Best Quest 3 & 2 rhythm and music games
Music and rhythm VR games are probably the best for both virtual beginners and VR experts. They're often bright, flashy games with catchy music and simple gameplay. You often just have to point or swipe your controllers at bright objects flying towards you quickly and accurately. As you improve your rhythm and up the difficulty, you'll slowly get more and more of a tough workout while you're distracted by the fun time you're having! Here are the best music and rhythm VR games for the Meta Quest.
Rhythm games in best overall: Beat Saber, Pistol Whip
Audica
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Giving target practice a whole new name (and a theme song)
When Audica was first announced in early 2019, my first thought was, "Sweet! Beat Saber with guns!" Turns out, that's not a really accurate description, as it stands wholly on its own as a game that defines the "rhythm shooter" genre. After all, developer Harmonix is responsible for creating Guitar Hero, Rock Band, Dance Central, and many more music games.
So what makes Audica so good? Think of it as the ultimate target practice game, but one where the targets appear to the beat of dozens of killer songs. Watching the trailer above will give you a cursory glance at just how badass playing Audica will make you feel. That's particularly true of the hardest two difficulty levels, which will challenge not just your speed and your aim, but also your rhythm and your ability to multitask like never before.
The one downside is that Audica hasn't gotten any new official songs in a long time. Luckily, it's similar enough to Osu!, a rhythm game on PC, that somebody made a mod that converts Osu songs to Audica with no need to modify anything. —Nick Sutrich
Rez Infinite
A 20-year-old game that turned out to be perfect for VR
Android Central's team has been a fan of this game for so long that our original Rez Infinite review was for the Google Daydream. Originally a 2001 Dreamcast game, this game has been refreshed for new consoles repeatedly before finding its true calling in VR. This port reuses the same five levels from the original with updated graphics while adding a new Area X level that lets you freely explore the world, built specifically for VR.
This musical rail shooter is more of a relaxing, atmospheric game than most of our other rhythm picks, but that doesn't make experiencing it any less powerful. Over the course of a few hours, the electronic soundtrack gets increasingly intense, and the screen gets filled with color and explosions as you shoot more and more enemies — with the music reacting to your shots.
Launched on the same day as the Quest 2 itself, Rez Infinite takes full advantage of the headset's power and looks marvelous despite being an "old" game. Just make sure you understand this game isn't like Beat Saber and its imitators: It's a transformative VR experience that will last you a few hours in the main campaign, plus more time in Area X, but it doesn't necessarily have replay value. —Michael Hicks
Smash Drums
Air guitar? Nah, it's all about air drums now
To say that Guitar Hero is one of the most influential game series of all time would be a massive understatement. And there's a reason that Guitar Hero was such a pop culture juggernaut for so many years — playing covers of classic rock songs with fake plastic instruments is just plain fun!
Guitar Hero and other games like it might be gone (for now, at least) but there are plenty of VR games to fill the gap. The one that most successfully captures that totally radical rockin' vibe of Guitar Hero is, without a doubt, Smash Drums.
VR means not having to buy and store those expensive plastic controllers, and there are ton of fun visual effects as you drum your way through tunes. Guitar Hero might've tested the dexterity of your fingers but Smash Drums will have you testing your ability to multitask as you jam on your drum kit. It's a blast! - Nick Ransbottom
Synth Riders
Beat Saber's rhythm rival gives you a different kind of workout
You can't help but compare Synth Riders to Beat Saber. Both games have you swipe the Touch controllers at colorful objects to the beat of a large original soundtrack, plus new DLC packs from famous bands. Each song has different difficulty levels, so you can challenge yourself once you master the basics. You must not only move your controllers to the right spots, but also move your whole body to dodge obstacles, giving yourself a whole-body workout.
Don't think of Synth Riders as just a Beat Saber clone. BS is all about swiping your controllers like sabers, faster and faster on harder difficulties. Synth Riders' gameplay is more of a dance, with the game guiding your arms into constant circular motions that make you bob, weave, and turn in circles. It lets you get into a more natural rhythm and lose yourself in the music instead of violently slicing to the beat.
