for some of the biggest and most important categories that we could think of.
This list of nominations is not set in stone and if new experiences launch over the next week that deserve inclusion on the list we will certainly consider adding them. Next week we plan to host a livestreamed discussion in which we’ll make arguments for our favorites in each category and will plan to have a full, finalized winner list by the end of next week, which is December 21st.
And also take note that the featured image for each section is chosen based on the first game/app listed in alphabetical order. It’s not meant to be an indication of which app is most likely to be selected as the winner. Now without further ado, let’s get to the list of nominations!
Best VR Hardware
If 2016 was the year of VR hardware, then 2017 was definitely the year of VR software. We didn’t see any major new hardware releases this year and instead got some small, incremental upgrade and a few stand out peripherals.
Nominees:
Deluxe Audio Strap for HTC Vive
Samsung Odyssey Windows VR Headset
Pixel 2 / Daydream View
PS Aim Controller
TPCast Wireless VR Accessory
Vive Tracker
Best PSVR Game
Out of the three major headsets the PSVR arguably had the best overall year from a pure quality of content perspective. It has a fantastic library of awesome games and already has a major slate of new releases coming in 2018. Check out our list of the best PSVR games for more suggestions, but this is our short list of the best new releases this year on the platform.
Nominees:
Arizona Sunshine
Farpoint
Invisible Hours
Resident Evil 7: biohazard
Superhot VR
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR
Best Oculus Rift Game
Going into the year we had high hopes for the Oculus Rift and it didn’t disappoint. With a new Oculus Studios title each month to sink our teeth into the Facebook-owned VR giant was hard at work releasing quality content on a consistent basis. It was hard narrowing down the list, but we’ve got a solid collection of apps to pick from this year. And don’t forget to check out our best Rift game list for more.
Nominees:
From Other Suns
Lone Echo/Echo Arena
Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality
The Gallery: Episode 2 – Heart of the Emberstone
The Mage’s Tale
Wilson’s Heart
Best HTC Vive Game
There haven’t been a lot of big tent pole releases for the HTC Vive this year on either Viveport or Steam, but the last few months have been stronger with releases from Bethesda and a handful of smaller developers. Regardless of your VR platform of choice it’s a good time to be a VR gamer and this list of best Vive game nominees proves that. You can see more of our favorite Vive games here as well.
Nominees:
Fallout 4 VR
Form
LA Noire: The VR Case Files
Project CARS 2
Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality
The Gallery: Episode 2 – Heart of the Emberstone
Best Windows VR Game
The Windows VR (also referred to as Windows Mixed Reality) ecosystem is the newest one on the market and it’s still growing. All of its major titles were also previously released on other platforms or are ports of SteamVR titles, but it’s still a good entry-level VR platform if you can’t handle the more expensive devices or don’t want external trackers.
Nominees:
Arizona Sunshine
Form
Space Pirate Trainer
Superhot VR
Best Mobile VR Game
Between the Samsung Gear VR and Google Daydream mobile VR gamers were not at a loss for content this year. While the spotlight may have shifted to the bigger, more powerful units that doesn’t mean mobile VR platformers were forgotten. There were some really solid, innovative, and inspiring experiences on the smaller headsets too.
Nominees:
Augmented Empire
Eclipse: Edge of Light
Lola and the Giant
Rez Infinite
Skylight
Best Story Experience
Not every good VR app is a game, though. We wanted to use this category to highlight some of our favorite narrative-based non-game VR experiences that anyone can enjoy without gaming chops. It’s hard to really pick a favorite from this list because they’re all so moving in unique ways, so we absolutely recommend checking them all out if you can.
Nominees:
Dear Angelica
Dispatch
If Not Love
Melita
Miyubi
So Let Us Melt
Best Visuals
Since VR headsets are still trying to catch up to flat interfaces like computer monitors and 4K TV screens nothing in VR is going to look as good as its non-VR counterparts. But that being said, the nominated apps do an amazing job of taking advantage of what they have access to. Check these out if you want your jaw to drop in awe of some amazing visual splendor.
