The 8 Best Seated VR Games in 2020

Virtual reality adds a much more physical decision to the usual gaming. This has come in handy especially in an era when most people are stuck at home. VR gaming has given people a fun and engaging way to get in some physical exercise that isn’t dreary or boring.

However, VR gaming doesn’t always have to mean getting up off your feet. Some VR games are perfectly suited for playing in a seated position. After all, not everybody wants to work up a sweat every time they play video games. If you just want to chill on your couch while playing VR games, then here are the best titles for you.

1. Beat Saber

Compatibility: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Valve Index, PlayStation VR

One of the consummate VR games, Beat Saber is a go-to title for people who want to get a quick and fun exercise. Intuitive but challenging, Beat Saber is one of the most accessible games available exclusively in VR which has almost infinite replay factor.

Although you’ve probably seen dozens of videos of people playing Beat Saber while standing up, the thing is that you don’t need to – it plays perfectly well from a seated position! Some may argue that Beat Saber isn’t the kind of game you can relax to, we find that getting “in the zone” and moving your arms to the beat of a song can make you feel like you’re one with the music.

By shutting yourself off from the world and getting lost in the rhythm, you may find that hitting a “zen-like” state in Beat Saber is just as relaxing as kicking back with your favorite book while having a cup of hot tea.

2. Moss

Compatibility: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Valve Index, PlayStation VR

At first glance, Moss might seem like a strange addition to the realm of VR gaming because of t’s action-adventure genre. After all, why play a platformer in VR? However, Moss makes inventive use of the technology by allowing you to interact with the environment in ways that have never been explored with standard monitor-based gaming.

Moss takes you on an adventure with Quill, a young mouse on a mission to save her uncle. You don’t actually play Quill, though. Instead, you take the role of a guiding hand who manipulates the environment to help her on her way.

Moss is a VR game that was specifically designed to be played in a seated position. This does not make the game any less riveting – it’s simply an experience meant to be digested slowly. With a charming main character, an engaging storyline, and brilliant puzzles, Moss is probably the most relaxing VR game meant to be played sitting down.

3. Robo Recall

Compatibility: Oculus Rift

When you’ve had a bad day, sometimes you just need to let loose. What better way than to shoot down a seemingly endless horde of homicidal robots? Robo Recall is an Oculus-exclusive first-person shooter that puts you in the shoes of Agent 34 whose duty is to remove defective robots in a world that has been absolutely populated by them.

Action-packed and aggressive, Robo Recall gives you an array of weapons to deal with the robots. You can also grab the weapons of your enemies and use them yourself. For a more “hands-on” approach, you can even go up close and personal and simply tear them apart with your hands. In many ways, Robo Recall is the perfect medium for releasing your pent-up aggression.

Despite the fast-paced gameplay, Robo Recall can be played completely seated. Movement in the game can be done via the thumbsticks of the Oculus Touch controller. More important is the ability to aim accurately and grab things from mid-air. Robo Recall is proof that a fast-paced action-based VR game does not need to be played while moving around. Just sitting back on your good old couch will do just fine.

4. I Expect You to Die

Compatibility: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, PlayStation VR

I Expect You to Die is perfect for the puzzle-lover who is stuck at home. Taking on the role of a secret agent, I Expect You to Die places you in a variety of dangerous situations that you need to escape from. Think of them as virtual escape rooms. Each environment has been painstakingly designed to offer the highest level of interaction. You may even find yourself replaying levels over and over to get the best times.

The great thing about I Expect You to Die is that there are usually several ways to handle a problem. Triggered an alarm? You can either cut the wires that power the alarm or find a security card that can deactivate it. Finding all these different solutions, all of which make sense in hindsight, is part of the challenge.

Though the levels of I Expect You to Die are highly interactive, you don’t really do much moving around. This makes this title perfect for VR gaming sessions on the couch. If solving puzzles is your thing, then this game might be your idea of a relaxing gaming night.

