
The Best Flat Games Transformed into Must-Play VR Experiences
There have been a lot of good VR games developed and released since the first Oculus Rift DK1 released way back in 2016. The niche has really developed into its own and now boasts a library full of all types of games.
But for the VR community that isn’t enough, because there are 1000’s of old flat games that just needed to be converted to VR. The problem? The publishers and developers did not see a financial incentive to port them over to VR headsets. So the mod community has been hard at work and has been converting some classics over to VR themselves.
Not all of these conversions are equal in quality, but some of them are absolute gems that you really need to experience for yourself. So what are the best flat games that have been modded to VR.

Half Life 2
This had to be number one on the list, no other VR conversion comes close. After Half Life Alyx was released by Valve, fans of the series were desperate to play this classic in VR too. And it works, it works really well. Almost to the point where it is comparable in quality to Half Life Alyx.
The graphics of this 20 year old game (I feel old now), still hold up too. City 17 looks fantastic in VR, the oppressive city’s gloomy atmosphere has never felt so effective as it does here.
The gunplay still feels great, as does taking out those annoying bladed drones with a crowbar. But it is the little touches where Source VR Mod Team went the extra mile that really sell this conversion. It includes little additions, like the gravity gloves from Alyx to help you pick up items, manual gun reloads and even an overhauled UI that is more suitable for VR than the one in the original game.
If there is only one game on this list that you absolutely need to try in VR, it is beyond doubt that Half Life 2 is that game.

Half Life 1 (Quest only)
OK unlike the others games on the list, this one doesn’t run on PC, it’s just for the Quest headsets. But the Lambda1VR is an incredible conversion of a classic game that needs to be played if you have a Quest headset.
Half Life 1 is absolutely showing its age in terms of visuals these days, but the story is so compelling that it is still essential playing. Especially if you intend on playing the Half Life 2 VR mod mentioned above.
The game runs really well too, feeling like it was built from the ground up for VR. It features full motion controls, which enhances the gameplay a lot.
If you haven’t ever played the original Half Life, and are lucky enough to own a Meta Quest, you owe it to yourself to try this one out.

Resident Evil 2, 3, 7 and Village
Resident Evil 7 and 8 never got official VR modes like the PSVR versions did, but that is not an issue as the mod community were quick to port them over, along with Resident evil 2 and 3.
Obviously as Resident Evil 7 and Village got official VR modes, they work really well in this medium. But Resident Evil 2 and 3 work just as well and feel like they were made for VR.
You get a lot of variety with these games too, ranging from pure terror of Resident Evil 7, to the more action focused Resident Evil Village. Each game has full 6DOF and motion controls, and they are enhanced by being in VR. The terror is amped up when you play it in a headset, especially in Resident Evil 7.

DOOM 3
I’m going to mention it a lot of times in this list but Team Beef are wizards when it comes to converting flat games to VR. And Doom 3 may be the best of their VR conversions. This one isn’t just on PC, it even runs standalone on the Quest headsets too.
Doom 3 is a game that feels like it was made for VR, even if it was originally made when VR was a distant pipe dream. But it translates perfectly to this medium. The game has never felt so claustrophobic and terrifying as it does here. The changes from the original like putting the flashlight in your left hand and the gun in your right really enhances the gameplay too, making it even more tense.
It looks great too, even though this is not an official port, it is one of the best looking standalone VR shooters available. The performance is solid and graphics are impressive.
You should give Doom 3’s VR mod a chance.

Portal 2
Like most games on this list, Portal 2 is amazing even as a flat game, but it works so well in this VR conversion you would think it was an official release.
Due to the nature of Portal 2 you might think that it would make you sick within minutes, and if you are new to VR that probably is true. But the mod has been made so well that I was thankfully vomit free during my time with the mod.
It also looks amazing, Aperture Science Labs has never looked as good as it does here.
If you have the VR legs for it, you owe it to yourself to give Portal 2 a go.