Nominees:
Arktika.1
LA Noire: The VR Case Files
Lone Echo/Echo Arena
Project CARS 2
Robo Recall
The Gallery: Episode 2 – Heart of the Emberstone
Wilson’s Heart
Most Immersive Experience
What makes VR so powerful as a medium is how it can really make the user feel truly immersed in a completely new world. That sense of presence is magical when captured correctly and these are a few of the experiences we thought did the best job of really making us feel like we’re part of fantastical (or terrifying) new worlds.
Nominees:
Duck Season
Echo Grotto
Lone Echo
PS Aim Controller
Star Trek: Bridge Crew
The Void
Best Multiplayer VR Game
There is a common misconception that VR experiences are necessarily isolating. People believe that if you put on a VR headset, you’re cut off from the world and can’t interact with other people at all. However, these VR games prove that’s not entirely true. If you want to enjoy immersive digital worlds with others, these are some of the year’s best new ways to do so with VR games.
Nominees:
Echo Arena
From Other Suns
Raw Data
Sparc
Star Trek: Bridge Crew
Best Social Experience
But not all multiplayer VR experiences are strictly games. These apps are more about social interactivity, artistry, connection, and communication. Some of them may enable or include games, but at the core of each of these experiences is the underlying concept of bringing people together with the power of VR. Since social experiences are always evolving as well, we’ve included some Early Access titles unlike in most other categories.
Nominees:
Bigscreen
Facebook Spaces
High Fidelity
Mindshow
Rec Room
VRChat
Most Innovative Experience
Since VR is such a groundbreaking new medium for entertainment we established a category that’s all about recognizing the most innovative experiences around. These apps may do amazing things we haven’t seen before or redefine previously accepted conventions. If you’re looking for ways that VR can fundamentally change how we interact with digital spaces, then these are the apps to keep an eye on. Since these innovative VR experiences are always evolving as well, we’ve included some Early Access titles unlike in most other categories.
Nominees:
Blocks
Exa: The Infinite Instrument
Invisible Hours
Lone Echo/Echo Arena
Mindshow
Statik
Wilson’s Heart
Best Creative App
VR is such a complex space to get involved in. If you’re not already an established, seasoned developer with game engine experience or 3D art as a background it can be tough to even know where to start. That’s where these creative apps come into play. Using these amazing tools you can get started, right now, creating your own content and art inside VR. Since creative apps are always evolving as well, we’ve included some Early Access titles unlike in most other categories.
Nominees:
Blocks
Exa: The Infinite Instrument
Gravity Sketch
Masterpiece VR
Mindshow
Best Developer of the Year
This category was tricky to narrow down. At first we’re inclined to just nominate all of the developers that have games featured in other categories, but it’s not that simple. We want to recognize developers that have made profound, robust, and/or far-reaching contributions to the industry this year — not just the ones that made a good game or two.
Nominees:
Bethesda
Cloudhead Games
Croteam
Google
Oculus Story Studio
Ready At Dawn
Most Anticipated VR Game of 2018
There are a lot of great VR games on the horizon. In fact, we’ve got an entire list coming later this year that’s entirely focused on upcoming VR games we can’t wait to play, but we had to narrow things down for this nominee category.
Nominees:
Budget Cuts
Echo Combat
Firewall: Zero Hour
MARVEL Powers United VR
The Inpatient
Valve VR Games
Wipeout VR
Best Overall VR Game of the Year
This is the big one. After going through all of the VR games we played and reviewed this year there were a ton of really, really good ones to pick from. Just look at this list of nominees — all of them are fantastic titles that we can’t recommend enough. But which one is, according to us, the very best of the year?
You’ll have to check back next week to find out!
Nominees:
Form
Invisible Hours
Lone Echo/Echo Arena
Resident Evil 7: biohazard
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR
The Gallery: Episode 2 – Heart of the Emberstone
