The Evolution of VR Gaming
In his weekly column, Android Central Senior Content Producer Nick Sutrich delves into all things VR, from new hardware to new games, upcoming technologies, and so much more.
When Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook bought Oculus back in 2014, the company billed VR as “a strong candidate to emerge as the next social and communications platform.” Seven years later, in 2021, Facebook rebranded to Meta in an effort to become the de facto metaverse leader.
In the five years since then, a lot has changed at Meta, but one thing is clear: the original vision of VR as the next social and communications platform is becoming a reality, even if the path to get there looks very different from what was expected.
Meta Quest gamers every month. Gorilla Tag began the movement in February 2021, and no one at the time had any idea how it would fundamentally transform VR in just a few short years.
The Rise of Social-First VR Games
At a 2026 GDC panel, the studio helped explain what made Ug VR the success it has become and how VR is different from what seemingly everyone thought. It’s a powerful example of how each medium has its own draws, and how the same kinds of games that work on a TV-mounted console don’t work on a head-mounted VR system.
Ironically, all of the biggest VR games these days follow the advice Andrew Eiche laid out when I interviewed him a few years ago. Eiche is the CEO of Owlchemy Games, creator of VR classics like Job Simulator and Vacation Simulator, and those games all follow the idea of letting you roleplay without letting exposition get in the way.
The Success of Social VR Games
In addition, the most successful VR games in 2026 are almost exclusively designed to enable players to create and share content on the world’s most popular social media platforms. From YouTube Shorts to TikTok, these games’ videos amass millions of views and have created real success for the people playing them and having fun making content.
For a few years, anything that looked or moved like Gorilla Tag was hastily referred to as a Gorilla Tag clone, but players have learned that this label is simply incorrect.
Scary Baboon: A Popular Social VR Game
Scary Baboon, one of the most popular social VR games today, blends familiar Gorilla Tag mechanics with horror-lite elements that fans of similar games love.
The studio has expanded Scary Baboon recently with new co-op experiences that let players work together to solve problems, fight monsters, and explore the world. The key here is that players aren’t fighting each other; they’re working together to survive, and it’s this concept that has also spawned the “friendslop” genre.
Community-Driven VR Gaming
“Our audience would rather play with their friends than against them,” Joyce told me. This focus on community feedback and player involvement has been a key factor in the success of games like Scary Baboon and Animal Company.
Unsurprisingly, Ug VR’s creators say “our success comes from knowing what entertains our players and from engaging with the community.” It’s a very different model from what has made games successful in the past, particularly because of the speed and voracity at which the community consumes and shares content.
It’s taken a solid decade of learning and growing, but it’s become clear that VR games do best when socializing or role-playing are the core experience. Players who embrace this change will find a unique, engaging experience that’s truly different from what’s available on any other video game medium.
