Ghostbusters and VR seem like a perfect match. The franchise has always revolved around equipment that feels made for VR: Proton Packs, particle throwers, PKE Meters, ghost traps and, of course, the ability to physically point a Proton Wand at a supernatural entity. There have been several attempts to create a Ghostbusters VR experience, from short promotional experiences and location-based attractions to a full multiplayer VR game for Meta Quest and PSVR2. If you’re wondering how many Ghostbusters VR games there actually are, the answer depends on what you count. There are four major officially licensed VR projects, with some containing multiple distinct experiences. Below is the complete history of Ghostbusters in VR.
Ghostbusters: Dimension
Released: 2016
Type: Location-based VR
Ghostbusters: Dimension is where this story begins, and it remains one of the most ambitious examples of location-based VR ever created.
Developed by The VOID in collaboration with Sony Pictures, Ghost Corps and Ivan Reitman, the experience launched at Madame Tussauds New York in 2016 before appearing at other The VOID locations. This wasn’t simply a traditional VR game played while sitting down. Players physically moved through real-world environments while wearing VR headsets and carrying Ghostbusters equipment. The physical environment was synchronised with the virtual world, creating the impression that you were actually walking through a haunted New York building.
The experience lasted only around eight minutes, but it packed an enormous amount into that time. Players explored the building, hunted ghosts with a Proton Wand and eventually faced a much larger supernatural threat. Ghostbusters: Dimension is particularly significant because it demonstrated how VR could combine physical environments, props and VR to make players feel like they had stepped directly into a movie.
It was also an early indication that Ghostbusters could be an excellent fit for location-based VR.
Ghostbusters VR: Now Hiring
Released: 2017–2018
Platforms: PC VR/PlayStation VR
The next Ghostbusters VR project took the franchise in a different direction. Ghostbusters VR: Now Hiring was designed as a consumer VR experience rather than a location-based attraction. Instead of requiring a specialised venue, players could experience the Ghostbusters universe using an Oculus Rift, HTC Vive or PlayStation VR headset.
The project was divided into two major experiences: Firehouse and Showdown. Firehouse allowed players to explore the famous Ghostbusters headquarters, interact with equipment and prepare for their first supernatural assignments. It was deliberately designed to make players feel like a new recruit joining the team.
Showdown shifted the focus towards action, putting players into increasingly chaotic encounters with ghosts. The two experiences were eventually bundled together as Ghostbusters VR: Firehouse + Showdown on PlayStation VR.
It is important to distinguish this project from Rise of the Ghost Lord. Now Hiring was a much shorter experience and was never intended to be the large-scale Ghostbusters VR adventure that would eventually arrive several years later.
Unfortunately, its availability has also become increasingly limited, with the original consumer VR release no longer being readily available through the major PC VR storefronts or the PlayStation Store. That makes it more of a historical curiosity today, but an important one in the development of Ghostbusters VR.
Ghostbusters VR Academy
Released: 2023
Type: Location-based VR
Ghostbusters returned to location-based VR with Ghostbusters VR Academy, developed in partnership with HOLOGATE.
This time, the experience was designed to operate across the company’s network of VR entertainment venues, making it much more accessible than the original The VOID attraction. In fact, Ghostbusters VR Academy is actually two different experiences:
Ghostbusters VR Academy: ARENA
ARENA is the closest thing to a traditional Ghostbusters game. Teams of up to four players work together using Proton Packs to battle ghosts and complete supernatural missions. The cooperative nature of the experience is particularly appropriate for Ghostbusters, where working as a team has always been an important part of the franchise.
Rather than simply watching a Ghostbusters story unfold, players become the Ghostbusters themselves.
Ghostbusters VR Academy: BLITZ
BLITZ takes a very different approach. Instead of hunting ghosts on foot, players climb into a motion simulator and take control of a prototype Ecto VR hovercraft.
The result is essentially a Ghostbusters-themed VR racing experience, with players competing at high speed while dealing with supernatural threats along the way. Together, ARENA and BLITZ show just how much potential there is in the Ghostbusters universe beyond simply shooting ghosts.
The Academy was rolled out to hundreds of HOLOGATE locations around the world, making it one of the largest Ghostbusters VR deployments to date.
Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord
Released: 2023
Platforms: Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3, PSVR2
Then came the Ghostbusters VR game fans had been waiting for. Developed by nDreams and published by Sony Pictures Virtual Reality, Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord launched in 2023 for Meta Quest and PSVR2.
Unlike the shorter experiences that came before it, Rise of the Ghost Lord is a full-length VR game designed around cooperative gameplay. Players establish a new Ghostbusters operation in San Francisco and take on the Ghost Lord and his supernatural forces. The game supports solo play as well as cooperative multiplayer for up to four players, allowing friends to form their own Ghostbusters team.
And, naturally, the equipment is exactly what you’d hope for. Players get to use Proton Packs, PKE Meters, ghost traps and other familiar tools while exploring haunted environments and battling supernatural enemies. The game also includes progression and equipment upgrades, giving players reasons to continue playing beyond simply completing the main story.
For the first time, Ghostbusters had a proper home VR game that could stand alongside other major licensed VR releases.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
Rise of the Ghost Lord has also grown considerably since its original release. A major free update added content inspired by Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, including new missions and locations. Players can visit the original Ghostbusters firehouse and take on new supernatural threats while using equipment inspired by the movie.
That additional content is important when looking at Rise of the Ghost Lord in 2026. This isn’t simply the same game that launched in 2023; it has been expanded with additional story content and features since release.
For anyone looking for a modern Ghostbusters VR experience, Rise of the Ghost Lord is now clearly the place to start.
Will We See More Ghostbusters VR Games?
It’s difficult to imagine the franchise disappearing from VR entirely. The combination of recognisable equipment, supernatural enemies, cooperative gameplay and a world that naturally lends itself to interactive exploration makes Ghostbusters one of the strongest movie properties for VR.
Not every project was a traditional video game, and some are now difficult or impossible to experience outside their original venues. But together, they demonstrate how the franchise has evolved alongside VR itself. Rise of the Ghost Lord has already demonstrated that there is room for a substantial Ghostbusters game on consumer headsets, while Ghostbusters VR Academy shows that the concept also works extremely well in location-based entertainment.
For anyone looking to experience Ghostbusters in VR today, Rise of the Ghost Lord is the obvious starting point. But the history behind it is arguably just as interesting. And it shows that Ghostbusters has been hunting for its perfect VR format for almost as long as the medium has been around.
What’s your favourite Ghostbusters VR experience? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!