5. Star Trek: Bridge Crew

Compatibility: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Valve Index, PlayStation VR

For the pop culture geek nerds, we present the landmark VR game, Star Trek: Bridge Crew. This game places you in one of the four roles aboard the USS Aegis as they explore new worlds in a mission to find a home planet for the Vulcans. It’s the perfect VR game for the Star Trek fan.

One thing that bears mentioning about Bridge Crew is that it’s meant to be played in multiplayer. Once you have a four-player team, each player takes one of the roles, with each one having a specific duty to perform. To survive and get through the campaign, your team will have to communicate and work well with each other.

With brilliant gameplay that combines puzzles, fast-paced action, and teamwork, Star Trek: Bridge Crew is a great VR title to get together with your nerdy friends (albeit in a virtual environment). Once you’re done with the campaign, you can jump back in on any of the game’s procedurally generated levels. It’s a new experience every time, and one you don’t even have to stand up for.

6. Elite Dangerous

Compatibility: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Valve Index

Elite Dangerous is a game that mashes up several interesting genres – it’s a flight simulation game set in space that is also a massive multiplayer platform. If that doesn’t excite you, then it’s port to VR should at least elicit an interest. Elite Dangerous is one of the rare games that are truly unique.

Combining exploration, action, and strategy, Elite Dangerous places you in the cockpit of one of only thousands of players commandeering their own spaceships. The game’s motto is for you to “blaze your own trail” and that is exactly what you are prodded to do. You can join any of three factions, explore distant galaxies, hunt for bounties, or simply trade resources. Any money you earn can be used to upgrade your ship so you can take on even more challenging tasks.

The MMO environment adds another layer of complexity to this already rich game. You can form factions with your friends, hunt down other players, or just fly around the vastness of space with strangers. This is the kind of game you can play over several weeks and is the perfect de-stressor for a mind and soul that longs for exploration.

7. Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted

Compatibility: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Valve Index, PlayStation VR

We know we said that we’re listing games that you can relax with, but we know more than a few people who really get a kick out of playing horror games in VR. That said, there are few horror VR games as recognizable as Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted.

A surprise hit of the last few years, the Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise puts you in the shoes of a nighttime employee tasked with guard duties at the Freddy’s Restaurant. There’s a huge caveat, though. At night, the animatronic mascots of the restaurant come to life and take on a decidedly homicidal demeanor. It is then your job to survive for five nights through a series of puzzles, most of which you’ll have to solve quickly.

The VR entry of the franchise ups the terror factor by giving you a scale of the murderous mascots. They are huge and can easily take up most of your screen when they pop up. If anything, this increased fear factor gives you an incentive to do better. Unfortunately, the highly interactive environment also makes the puzzles a lot more complicated.

Five Nights at Freddy’s is one of the proverbial VR horror games which should satisfy any fan of the genre. It’s best enjoyed seated, lest you run away in terror.

8. Rec Room

Compatibility: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Valve Index, PlayStation VR

While Rec Room has been a staple of many of our VR games lists, there’s simply no way that we can leave it out of this one. Rec Room is the ultimate relaxation game. Calling it a game might even be doing it an injustice, as Rec Room is much more than that.

The Rec Room is a virtual world that offers a host of user-made experiences that you can enjoy with your friends or with strangers. Yes, there are few pre-built mini-games but the bulk of the world’s content has been generated by the users over the years. With an active community of players and regular updates from the developers, Rec Room offers a virtually infinite array of ways to enjoy.

If you’re not up to playing silly games, then you can just hang out in the park and chat with your friends or meet strangers. Given how many of us are stuck in our homes, Rec Room might just be the best way to connect nowadays. VR doesn’t always have to be about shooting guns or throwing things around in fits of rage. Sometimes it’s about putting your feet up and kicking back – both in the physical and virtual worlds.

Final thoughts

While there are gamers who play video games to get an adrenaline rush, there are also gamers at the opposite end of the spectrum – those who just want to play games to relax. VR gaming may seem intense, but it has no shortage of relaxing VR experiences. Of course, seated down is the best way to relax when playing in VR.

These VR games don’t require much of you in terms of physical movement. Of course, you’ll still be moving those handheld controllers around, but at least you can have a gaming session without having to clear space in your living room.