Virtual Reality is the next big thing, with the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift readily available, and PlayStation VR coming out later this year. But what about those of us without high-end VR headsets? Don’t worry, as you can buy a number of cheap VR viewers that utilise your iPhone’s internals and display to provide you with a cheap VR experience. Here, we showcase some of the best VR apps available on the App Store at the moment.
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Best VR apps for iPhone: YouTube
YouTube is a great VR app for the iPhone – why? As some of you may know, YouTube has a wide range of 360-degree videos, which the company can turn into VR experiences with the tap of a button in-app. This offers the ability to browse from a wide range of VR videos, from horror VR experiences to snowboarding and more, completely free.
The best part is that it’s free to use, and you only need to tap the Google Cardboard icon on any compatible video to convert it into a VR-ready video.
Price: Free
App Store: YouTube
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Best iPhone VR apps: Google Cardboard
Of course Google Cardboard was going to be included in our list – Google’s Cardboard app is a great place to start for those just starting out in the world of mobile VR. It houses several experiences within the app, which should give you an idea of what VR is like. It also lets you travel to various places around the world, including the Great Wall of China and the Eiffel Tower, thanks to Google Maps.
Price: Free
App Store: Google Cardboard
Best iPhone VR apps: Zombie Shooter VR
While Zombie Shooter VR used to be a paid app, it has recently been made free to play, suggesting something about the amount of competition in the mobile VR space at the moment. Zombie Shooter VR is essentially what it says on the tin – you find yourself traversing a post-apocalyptic subway, fighting off hordes of zombies.
The good news is that you don’t have to do much to fight them off – simply looking at the zombie will trigger your gun, making this a fun introduction to the world of VR.
Price: Free
App Store: Zombie Shooter VR
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Best iPhone VR apps: VR Horror
VR Horror is a virtual reality horror game for iOS, immersing VR users in a horrifying world – one step further than any horror film will go. While the game may not be scary if viewed on TV, being ‘in’ the game provides users with something immersive that’ll get the blood pumping. For a free app the graphics are pretty good, and it’s actually pretty scary, especially with noise cancelling headphones on. So what do you do? We’ll leave that down to you to find out…
Price: Free
App Store: VR Horror
Best iPhone VR apps: Within
Formerly known as Vrse, Within is essentially the Netflix of virtual reality. Why? The company produces a lot of VR content itself, which is showcased via the app, and ranges from immersive VR music videos to investigative journalism reports. If you’re looking to experience something a little more high-end than the 360-degree videos you find on YouTube, Within is a great place to start.
Price: Free
App Store: Within – VR (Virtual Reality)
Best iPhone VR apps: End Space VR
End Space VR is a must for those that enjoy Sci-Fi movies, as this gives you a chance to pilot your own space ship (complete with guns, of course) in Space, dogfighting with enemy space pilots. It’s essentially a wave-based shooter that allows you to upgrade your ship over time, making it more effective and deadly in combat.
End Space VR is one of a small number of mobile VR games that allows you to look and go in any direction as opposed to being on ‘rails’, and combined with decent graphics and immersive 3D audio, it’s definitely a favourite amongst mobile VR users.
Price: £0.99
App Store: End Space VR for Cardboard
Best iPhone VR apps: Romans from Mars 360
Like Tower Defence games? You’ll love Romans from Mars 360, which puts you at the top of a castle under attack from endless waves of Martians, with the aim of taking over Earth. What else did you expect? The only thing standing between the Martians and a worldwide takeover is you and your crossbow, which can be used to fire arrows, or you could use your elemental powers (Fire, Ice, Earth and Lightning) to take down enemies.
You can upgrade your crossbow to do more damage as the rounds go on, giving you an ‘objective’ of sorts. The graphics are fairly cartoony, but look cool, and for a free game you can’t really say no – can you?
Price: Free
App Store: Romans From Mars 360
Best iPhone VR apps: NYT VR
The New York Times is, rather surprisingly, at the forefront of mobile VR, collaborating with Within (Vrse) on a number of projects – this might explain why you’ll find some duplicated content across the two apps. You’ll find a number of journalist-created VR videos within the app, although these aren’t streamed – you’ll have to download them before you pop your iPhone into the VR viewer.
Price: Free
App Store: NYT VR
Best iPhone VR apps: InCell VR
InCell VR is the mobile equivalent of the game available for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, providing an experience not that different to the PC-powered game. The action/racing hybrid has a simple story behind it: your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to be shrunk down and injected into a human body to protect it from within, on a cellular level. Move your head to dodge and collect objects, and don’t forget to take in the colourful, psychedelic environment around you.
Price: Free
App Store: InCell VR
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Best iPhone VR apps: Lamper VR: Firefly Rescue
Who said there’s no money in VR? Following the popular Lamper VR game, the little firefly is back for the sequel; Lamper VR: Firefly Rescue. Control Lamper using simple head movements and navigate your way through forests and caverns, recruiting firefly friends on your travels. Make sure you collect coins and other power-ups that’ll let you defeat the various enemies you’ll come across on your journey.
Price: Free
App Store: Lamper VR: Firefly Rescue
Best iPhone VR apps: VR Sniper
Another game controlled simply by head movement, VR Sniper puts you in the shoes of a sniper perched on a rooftop with the aim of taking out ten soldiers strategically placed around you. The intuitive controls make the game easy to play despite being timed, with the only real requirement being a steady gaze. Those that like the first level can part with 99p via in-app purchase to unlock three more levels, more soldiers and of course, to deactivate those annoying ads that pop up now and again.
Price: Free (with IAP)
App Store: VR Sniper
Best iPhone VR apps: Haunted Rooms: Escape
Considering that Haunted Rooms: Escape is a free VR game for iOS, it offers great quality content and decent game time before completion. The idea is to escape, rather obviously, from various rooms in a haunted house by interacting with objects and solving riddles that require a bit of brain power to solve. Of course, with any free iOS games, there are adverts that can break immersion, but these can be easily dismissed. Our only gripe is that there doesn’t seem to be an in-app purchase to disable them, as is the case with other iOS apps and games.
Price: Free
App Store: Haunted Rooms: Escape VR Game
Author: Lewis Painter, Senior Staff Writer
Lewis Painter is a Senior Staff Writer at Tech Advisor. Our resident Apple expert, Lewis covers everything from iPhone to AirPods, plus a range of smartphones, tablets, laptops and gaming hardware. You'll also find him on the Tech Advisor YouTube channel.