9 Best In-Game Radio Stations And Music Players

I always enjoy having music on when I work or travel – I’m actually listening to Queen’s ‘Bicycle Race’ as I write this! Music really helps me stay focused and prevents boredom, which is especially important when you’re driving. That’s why good music is so crucial in video games, but there’s more to enjoy than just typical game soundtracks.

Many games include carefully selected soundtracks featuring real songs, often played through in-game radio stations or music players. These soundtracks enhance the experience whether you’re leisurely exploring a large world or fighting an intense battle. While you could always listen to your own music, discovering and enjoying the game’s curated music is often much more engaging.

This list only includes music that actually appears within the games it’s from, to distinguish it from general background music or fan-made tracks.

9. Wireless Free Arcadia

The Outer Worlds 2

While the first Outer Worlds game was similar to Fallout: New Vegas in many ways, it was missing a key feature: a radio station. The good news is that The Outer Worlds 2 fixes this, adding several radio frequencies connected to different groups within the game. These stations all offer enjoyable music, but Wireless Free Arcadia, also known as Auntie’s Choice, is particularly well-done.

Wireless Free Arcadia only broadcasts commercials, catchy jingles, and promotional material for Auntie’s Choice, and it’s surprisingly entertaining. Interspersed between these broadcasts are news reports about the war between Auntie’s Choice and the Protectorate, and the reporter always delivers the news with a sarcastic tone.

The songs are all named after the strange food and drugs sold by Auntie’s Choice, and they’re deliberately designed to get stuck in your head. In fact, once you hear a track like “Boarst Rockets,” you’ll never be able to forget it! The lyrics even encourage you to try their products – like, putting a “rocket” in your pocket and enjoying your lunch.

8. Boss’s Walkman

Metal Gear Solid 5

The Sony Walkman, a groundbreaking portable tape player, first came out in 1979 and completely changed how people listened to music on the go. Interestingly, the game Metal Gear Solid 5 is set in 1984, a time when the Walkman was already hugely popular worldwide. This likely explains why the game includes a Walkman as part of Venom Snake’s equipment, but with a special feature: it’s connected to his iDroid terminal.

In the game, Snake uses a Walkman to listen to mission briefings and conversations with his team, like Miller and Ocelot. But it’s also a music player – Snake can listen to tapes while completing missions. It’s a little strange how he controls it through his digital iDroid, since a Walkman is an old-fashioned tape player without any digital features, so it must involve some pretty sophisticated technology.

Throughout the game, you can find cassette tapes at enemy camps. These tapes feature popular songs from the late 70s and early 80s, including classics like Kim Wilde’s “Kids in America,” Europe’s “The Final Countdown,” and A-ha’s “Take on Me.” You’ll also discover “The Man Who Sold the World,” specifically the 1982 cover version by Midge Ure, which is a key song in the game.

7. 98.7 Body Heat Radio

Cyberpunk 2077

The music in Cyberpunk 2077 matches its futuristic style, featuring a lot of electronic genres like techno and dubstep. While that’s great during action, you might want something different when just exploring Night City. Luckily, the game has 14 radio stations playing all sorts of music. After watching the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners anime, I found myself constantly listening to 98.7 Body Heat Radio.

Despite the unusual name, Body Heat Radio plays a diverse range of songs to suit different moods. While many tracks have an electronic feel, the station also mixes in other styles. You’ll find everything from mellow and relaxing tunes to energetic, industrial sounds and quirky, experimental pieces. It’s a great choice when you can’t quite decide what you want to hear.

Plus, this is the only radio station in the game featuring three incredible songs from the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners anime: “History” by Gazelle Twin, “Major Crimes” by HEALTH, and the emotionally powerful “I Really Want to Stay at Your House” by Rosa Walton.

6. Your Shanty-Singing Crew

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag

Sea shanties are surprisingly old – some believe they started as early as the 1500s, but they became really popular in the 1800s. Sailors sang these work songs together to stay synchronized while performing tasks on the ship, and to make long, boring voyages more bearable. Given that the Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag strives for historical authenticity, it’s fitting that the game includes shanties during its sea-based activities. After all, a group of men singing can be considered a form of music!

While sailing the Caribbean in Black Flag, you can collect scattered sheets of music to learn new sea shanties. Once Edward learns them, he can have his crew sing a lively shanty while at sea. Though they don’t have instruments, the crew’s singing adds a fun and whimsical touch to your voyage.

Okay, so I’m no sea shanty expert, but I do know some of the really famous ones. And I was so excited to hear them in Black Flag – songs like ‘Drunken Sailor,’ ‘Leave Her, Johnny,’ and ‘Spanish Ladies’ were all there, which was awesome!