Synth Riders has a dedicated community, thanks in part to its cross-platform multiplayer and its active dev team. You can regularly find other people to compete against in real-time for different songs or join the weekly Saturday Synth Fever dance party. Where other Quest games feel like their devs have already moved on to other things, Synth Riders is one you can count on to get constant improvements and new songs. —Michael Hicks
Unplugged
Giving a whole new meaning to air guitar
As someone who's owned several Guitar Hero games and plastic accessories over the years, I've waited impatiently for a game that would recapture the magic. That game is Unplugged, which takes the colorful-buttons-as-strings concept and uses hand tracking instead of a controller to simulate guitar playing.
The issue with inside-out VR cameras for hand tracking is that these cameras don't have a great angle for seeing what your hands are doing when they're facing away from you. But Unplugged works well because your fingers mirror the grip around a guitar neck, making them easily visible directly in front of the Quest.
Lower difficulties let you get a handle on the controls but don't really match the music. But as you advance to higher levels and learn how to properly hold your fret hand and master cords, you'll feel like you're truly playing along to your classic rock favorites like Free Bird, The Kids Aren't Alright, Spirit in the Sky, and Say It Ain't So. And post-launch DLC added artists like Muse, Slayer, Rob Zombie, and Pantera to the mix.
It's not the kind of rhythm game most VR gamers would be into, but it's the kind of rhythm game that old-time gamers will love.—Michael Hicks
Best Quest 3 & 2 exercise games
According to the Virtual Reality Institute of Health and Exercise, Beat Saber players have burned billions of calories since the game launched, probably without even noticing. VR games have a real scientific advantage to exercise because the total visual distraction and spatial audio combine to keep your mind too occupied to notice how hard it's working. Any random VR game can get you sweating, but these are the best Meta Quest exercise games for people who want to stay fit without stepping outdoors.
Exercise games in best overall: Supernatural
Creed: Rise to Glory
Super Punch Out meets Rocky in VR
Creed: Rise to Glory strikes the sweet spot between the more realistic Thrill of the Fight and the cartoonish Knockout League. As the eponymous boxing phenom played by Michael B. Jordan, you'll enjoy a short campaign where you take on opponents with different skill sets and techniques as you rise to the top. The campaign is relatively short at just a few hours of hard-punching, but you can follow it up with freeplay bouts or PvP matches against online opponents.
We tested our original Creed: Rise to Glory review on the PSVR and Oculus Rift, but the core mechanics that we loved remain unchanged for the portable version. You're guided by Rocky Balboa himself as you learn boxing techniques and wear out your arms on a punching bag, then step into the ring. Unlike games where you just swipe your controllers wildly, this game has a stamina meter that will tire out your character if you throw too many punches — so you need to be strategic. Don't worry. You'll still be incredibly sore after a few matches.
Though we wish the story mode were much longer, it at least succeeds in making you feel like a bonafide boxing star. And when it comes to fighting online opponents, you can choose or play against Rocky franchise boxers like young Balboa, Apollo Creed, and Ivan Drago. These cameos make your fights feel more dramatic like you've stepped into the classic films. —Michael Hicks
FitXR
Boxing and dancing workouts combined into one app
FitXR (the developers) took its former game BoxVR — a challenging boxing workout simulator that we loved — and turned it into FitXR, adding dance workouts and more detailed workout metrics for a more complete app experience. So whether you prefer straightforward punching and weaving or a more natural rhythm experience, FitXR will absolutely get you sweating.
In our FitXR for Oculus Quest 2 review, we had tons of praise for the game's "immersive, futuristic, psychedelic experience"; the mix of motivational rock, dance, hip-hop, and electronic music that'll keep you in the zone; and the detailed statistics. Just keep in mind that if you want to actually track burned calories, invest in one of the best fitness trackers since the in-game calorie counter generally overestimates how many calories you actually burn per workout.
In exchange for a monthly subscription, you get access to fresh daily workouts and new licensed music. Along with boxing and dancing, FitXR added new features like a HIIT Studio, simultaneous "multiplayer" workouts, and a training mode to justify the subscription. For new subscribers, this offers good content for a smaller monthly fee than Supernatural. For those who bought the $30 game and $10 DLC before everything switched to a subscription, you can still access purchased content and received a free 90-day sub-trial. But many still found this change frustrating.