Outer Wilds
I loved the flat version of Outer Wilds. Everything about it was sheer class, the setting, the gameplay, the premise and the mystery all worked so well. And that all holds true for the VR conversion of this game too.
Everything works so well in VR in this game that it almost ruins the flat version for you after you play it. The planets feel huge at times, and at other times the claustrophobia hits you hard, and at other lovely moments it just feels really cosy. You really get a sense of the scale of the solar system when you play this way.
The best part is flying the spaceship though, even in the original I think Outer Wilds did the best job of making you feel like you are actually flying a spaceship through the void of space. But in VR it nails that feeling more than ever.
Outer Wilds VR mod is easy to set up and start playing. Be warned though, once you play it this way, you won’t want to ever go back to the flat version.

Star Wars Jedi Outcast (standalone too)
This one makes me all nostalgic, I kind of forgot Jedi Outcast even existed until I heard Team Beef had made a VR port for it. I spent so many countless hours playing this game on my old desktop back in the late nineties as a child. No other game really conveyed that feeling of being a Jedi as well as Jedi Outcast did.
Now thanks to Team Beef you can play it all in VR, and in standalone too. And it all translates really well to the medium.
The game still holds up surprisingly well too. Sure it does have all the hallmarks of a nineties shooter, with linear corridors and simplistic enemy AI. But the shooting still feels satisfying, the environments do a great job of making you feel like you are in the Star Wars universe. But most importantly, using a lightsaber and the force feels utterly fantastic, and the game being in VR only adds to that feeling.

Alien Isolation
Alien Isolation was one of the first games to get a VR conversion mod, and it still holds up really well. The flat version was terrifying enough, you spend the entire game being stalked by a single Xenomorph who has some of the most convincing AI I have ever seen in a game. It uses this terrifying beast to create some of the scariest moments you will ever experience in a videogame.
Hiding in lockers, crawling in corridors, never knowing when the Alien is going to pop out and murder you is so tense. Now imagine you are doing that in full VR and it almost becomes unbearable, but brilliant at the same time.
Admittedly you really need a controller to play this game properly, but seeing as gunplay doesn’t play a huge role in this game that is not a huge problem.
The good news however is that unlike most VR conversions, Alien Isolation doesn’t require a monster rig to run well. Due to its age it won’t turn your graphics card into the sun.

Vivecraft
Why doesn’t Minecraft have a VR mod? OK that’s not fair, there is one official conversion, but that was released for the Samsung Gear VR headsets and it feels archaic. But apart from that there is nothing, which is bizarre because the game is screaming for a conversion.
But that’s OK because the mod community went ahead and made a perfect conversion to VR anyway and it runs great.
So now you can create and explore your worlds in full room scale VR which just makes them so much more impressive, the mountains tower over you and the dark caves have never felt so scary.
It also has full mod support which I recommend as that can give you full motion controls. If your computer can run it, you can really enhance the graphics too and make the game absolutely stunning.
Just be careful you don’t lose yourself in this one.

GTA 5
This one might be controversial but seeing as it is GTA 5 I couldn’t not include it in this list. The GTA 5 Luke Ross mode converts the game into VR pretty well, albeit without the full motion controls.
Exploring a city like Los Santos in VR is an experience I will never forget. This city is unlike any other in any videogame ever, it feels real, enormous and alive. And its all here, the shootouts, the chases, the amazing missions, all playable in VR.
I will admit though this mod is not near the quality of the other conversions on this list. The Luke Ross mod is sometimes an awkward way to play the game but that is not the fault of the developer, it’s just due to Rockstar’s weird hesitancy to allow anyone to make their games playable in VR.
This means you don’t get motion controls and aim with your head. And you need a powerful PC to run the game properly as you get a strange double vision if the refresh rate is not extremely high.
But it still stays on this list as GTA 5 is such an amazing game to play, playing it in VR even with these concessions it is worth trying out.
The world of VR modding has unlocked the potential of classic flat games, breathing new life into them and offering players an immersive experience unlike anything else. From iconic titles like Half-Life 2 and Resident Evil to nostalgic gems like Star Wars Jedi Outcast and Doom 3, these mods showcase the incredible dedication of the VR community. While not all conversions are perfect, the best mods prove that VR is the ultimate way to experience these beloved games, offering new depth and intensity that makes them feel fresh all over again. If you’re a VR enthusiast, these modded games are must-plays.