Best Mobile VR headsets

Everybody has a smartphone these days, and anyone who doesn’t probably has more pressing matters to attend to than virtual reality games. For the phone-enabled, smartphone VR headsets provide an easy and even cheap inroad into our virtual future. Make no mistake, virtual reality is coming, and 2016 is either the VR equivalent of the Cambrian explosion or something nearly close. However, what should you buy, if you were aiming to get your hands of on VR? Let’s explore some of the better options out there.

The first and the most basic one is Google Cardboard. It’s so basic, we can even list the parts used to make it: a piece of cardboard cut into shape, 45mm focal length lenses, magnets or capacitive tape, a hook and loop fastener (such as Velcro), a rubber band, and, optionally, a near field communication (NFC) tag. Google has released the documentation a long time ago, and cardboard is produced both by the company itself and various third-party producers. However, the $5 price tag comes at a, er, price: the set features no controls nor focus setting and relies entirely on your phone for any kind of functionality, and there are no straps. However, it accepts many kinds of phones, has a lot of material made for it (as the platform is absolutely open) and it’s extremely cheap. Perfect for toe-dipping into VR!

The other most popular mobile VR option is Samsung Gear VR. Unlike Google Cardboard, it’s the exact opposite of “cheap”. It also has a limited roster of supported phones, those being Samsung Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 Edge+, Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge devices. But you also get to use apps from Oculus store, hooray! The headset also has straps, so you don’t need to hold it to your face, another major bonus. It also features both volume controls and an integrated trackpad, as well as a “back” button. Headset’s own inertial measurement unit is superior to those used in phones, too. This means that games can be more sophisticated and interactive than those on Cardboard. We heartily recommend EVE: Gunjack, probably the best turret shooter in the market. More than a mere gaze shooter, it relies on trackpad to fire, reload and use special weapons. It’s an amazing experience!

Archos VR comes closer to Cardboard than to Gear. It’s cheaper than Gear VR, for one, but not as technologically sophisticated. You won’t find volume controls or a trackpad on this offering. However, it supports a wide of variety of phones, both iOS and Android. Supported screen sizes range from 4” to 6”. It might lack padding to keep your nose comfortable, but otherwise it’s a good, sturdy system. It doesn’t hurt that it looks like piece of movie camera equipment, too.

Lakento MVR (Mobile Virtual Reality) is an another offering that fits iPhones 5 through 6 Plus and most Android phones. An interesting feature is that the front cover is translucent to allow for augmented reality uses (via your phone’s camera). The headset offers 100 degree view, and is compatible with Google Cardboard games, so you’re never strapped for content (it also comes with free games standard). The foam pads are interchangeable and the head straps are adjustable. Neat!

The IncrediSonic Vue Series VR glasses are fancier, because they have a Bluetooth controller. Unfortunately, as many reviewers mark, it does not work with iPhones – a usual complaint where Bluetooth and iPhones are concerned. Vue works with smartphones with screens from 4.7 inches to 6 inches big, so you can use your iPhone 6S. If you want to use a smaller phone, you will need to use a handy included widget. The headset also comes with batteries (for the controller), replacement nose pads and a microfiber cloth to wipe your lenses. It’s a great budget offer that’s a lot more universal than Gear VR and the controller is easier to use.

One thing that unifies all the mobile VR headsets is that they all use similar – and limited – hardware. All those splendid apps and games run on smartphones, and the phones are straining to support them. This means that mobile VR games have lower requirements for processor intensive stuff like graphics. This makes it easy for newcomers to capitalize on the VR craze. If you have an killer idea for a game, you can do it. Game engines like Unity or Unreal Engine 4 are free, and can support visual programing (you connect blocks of functions rather than writing code). For the visual side of things, use online stock model marketplaces: CGTrader is one of the leading ones, and it has many free models in addition to low-polygon models that VR games so badly need.

So there you have it. We’re but scratching the surface of the mobile VR headset offerings. There are predictions that mobile headset ownership will outnumber PC/console headsets 4 to 1. This is a huge market to tap. And now that you have a headset of your own (you did buy one, right?), you too can become a developer!