These PSVR 2 demos and game trials are must-plays if you recently picked up Sony's latest VR headset

If you’re like me, you finally picked up a PSVR 2 over the last few months, and hopefully you managed to get a great deal on it as well. I’d been holding off for years, but as the price finally dropped down to its lowest ever, I bit the bullet, spent just under £300, and in no time at all, I was setting up my shiny new headset.

Then came the usual frustration that new consoles and hardware bring – I had to spend even more money to have anything to play on the damned thing. Thankfully, there are free demos, and a handful of PS Plus Game Trials available for some of the best PSVR 2 games.

PlayStation doesn’t do a great job of telling you that yes, the PSVR 2 does have demos for PS Plus Premium subscribers, though admittedly it’s frustrating that there aren’t bespoke demo collections for the PSVR 2 like there were for the original PlayStation VR headset.

Still, here are five demos to try out as soon as you’ve set up your new headset. Most of these are offered as part of PS Plus Premium, so make use of any free trials you can. The first game below doesn’t require PS Plus to play, however, and it’s the one that’s got the most meat on the bone. Let’s get started.

My First Gran Turismo

Starting off with perhaps the most essential game to download on PSVR 2 once you have things set up is My First Gran Turismo. Now, while this is technically a demo for Gran Turismo 7, it’s kind of its own thing. You’ll work through some training and license testing, getting a feel for VR racing before working up to full races. There’s easily a few hours of content here, and you can replay races or just drive in practice mode.

Gran Turismo 7 is one of the best PSVR 2 games, and this is a free way to try it out, no strings attached. Personally, I hadn’t played a Gran Turismo game since the PS2 days, and racing games in VR have been hit or miss for me so far. My First Gran Turismo was the most comfortable, informative, and downright thrilling PSVR 2 game I’ve played yet, and it absolutely sold me on picking up Gran Turismo 7. You can even unlock 18 cars that can be carried over into the full game. You do not need a PS Plus subscription for this one.

Moss Book 2

There’s a PS Plus Game Trial available for both Moss and Moss Book 2. You get 30 minutes for each, and get to experience a very unique kind of PSVR 2 game. These are puzzle platformers, and they’re both brilliant. Seeing how VR can transform a genre that’s been around for decades at this point is wonderful, and Moss is the perfect starter game to get comfortable with VR gaming.

You’ll help a tiny mouse traverse intricately designed dioramas, solving puzzles while witnessing a true storybook tale unfold right before your eyes. You’ll need PS Plus Premium to access Game Trials, but it’s well worth it, as you’ll get a handful of games to try out before you pull the trigger on any full purchases.

Arizona Sunshine 2

Both Arizona Sunshine games have Game Trials available for PS Plus Premium members, and I recommend loading up Arizona Sunshine 2 and trying out the PSVR 2 Sense controllers in action. The introduction to this one is brilliant, as you get to use a whole host of weapons, climb across gaps, and even pet a dog. Arizona Sunshine 2 is a bright and silly take on the zombie genre, and one that really starts off strong.

What I love about the opening of Arizona Sunshine 2 is that it showcases the new controller technology unique to the PSVR 2. You have full control over reloading, throwing grenades, and more. There’s a bunch of comfort options too, allowing you to try out the differences between teleport movements and smoother aiming schemes.

Lumines Arise

Lumines Arise comes from the developers of Tetris Effect, and it’s similarly enhanced by PSVR 2. It’s hard to describe just how engaging playing Lumines in VR really is, as you can easily enter a flow state without even realizing. Puzzles pulse and pound in time to an energetic soundtrack, and the visuals are some of the best you’ll find on the platform.

Given that Lumines Arise is a puzzle game, there’s very little chance for motion sickness to rear its ugly head. Just sit back and relax, as the world around you evolves and transforms as you play. Lumines Arise is available as a PS Plus Game Trial for Premium subscribers.

Metro Awakening

Metro Awakening will leave you shaking in your boots, though it’s much more of an action-focused game than straight up horror. The Metro series excels at building a detailed and believable world, and getting to step into it in VR is thrilling. You won’t see much action in the first 30 minutes of Metro Awakening, but it is a great introduction that really drops you into a grounded and visually stunning environment.

If you have PS Plus Premium, then give Metro Awakening’s Game Trial a go. The visual effects for fire are particularly impressive, as is the fact that you can see dust in the air, and insects crawling in the darkness.

It’s also worth noting that many games have free PSVR 2 versions, modes and updates. Resident Evil 7, Resident Evil Village, and Resident Evil 4 Remake all have dedicated VR versions at no extra cost, and they’re easily the best horror games on the platform. Hitman: World of Assassination has a VR pack that’s around $10 / £10 extra provided you have the game, and that one gets you three games’ worth of content, completely playable in VR.

Finally, No Man’s Sky is still going strong, and it can be fully experienced in PSVR 2. Go through your existing library and see what PSVR 2 functionality is available. I’d wager that you already own some PSVR 2 games.

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