Update: Since this list was originally published we’ve continued internal discussions (while also considering feedback from the community) and decided to make a few updates. LA Noire is out now and has been added to a handful of the categories, Raw Data was added to the list for Best Multiplayer, and we’ve also included both VRChat and High Fidelity to the list for Best Social.

Stay tuned for the winner announcements later this week!

Original: This has been one busy year for the virtual reality industry. As the first full calendar year of consumer-grade virtual reality we’ve got a lot to digest. From consistently great new game releases, inventive and creative tools, to the gripping, emotional experiences that pulled at our heart strings, there has truly been something for everyone this year so picking our best of the year nominations wasn’t easy.

Whether you prefer the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, PlayStation VR (PSVR), Gear VR, Daydream, or something else all together, VR is here to stay. To commemorate such an amazing year, we’ve put together a few lists of nominations for some of the biggest and most important categories that we could think of.

This list of nominations is not set in stone and if new experiences launch over the next week that deserve inclusion on the list we will certainly consider adding them. Next week we plan to host a livestreamed discussion in which we’ll make arguments for our favorites in each category and will plan to have a full, finalized winner list by the end of next week, which is December 21st.

And also take note that the featured image for each section is chosen based on the first game/app listed in alphabetical order. It’s not meant to be an indication of which app is most likely to be selected as the winner. Now without further ado, let’s get to the list of nominations!

Best VR Hardware

If 2016 was the year of VR hardware, then 2017 was definitely the year of VR software. We didn’t see any major new hardware releases this year and instead got some small, incremental upgrade and a few stand out peripherals.

Nominees:

Deluxe Audio Strap for HTC Vive

Samsung Odyssey Windows VR Headset

Pixel 2 / Daydream View

PS Aim Controller

TPCast Wireless VR Accessory

Vive Tracker

Best PSVR Game

Out of the three major headsets the PSVR arguably had the best overall year from a pure quality of content perspective. It has a fantastic library of awesome games and already has a major slate of new releases coming in 2018. Check out our list of the best PSVR games for more suggestions, but this is our short list of the best new releases this year on the platform.

Nominees:

Arizona Sunshine

Farpoint

Invisible Hours

Resident Evil 7: biohazard

Superhot VR

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR

Best Oculus Rift Game

Going into the year we had high hopes for the Oculus Rift and it didn’t disappoint. With a new Oculus Studios title each month to sink our teeth into the Facebook-owned VR giant was hard at work releasing quality content on a consistent basis. It was hard narrowing down the list, but we’ve got a solid collection of apps to pick from this year. And don’t forget to check out our best Rift game list for more.

Nominees:

From Other Suns

Lone Echo/Echo Arena

Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality

The Gallery: Episode 2 – Heart of the Emberstone

The Mage’s Tale

Wilson’s Heart

Best HTC Vive Game

There haven’t been a lot of big tent pole releases for the HTC Vive this year on either Viveport or Steam, but the last few months have been stronger with releases from Bethesda and a handful of smaller developers. Regardless of your VR platform of choice it’s a good time to be a VR gamer and this list of best Vive game nominees proves that. You can see more of our favorite Vive games here as well.

Nominees:

Fallout 4 VR

Form

LA Noire: The VR Case Files

Project CARS 2

Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality

The Gallery: Episode 2 – Heart of the Emberstone

Best Windows VR Game

The Windows VR (also referred to as Windows Mixed Reality) ecosystem is the newest one on the market and it’s still growing. All of its major titles were also previously released on other platforms or are ports of SteamVR titles, but it’s still a good entry-level VR platform if you can’t handle the more expensive devices or don’t want external trackers.

Nominees:

Arizona Sunshine

Form

Space Pirate Trainer

Superhot VR

Best Mobile VR Game

Between the Samsung Gear VR and Google Daydream mobile VR gamers were not at a loss for content this year. While the spotlight may have shifted to the bigger, more powerful units that doesn’t mean mobile VR platformers were forgotten. There were some really solid, innovative, and inspiring experiences on the smaller headsets too.

Nominees:

Augmented Empire

Eclipse: Edge of Light

Lola and the Giant

Rez Infinite

Skylight

Best Story Experience

Not every good VR app is a game, though. We wanted to use this category to highlight some of our favorite narrative-based non-game VR experiences that anyone can enjoy without gaming chops. It’s hard to really pick a favorite from this list because they’re all so moving in unique ways, so we absolutely recommend checking them all out if you can.