5. The Mix 107.77

Saints Row 2

As you might have guessed from my mention of Queen, I really love classic music. I’m a big fan of rock and pop from the 70s and 80s, and that’s not likely to change! It seems the main villain in Saints Row 2, known as the Boss, shares my taste, since they clearly enjoy listening to the game’s retro radio station, The Mix 107.77.

The Mix is a radio station in Saints Row 2 that plays classic rock, pop, and new wave music from the 1980s. The DJ, Darius Masters, describes it as all the best 80s hits, thankfully without the fashion trends of the time. You’ll hear popular songs like “Karma Chameleon” by Culture Club, “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds, and “Down Under” by Men At Work.

What sets The Mix apart is a fun quirk: if you play it long enough and a certain song comes on, the Boss will surprisingly start singing along. It’s not a great performance, but it’s a charming and lighthearted moment from someone who is usually very serious.

4. Chai’s MP3 Player

Hi-Fi Rush

At the heart of Hi-Fi Rush’s main character, Chai, is a bit of a playful contradiction. He dreams of being a rock star, but he can’t actually play the guitar! That said, Chai has fantastic musical taste, and the game lets you enjoy that throughout the entire experience.

The game begins with an accident involving the Armstrong Cybernetics project, which causes Chai’s old MP3 player to become lodged in his chest. This gives him unique abilities – essentially, powers linked to music. Everything in the game world, including all characters, moves to the rhythm of the music playing from Chai’s MP3 player, and as the player, you get to hear it all. While Chai can’t change the song, it always seems to fit the current situation, which is a nice bonus.

Chai’s built-in MP3 player comes with some great classic tracks, including “The Perfect Drug” by Nine-Inch Nails, “Invaders Must Die” by The Prodigy, and a cover of Fiona Apple’s “Fast As You Can.” If you use streamer mode instead, the music changes to original compositions that are also really good, like the “Too Big To Fail” boss theme from QA-1ML.

3. The Mouth Of Metal

Brutal Legend

In the world of the game Brutal Legend, heavy metal music actually comes from the Titans – it’s said to originate from the roar of a massive, ancient creature named Ormagoden. When you first present your car, the Deuce, to the Guardian of Metal, the Titans give you a special upgrade: the Mouth of Metal. It’s a small, screaming opening on your dashboard that plays classic metal songs, functioning like a strangely magical tape deck.

Okay, so I’m loving that they put the Mouth of Metal playlist right on the Deuce! Cruising around or fighting on stage with that awesome metal soundtrack is incredible. It’s a bummer you can’t listen to it during missions, but honestly, there’s usually still some metal playing in the background anyway, so it’s not a huge loss. It really adds to the whole vibe!

When you start playing Mouth of Metal, you’ll have a solid collection of songs. But you can expand your playlist by finding Buried Metal throughout the game world. We’ve included music from metal legends like Ozzy Osbourne (Mr. Crowley), Manowar (Dawn of Battle), and, one of my favorites, Motley Crue (Kickstart My Heart).

2. V-Rock

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

Still obsessed with classic rock? You’re in luck, because I’m not finished! Grand Theft Auto: Vice City takes place in 1986, when rock bands with big hair were all the rage. The game features a bunch of different radio stations to listen to while you drive, playing everything from synth-pop to power ballads, but the best music is definitely on V-Rock, which plays classic rock hits.

V-Rock isn’t just filled with great 80s music; it’s also hosted by Jeffrey Crawford, known as Lazlow Jones – a real radio DJ who actually wrote and produced all the radio content for the game. He could have hosted any station, but he chose V-Rock, which really says something about its quality.

Here at V-Rock, we’re playing all the classic hits! Get ready to hear favorites like Twisted Sister’s “I Wanna Rock,” Mötley Crüe’s “Too Young To Fall In Love,” and Loverboy’s “Working For The Weekend.”

1. Radio New Vegas

Fallout: New Vegas

Ever since Fallout 3, the in-game radio stations have become a signature part of the Fallout experience, playing classic big band music that nicely contrasts the post-apocalyptic world. It’s tough to choose just one favorite station from across the series – Galaxy News Radio and Diamond City Radio are both great! But if I had to pick, Radio New Vegas from Fallout: New Vegas still stands out to me.

You can listen to Radio New Vegas on your Pip-Boy or any radio throughout the Mojave Wasteland. It plays news and classic western music around the clock. During my first time playing New Vegas, I almost always had it on, except when I was in areas where the signal didn’t reach, like the DLC zones.

We chose Radio New Vegas for a couple of reasons. First, the host, Mr. New Vegas, is incredibly charismatic and cool – even if he’s not a real person! Second, the music is fantastic. It includes classics like Blue Moon, Johnny Guitar, Heartaches by the Number, and, of course, Big Iron. Let’s be honest, that last one gets stuck in everyone’s head thanks to this radio station.

2025-11-19 23:14