More recently, FitXR received a mixed-reality mode, followed by a great Zumba add-on that makes VR workouts much more exciting. A dedicated workout app that's simultaneously fun and good for your body, FitXR is worth subscribing to if you're serious about indoor fitness. —Michael Hicks
Les Mils XR Dance
Get your groove on without fear of anyone watching.
The name Les Mils is legendary in the home workout scene, so it makes sense that the suite of Les Mils games available on the Meta Quest platform would be worth taking a look at. While Les Mils Body Combat is a great title, we love Les Mils XR Dance because it's different from any other dancing game on the platform.
XR Dance is all about teaching you all different types of dance, from hip-hop to latin, EDM, and just about everything in-between. Real instructors show you how it's done and a clever system of colored trails and markers ensures that you know exactly where to put your hands and feat to get the highest scores.
Plus, once you're comfortable with any given dance, you can show off your skills to the world with the leaderboard. Dancing makes exercising fun, and you're sure to get your fair share of cardio while playing Les Mils XR Dance! —Michael Hicks
Racket: Nx
The best sports game for effortless exercise
For me, dedicated workout or boxing apps can sometimes feel too much like work. Even putting on the Quest 2 can feel like a time commitment. If you're like me, you should find an active sports app that prioritizes fun, with burned calories and sweat as a neat side effect.
In Racket: Nx, you stand in the center of a giant dome and use your racket to bounce a ball against different hexagonal tiles, some of which give you extra points when you hit them. You can ricochet balls across multiple hexes for combo scores if you aim properly, but until you master the controls (or if it's a younger kid playing), you can just have fun hitting the ball over and over and watching the resulting light show. You don't need to be as accurate as in something like a table tennis VR game, and in fact, this is the rare game that'll have you spinning in full circles as you track the ball until you fully lose track of your real-world surroundings.
The main gameplay is single-player, with a campaign and endless mode, but you can also play co-op or versus modes with other Oculus players. While I love the original soundtrack, I also appreciate the option to add my own custom music, which makes me want to spend more time swinging my racket and enjoying my favorite playlists. Simple but endlessly replayable with very accurate controls, Racket: Nx is a must-buy whether you care about VR exercise or not. —Michael Hicks
Underdogs
It's no surprise that the devs behind Racket: Nx followed up with Underdogs, which we called "the best workout app of 2024" despite not being a true "exercise game." Like with that game, the action-packed, arm-swiping gameplay inadvertently helps you burn calories but keeps you so focused on the violent mecha action that you won't feel like you're working out.
Underdogs is a mech brawler/ roguelike with a compelling story that'll have you taking on the mech-fighting world again and again, getting beaten down but slowly improving your skills and upgrades from one run to the next. You move by pulling your mecha along, gorilla style, so you don't get any motion sickness. The art direction is fantastic and the action-packed gameplay is a blast. — Michael Hicks
Best Quest 3 & 2 sports games
Some sports-themed games in VR might be exercise-focused — like Creed with its Endurance Update — while others are created purely to recreate a specific experience in VR. These games are all designed to focus on the experience rather than delivering the intensity that some sports can. Don't be fooled, though; even though these games may not focus on intensity, that doesn't mean you can't get a good workout from a few. Play these by yourself or with friends!
Sports games in best overall: Racket Club, Walkabout Mini Golf
Eleven Table Tennis
It's seriously real table tennis
Eleven is VR table tennis for table tennis enthusiasts. That doesn't mean amateurs like myself won't have fun, though — quite the contrary, actually — as the game truly feels like a realistic representation of the actual sport. Since a paddle weighs pretty close to the same amount as a Touch Plus controller, and a ping pong ball ways basically nothing, the vibrations from the controller felt when the ball hits the paddle feel real.
If that weren't enough, the ball moves and bounces in a way that feels wholly authentic and realistic. Despite the realism, some players might find that they need to adjust the bounciness, spin, or even the throw coefficient to fit their own personal style of play better. It's these bits of customization, complete with the realism of regular play, that makes Eleven Table Tennis stand out from the pack.