Nominees:

Dear Angelica

Dispatch

If Not Love

Melita

Miyubi

So Let Us Melt

Best Visuals

Since VR headsets are still trying to catch up to flat interfaces like computer monitors and 4K TV screens nothing in VR is going to look as good as its non-VR counterparts. But that being said, the nominated apps do an amazing job of taking advantage of what they have access to. Check these out if you want your jaw to drop in awe of some amazing visual splendor.

Nominees:

Arktika.1

LA Noire: The VR Case Files

Lone Echo/Echo Arena

Project CARS 2

Robo Recall

The Gallery: Episode 2 – Heart of the Emberstone

Wilson’s Heart

Most Immersive Experience

What makes VR so powerful as a medium is how it can really make the user feel truly immersed in a completely new world. That sense of presence is magical when captured correctly and these are a few of the experiences we thought did the best job of really making us feel like we’re part of fantastical (or terrifying) new worlds.

Nominees:

Duck Season

Echo Grotto

Lone Echo

PS Aim Controller

Star Trek: Bridge Crew

The Void

Best Multiplayer VR Game

There is a common misconception that VR experiences are necessarily isolating. People believe that if you put on a VR headset, you’re cut off from the world and can’t interact with other people at all. However, these VR games prove that’s not entirely true. If you want to enjoy immersive digital worlds with others, these are some of the year’s best new ways to do so with VR games.

Nominees:

Echo Arena

From Other Suns

Raw Data

Sparc

Star Trek: Bridge Crew

Best Social Experience

But not all multiplayer VR experiences are strictly games. These apps are more about social interactivity, artistry, connection, and communication. Some of them may enable or include games, but at the core of each of these experiences is the underlying concept of bringing people together with the power of VR. Since social experiences are always evolving as well, we’ve included some Early Access titles unlike in most other categories.

Nominees:

Bigscreen

Facebook Spaces

High Fidelity

Mindshow

Rec Room

VRChat

Most Innovative Experience

Since VR is such a groundbreaking new medium for entertainment we established a category that’s all about recognizing the most innovative experiences around. These apps may do amazing things we haven’t seen before or redefine previously accepted conventions. If you’re looking for ways that VR can fundamentally change how we interact with digital spaces, then these are the apps to keep an eye on. Since these innovative VR experiences are always evolving as well, we’ve included some Early Access titles unlike in most other categories.

Nominees:

Blocks

Exa: The Infinite Instrument

Invisible Hours

Lone Echo/Echo Arena

Mindshow

Statik

Wilson’s Heart

Best Creative App

VR is such a complex space to get involved in. If you’re not already an established, seasoned developer with game engine experience or 3D art as a background it can be tough to even know where to start. That’s where these creative apps come into play. Using these amazing tools you can get started, right now, creating your own content and art inside VR. Since creative apps are always evolving as well, we’ve included some Early Access titles unlike in most other categories.

Nominees:

Blocks

Exa: The Infinite Instrument

Gravity Sketch

Masterpiece VR

Mindshow

Best Developer of the Year

This category was tricky to narrow down. At first we’re inclined to just nominate all of the developers that have games featured in other categories, but it’s not that simple. We want to recognize developers that have made profound, robust, and/or far-reaching contributions to the industry this year — not just the ones that made a good game or two.

Nominees:

Bethesda

Cloudhead Games

Croteam

Google

Oculus Story Studio

Ready At Dawn

Most Anticipated VR Game of 2018

There are a lot of great VR games on the horizon. In fact, we’ve got an entire list coming later this year that’s entirely focused on upcoming VR games we can’t wait to play, but we had to narrow things down for this nominee category.

Nominees:

Budget Cuts

Echo Combat

Firewall: Zero Hour

MARVEL Powers United VR

The Inpatient

Valve VR Games

Wipeout VR

Best Overall VR Game of the Year

This is the big one. After going through all of the VR games we played and reviewed this year there were a ton of really, really good ones to pick from. Just look at this list of nominees — all of them are fantastic titles that we can’t recommend enough. But which one is, according to us, the very best of the year?

You’ll have to check back next week to find out!

Nominees:

Form

Invisible Hours

Lone Echo/Echo Arena

Resident Evil 7: biohazard

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR

The Gallery: Episode 2 – Heart of the Emberstone