Fancy a trip to the moon, the bottom of the sea, an Ancient Egyptian tomb, or the deck of a pirate ship, but don’t have a spaceship, the time, budget, or TARDIS? Worry not. Even the most ancient history is available to explore in vivid, lifelike detail – if you know where to look. Some of the most fascinating, educational, and thought-provoking experiences on VR involve bringing history to life in meticulous detail. Developers in the VR space are increasingly offering users the opportunity to step into the shoes of characters from history, in locations that have been painstakingly researched, mapped, and rendered. The result is an exciting, accessible, educational new frontier within the VR experience. From swimming among the ruins of the Titanic to traversing the moonlit decks of a 19th-century pirate ship, there are a host of historically accurate games to enjoy. Here’s our pick of 8 of the best.
Have you ever wanted to go to space? You’re in luck.
The brainchild of Immersive VR Education Ltd., ‘Apollo 11 VR’ recreates the seismic events of July 1969, the American spaceflight that first saw humans land and walk on the moon. In what’s certainly not just one small step for VR, the team have combined original archive audio and video with detailed recreations of the spacecraft and locations, all against a heart-racing score.
Taking off at the Kennedy Space Center, leaving the earth’s orbit, flying the command module, docking with the LEM, orbiting the moon, and eventually touching down in the Sea of Tranquility are just a few of the events you can expect during this thrilling VR experience. Available on SteamVR or Oculus PC here.
2. Nefertari: Journey to Eternity
Along with the Valley of the Kings and Thebes, the Valley of the Queens was recognized on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979 – and for good reason.
The stunning site is home to the burial grounds of queens, princes, princesses, and other high-ranking officials from Ancient Egypt’s 19th and 20th dynasties (1292–1075 BC). Within the Valley of the Queens lies the spectacularly preserved Queen Nefertari’s tomb, which has been stunningly digitally scanned by developers Experius VR and published by Curiosity Stream to give an insight into the ancient Egyptians’ funereal customs and journey into the afterlife. Players can step into Nefertari’s tomb, which has been scanned down to the millimetre, and learn about the story of its construction as well as the artwork and mythology that adorns and surrounds it.
Though a short experience – looking in detail takes around 15 minutes – it’s well worth the fascinating glimpse into how our distant ancestors lived – and died. Check it out for SteamVR here.
3. VersaillesVR | the Palace is yours
Could this be the closest thing to being in Sofia Coppola’s ‘Marie Antoinette’? Quite possibly – Google Arts and Culture, makemepulse, and the Château de Versailles have brought one of France’s most iconic buildings to life, The Palace of Versailles, in rich and stunning detail.
Wander through the corridors of Louis XIV’s architectural and artistic jewel, complete with interactive paintings, tapestries, sculptures, ceilings, and furniture within reach, for an educational and immersive experience like no other. Visit the King and Queen’s State Apartments, climb onto the stage in the Royal Opera House, and look at the stunningly carved high altar in the Royal Chapel. As an added bonus, switch over to night mode to explore the palace by the light of chimney fire alone.
Check it out here.
During the Blitz in 1943, a BBC reporter accompanied the crew of a Lancaster Bomber in an allied bombing raid over Berlin. The audio, which was recorded within the plane at the time, provides a searing insight into the conditions that soldiers and civilians alike experienced during the Second World War.
Developed by BBC Northern Ireland and Immersive VR Education, ‘1943 Berlin Blitz’ offers users a breathtaking – if harrowing – experience of the raid, the impact of which belies its 20-30 minute runtime. The adrenaline-fueled experience includes flying through enemy searchlights, witnessing other enemy planes being shot down, and seeing war-torn Berlin below. There are two ways to play the game: an actual 20-minute visual that places you inside the plane, alongside the crew of F for Freddy, or through a 25-30 minute radio broadcast option that includes the journalist giving a preface before the recording.
It’s free and an essential experience for any history enthusiast. Check it out here.
One of the greatest civil maritime disasters in history is brought to life in Immersive VR Education’s ‘Titanic VR’. Featuring over 6 hours of content (though players frequently clock up far more time on the game), players take on the role of Dr. Ethan Lynch, Associate Professor of Maritime Archaeology at the fictional University of Nova Scotia, and his research assistant.
From there, players dive amidst the extensively detailed wreckage of the doomed vessel, recovering items, completing missions, creating a documentary film, and a photomosaic, as well as taking items back to the research craft for analysis. Strikingly, there is also the opportunity to witness the sinking of the Titanic through the eyes of a survivor on lifeboat 6. This tragically detailed narrative has been delicately recreated via eyewitness testimony and significant research, to create as near lifelike an experience as those who perished would have in 1912.
Available for SteamVR or Oculus PC here.
National treasure Sir David Attenborough has lent his expertise to Sky VR’s ‘Hold the World’, a ground-breaking interactive experience that takes you through London’s Natural History Museum. Accompanied by Attenborough, players are encouraged to break the ‘no touching’ rule that we normally associate with museums.
Instead, players can expect to get their hands on rare specimens from its world-famous collection, and learn about them in fascinating detail. If you’re lucky, they might even come to life. In addition, players can peek around the museum in areas that are normally inaccessible to the public. Sky customers can access Hold the World for free via the Sky VR app in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, and Italy.
The game is also available for Rift S, Rift here.
BRINK Traveler’s mission is simple: that everyone should be able to visit some of the world’s most stunning locations, in incredibly accurate detail, from the comfort of their VR headset. In what is an ongoing project featuring regularly-updated new locations, at the time of writing BRINK XR Inc. have added 32 spots across 22 locations such as Mt Whitney, Death Valley National Park, and Haifoss Iceland, and the developers have promised to add an additional 3 locations per month.
Accompanying the locations are educational points of interest, which are collectible, and users can also take photographs and even toggle a night sky setting – which results in some fairly amazing starry views.
BRINK XR is also a member of 1% for the Planet, meaning they donate a minimum of 1% of their total annual sales to organizations that focus on environmental protection initiatives. Available for SteamVR or OpenXR here.
8. The Pirate Queen: A Forgotten Legend
Now available on Meta Quest and PCVR, Singer Studios’ debut full-length VR game, “The Pirate Queen: A Forgotten Legend,” places historical accuracy and research at its core.
Directed by Eloise Singer and starring Lucy Liu, the game is based on the true story of the fearsome pirate Cheng Shih, who commanded the largest pirate fleet in history in the 19th-century South China Sea. The development of The Pirate Queen included meticulous research into language, names, items, structures, and cultural references. When the game won the Storyscapes Award at Tribeca 2023, it was praised for its outstanding technical execution, immersive user experience, and the unique, untold story of a nearly forgotten woman in history.
The result is a beautifully-rendered historical VR game that lets players explore moonlit cabins, solve intricate puzzles, unearth hidden treasures, and embark on a journey to become the leader of the Red Flag Fleet. This immersive VR history experience, focusing on the Qing dynasty, is one of the most notable virtual reality pirate games available.
“The Pirate Queen: A Forgotten Legend” is a perfect blend of historical accuracy in VR. Developed by a female-led indie studio and featuring Lucy Liu in a leading role, this VR game stands out as one of the top VR games of 2024.
Check out Singer Studios’ VR game and uncover the forgotten story of The Pirate Queen here.