Once you've faced off against the best AI in the game — opponents that don't feel robotic or cheap in any way — you can hop online and play against your friends or random players. Just watch out, though, because even professional table tennis players agree this is the real deal, so you might just run into one of them in your online forays. Try playing it at 120Hz for an ultra-smooth, ultra-realistic feel! —Nick Sutrich
GOLF+
The ultimate Golf game, no matter what kind of golf you like.
GOLF+ includes tons of world-famous courses, including Pebble Beach, Pinehurst No. 2, and Valhalla, which will let you feel like a real professional taking on tough holes. And If that isn't enough, the Pro Putt minigolf course lets players take to a full putting course — complete with sand traps and other obstacles — to take their putting game to the next level.
But what if you're not a fan of traditional golf? That's where the Topgolf portion of the game comes in.
If you've ever been to a real-world Topgolf location, you know how much fun it can be. Grab a drink, take a seat, and shoot for the best score with friends or family and have a great night out. But what if you don't have a location near you or don't have anyone close by to play with? The Quest version of Topgolf, now renamed GOLF+, is an incredible recreation of the experience, complete with perfect 8-player multiplayer functionality and even some great hats to wear during the experience.
Just like real-world Topgolf, you'll be hitting golf balls toward a uniquely shaped target that surrounds a traditional golf pin. Play for the best score, or shoot further out to see if you can nail some huge points while still getting close to the pin. Is the experience more about playing golf or hanging out with friends? There's even a YouTube player so that you can goof around between rounds! —Nick Sutrich
NFL Pro Era II
Do you have what it takes to be a star quarterback?
When the first NFL Pro Era was released, it was the first licensed NFL game on the Quest 2, which was a big deal. Football isn't exactly one of the more popular sports to adapt to VR, especially compared to something like tennis. But rather than going the route of the Madden console games, NFL Pro Era plants you firmly in the role of quarterback.
It was a fun but flawed experience. And while NFL Pro Era II might not be perfect, it's definitely an improvement with a lot more polish than it predecessor. What players already liked about the first game is still there but there's a lot more to do. Most notably, there's a new Coach's Confidence mechanic that will let you unlock more play options as you earn confidence points with your coach during games.
More importantly, multiplayer has been properly implemented this time around. The original multiplayer minigame modes are there, but now you can challenge other players to proper head-to-head matches. It gets you one step closer to living out your NFL QB fantasies. - Nick Ransbottom
Nock
Rocket League in VR with bows instead of cars
I've spent years playing Rocket League casually with my partner, and the moment I saw the Nock trailer above, I had a gut feeling developer Normal had a winner on its hands. Turns out that feeling was right: Nock is a fantastic experience that could just as easily fit in the Exercise and Sports categories; be prepared to work yourself into a sweat and rely on teamwork and strategy to win the day.
Nock has a straightforward premise — shoot the ball into the opponent's goal while defending your own — but you'll need to master more than just aiming at a moving target while moving yourself. You'll also need to master movement through the arena and up walls, which can get tiring, as well as figure out how to properly deploy and orient block arrows.
With a ton of replay value for the low price, Nock is undoubtedly one of the best Meta Quest games you can play. —Michael Hicks
Real VR Fishing
A relaxing trip without the long commute
Who wants to wake up before the crack of dawn just to drive somewhere and sit for hours at a time? Not me, that's for sure. While fishing is supposed to be a relaxing way to spend your time, it's hard to think of something less relaxing than getting out of your bed at 4 a.m. on a weekend. That's part of why Real VR Fishing is so darn good. It replicates that feeling of relaxation in environments that look incredibly real. You just won't be able to eat what you catch after you're done.
Real VR Fishing ranks among the most consistently updated games you'll find on the platform. Aside from being one of the very first games to receive big graphics upgrades on the Quest 2 when it launched, the developers have regularly updated it with new areas, new fish, new clothes to wear in the game, and all sorts of other goodies to earn while fishing.
It's also got a really fascinating in-game "tablet" of sorts that lets you browse the web, watch youtube, or even just listen to music on your favorite streaming service while you play. The multiplayer mode means you can hang with your best buds, even if they're far away, and have a great, relaxing fishing session at any time. —Nick Sutrich
