Winner: Rez Infinite

Mat Smith wants to play all games in a vibrating suit.

The original Rez launched on the Dreamcast and was a critical hit. That was back in 2001. It's a testament to how well Rez Infinite still plays -- and how PlayStation VR augments it -- that it was my favorite game of 2016.

So it's not new, but Rez fits so well with PSVR, and is one of the rare full-meat games available at launch. Engadget has talked at length about the immersive power of virtual reality, and here's a fine example of what it can do for existing games. When I tested it out at the Tokyo Game Show, I explained how it felt like it was made for VR, with its "hacker" wireframe designs and the on-rails, revolving-view gameplay. It clicks so well that it became, for me, the best example that bridges how we play games now and how we could play them in VR. When games are ported this well, it's hard to see how virtual reality could fail. (Oh, and I got to play it in a suit made of tiny vibrators. Which is obviously the best way to play it.)

Runner-up: Pokémon Go

Non-gamers' most talked-about game was addictive and fun, and points to the future of mobile gaming. Augmented reality, people!

Loser: Other PSVR games

Yes, my pick for the year was a PSVR-compatible game, but the start of VR on the PlayStation was more whimper than roar. As Devindra put it in his review, "as great as some of the games are ... nothing has pulled me back to play repeatedly as much as recent non-VR titles like Overwatch or Forza Horizon 3." Aside from Rez, Arkham Asylum was a fun way to spend a couple of hours, but that's where the game ended. The boxed-in demo disc might have 17 things to play with, but these are short 15-minute experiences. Fun, yes, but I didn't want to replay most of them, nor did they convince me to buy the full versions. A short Resident Evil 7 teaser is also included, but the entire game doesn't launch until late next month. Sony can couch this all in excuses that it's a nascent platform and this is just the start, but I'd advise anyone thinking of buying into VR to give it another 12 months. We need more games.