Affordable Virtual Reality: How to access VR Cheaply

What springs to mind when you think of virtual reality… Is it an expensive VR headset that needs to be plugged into a computer? Is it connected to your TV and set up in your living room? These are the most common answers. But, what about smartphone virtual reality? With the frequent release of new smartphones with increasing processing power and display quality, it's now possible to experience virtual reality using nothing more than your smartphone and an inexpensive headset. In this blog post, we'll take a closer look at some of the best smartphone VR headsets on the market. So if you're interested in learning more about this growing technology and how you can access it cheaply, keep reading!

Throughout the last decade, several high-profile brands in the Virtual Reality (VR) space such as Google and Samsung have focused on developing more accessible VR headsets. Smartphone technologies have presented huge opportunities for VR, encouraging people to take an interest in this technology.?The Google Cardboard may not ring a bell, but this inexpensive handheld device which launched in 2014, sought to bring VR to almost any smartphone. Named for its fold-out cardboard viewer into which a smartphone is inserted, the gadget was intended as a low-cost system to encourage interest and development in VR applications.?Considered one of the cheapest and easiest VR viewers on the market, its success set off a new wave of VR application development. The success of Cardboard convinced Google to develop a more advanced virtual reality platform called Daydream. Google’s follow-up to Cardboard, the Daydream View, was released in 2016. Google Daydream was not widely adopted by consumers or developers, and in October 2019 Google announced that the Daydream View headset had been discontinued.

Samsung has been another major developer of smartphone-powered headsets. Unlike Google, Samsung recognised that being at the forefront of virtual reality requires not only an inventive mindset but also a certain level of simplicity. In late 2015, they launched The Samsung Gear VR, a virtual reality headset accessory for Samsung smartphones developed in collaboration with Oculus VR. The Gear VR was designed to work exclusively with Samsung devices, and it provided an accessible and affordable way to allow users to step through a digital door into different worlds. While the phone acts as the headset's display and processor, the Gear VR unit itself acts as the controller, which contains the field of view, as well as a custom Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) that connects to the smartphone via USB-C or micro-USB.

Within the VR world, it is not only large companies that stand out. If you are looking for a budget VR headset that is compatible with many different types of phones, then look no further than the?Merge VR. This relatively inexpensive and durable headset was designed for kids. Unlike other devices, it is compatible with both iPhone and Android and constitutes a step up in comfort over cardboard models.

VR is one of the most exciting new technologies on the market which can now be accessed cheaply. For those looking for a simple introduction to VR, smartphone-powered VR headsets are the popular choice because they're inexpensive, easy to set up, and don't require any additional equipment like an expensive PC or console. We've highlighted some of our favourite options here that can help you get started with this innovative technology today. However, to truly immerse yourself into the world of VR, dedicated headsets like Pico’s Neo 3 and Oculus Quest are the way to go.

What other smartphone-based VR headsets are you aware of? Let us know in the comments below!

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