UploadVR’s 2025 Awards: Best VR Games, Hardware & 2026 Picks
▼ Summary
– Walkabout Mini Golf is named Best Virtual Place 2025, having evolved from a game into a primary social hub in VR with expansive, interactive courses.
– VitruviusVR wins Best VR Developer for its work on Arken Age, praised for its exemplary VR-first design across multiple platforms.
– The Meta Neural Band, included with Meta Ray-Ban Display, wins Best New Hardware for making practical, comfortable control of smart glasses via sEMG technology.
– Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked is awarded Best New Multiplayer Game, serving as a strong VR tabletop option that also includes flatscreen players.
– Arken Age is crowned VR Game of the Year 2025 for its standout VR-focused design, while Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Empire City is named the Most Anticipated Game of 2026.
As we close the chapter on 2025, the virtual and extended reality landscape continues to impress with groundbreaking software and innovative hardware. This final round of awards celebrates the standout achievements that defined the year, from immersive virtual destinations to the most anticipated projects on the horizon.
Walkabout Mini Golf earns the title of Best Virtual Place for 2025. What began as a straightforward mini-golf simulation has organically evolved into a vibrant social hub. The development team at Mighty Coconut has masterfully expanded the experience, transforming beautifully themed courses into rich, explorable worlds. This year saw the addition of spectacular environments, from the grandeur of Mount Olympus to a whimsical Tokyo filled with adorable cats. Beyond putting, these spaces now host hidden activities like chess and slingshots, encouraging players to linger and discover new secrets. The developers are already laying the groundwork for content stretching into 2027, cementing its role as a foundational VR community space that other studios are beginning to emulate.
For Best VR Developer, the award goes to VitruviusVR for their exceptional work on Arken Age. While other studios delivered consistent quality, VitruviusVR distinguished itself by creating a title that not only exemplifies brilliant VR-first design but also leverages the unique capabilities of each platform it graces. Their action-adventure stands as a testament to focused, platform-aware development, resulting in a game that feels perfectly tailored whether played on PlayStation VR2, Quest, or PC VR.
The Best New Hardware award for 2025 is presented to the Meta Neural Band. This sleek wristband represents a significant leap in practical, wearable input technology. Utilizing surface electromyography (sEMG), it detects subtle muscle movements, allowing for intuitive control of compatible devices like the Meta Ray-Ban Display. Its design prioritizes all-day comfort with impressive battery life and water resistance, offering a discreet and reliable alternative to voice commands or more cumbersome gesture controls. This innovation makes interacting with augmented reality interfaces feel seamless and natural.
In the realm of social play, Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked is crowned Best New Multiplayer Game. Resolution Games successfully merged its popular tabletop-inspired VR title with the iconic D&D universe, creating a deeply engaging cooperative experience. It captures the spirit of a real-life campaign with impressive fidelity, offering cross-play support so friends without VR headsets can still join the adventure. It stands out in a year filled with strong multiplayer options by delivering a polished, accessible, and wonderfully social fantasy showdown.
The prestigious VR Game of the Year honor for 2025 is awarded to Arken Age. In a year overflowing with remarkable releases across all platforms, VitruviusVR’s sci-fi adventure rose to the top. It delivers a masterclass in VR-centric design, featuring inventive mechanics, rewarding combat, and a vibrant world that feels built from the ground up for immersive interaction. Its ability to shine brilliantly on every major headset platform makes it a definitive title that showcases the very best of what virtual reality gaming can achieve.
Looking ahead, our selection for the Most Anticipated Game of 2026 is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Empire City. This action-adventure title promises both solo and four-player cooperative gameplay, bringing the beloved heroes in a half-shell into VR. Early glimpses suggest Cortopia Studios is crafting an experience that leverages the strengths of modern hardware like Quest 3 and PC VR. The potential to explore and battle through a virtual Empire City with friends has positioned this adaptation as the standout title to watch in the coming year.
(Source: Upload VR)
