How does virtual reality really work with iPhones? Well, let's discuss.
Virtual Reality has come into existence a few decades ago. But in the last decade, effective developments have been made. It allows the user to experience a virtual environment that is not real but seems like a real world. One of the main disadvantages of VR was that the user had to invest thousands of dollars to experience it.
But today, VR has become common and everyone can experience it using their smartphones. VR has incredible advantages that help the human to train and get proper treatment for the cure of their disease or sickness.
Talking about experiencing VR using an iPhone, Apple has not officially launched a VR device that is compatible with iPhones. But many VR headsets could be paired with an iPhone and provide you with the ultimate experience of virtual reality. iPhone makes it easy for a person that has little knowledge of the technical aspects of a VR device.
You can just grab your iPhone and start watching virtual reality videos via VR headsets. Now coming to the capability of an iPhone to run and support VR support, most of the iPhones have this compatibility but the iPhone 6 and latest models will perform VR the best. To answer the most frequently asked question, “How does virtual reality really work with iPhones?”, let us dive into the details.
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What Do You Need to Use Virtual Reality on iPhone?
One of the main disadvantages of virtual reality is its high price. Through the invention of VR headsets that are compatible with smartphones, VR has extended its reach to the common people. Now, everyone can buy a VR headset and use it with their phones. As iPhones have a great number of users, let us discuss the compatibility and requirement of VR headset that can work with an iPhone. The things you need to use virtual reality on an iPhone is just like you need for any smartphone are simply two things.
- A VR headset or device that includes two lenses and provides an immersive environment to the user.
- Applications that provide VR content.
If you have these two things and an iPhone, you can watch any VR video or content that is available. It is the only thing that you need if you have an iPhone and wish to experience VR.
How to Use VR Headset With an iPhone
At first, you need to have a better iPhone (models after iPhone 6 are recommended) to experience a good quality VR. To experience VR, the most important thing is to get to a VR headset that is compatible with your iPhone. As you buy a VR headset, the next thing you need is a VR application. It is important to note if the iPhone supports a specific VR application or not.
There are many VR applications of VR available on the Apple App Store. Depending on the scenarios, there are multiple applications for every different situation. The official application for VR by Google is the Cardboard app. This app allows the user what to expect from mobile VR. It also has demos that will greet you to the world of VR, and you will gain your interest in it.
How Does Virtual Reality Really Work with iPhones? -Explanation
A VR headset that is used for the iPhone and other mobile is very simple. There are only two lenses in the headset to create a 3D world. There is no software or operating system in the headset. Everything is done by your iPhone. When you play any 360º video or use VR application, two images appear on the screen. Then you put your mobile phone in the VR headset in the given place.
The two screens come in front of two lenses and each lens comes in front of your eye. The lenses are arranged in a way that the two screens or images are projected as a 3D world. Therefore, the user experiences a 3D world. This is the simple working of the VR headset for the iPhone.
The headset does not have any exceptional features such as internal storage, operating system or any other thing. It is simple with headset with special lenses. Now you might have got the answer to the question, “How does virtual reality really work with iPhones?”
Display of the iPhone
The display is an important part of working of the VR headset. Therefore, it is necessary to discuss it to answer, “How does virtual reality really work with iPhones?” Virtual reality is an immersive experience in which the user can see and walk around just like a real world. For being more real, virtual reality needs to have some features.
This includes having a crystal clear display, a minimum of 60 FPS, a minimum FOV of 100 degrees, a good refresh rate and a low latency. If any of the requirement is lower than recommended, then the virtual display will be sluggish and lagging. As we all know that the display of an iPhone is a Retina Display, which is not even close to Samsung’s Super AMOLED display. Apple is way behind Samsung when it comes to displaying.
Besides having a flat-screen and display disadvantage, the CPU of an iPhone is slow. The slow ability of CPU of an iPhone to render videos causes delays and glitches in VR. The delay in display causes motion sickness to the user as he is not familiar with glitches and lags in real life.
Although the new generation of iPhones is pretty fast and has a display of around 90 FPS, still it needs improvement. These are disadvantages of the iPhone that decrease the quality of virtual reality. If any improvement happens in the future, then we will be able to discuss in detail, “How does virtual reality really work with iPhones?”
What Features to Look for in VR Headsets When Buying to Use With iPhone?
It is necessary to discuss the features of the VR headset to learn more about the question, “How does virtual reality really work with iPhones?” As there many VR headsets available in the market today, but we need to look for VR headsets that are compatible with the iPhone. So, let us discuss some of the features that should be kept in mind when buying VR headsets for the iPhone.
The compatibility of the VR headset
Most of the virtual reality headsets use a PC via HDMI cable to render virtual reality. The compatibility of the VR headset is important. If you buy a VR headset and it is not compatible with the iPhone, it won’t work. You need to research before buying a VR headset whether it is compatible with an iPhone, supports VR rendering or not. These things must be taken into consideration.
VR headset comfortability
The comfortability of the VR headset is an important aspect. If the headset is comfortable, then the user will have nothing to worry about. It will allow the user to watch movies and serials for straight hours. If the headset is not comfortable, then it will cause pain to the user. The nose rest in new headsets is an improvement as the pressure and weight of the headset on the face are reduced. You should compare the comfortability of the headset before buying.
Fit and Support
The most important feature to look for is the straps. VR headset should provide a perfect fit for the user. If a VR headset is not fit for the user, then it will cause frustration and disturbance while its usage. There are multiple straps on the new VR headsets that support the head and gives the user a good experience.
The resolution of lenses
The clarity of the image depends on the resolution of the VR headset. The resolution of a VR headset mainly depends on the quality of lenses. Lenses should be premium in quality because the eye is a very important gift of nature. One cannot risk this gift in front of any new technology. If the resolution is blurry and sluggish, it will not only affect the eye of the user but also cause motion sickness. It is important to buy a good quality headset that has good lenses.
Built-in headphones
When virtual reality headsets were released back in the day, its main goal was to focus on display rather than sound. As technology is improving each day, developers have come with new generations of headsets that have built-in headphones in them. These headphones provide 3D sound effects to the user. While looking at a 3D display, the 3D sound effect will allow him to sense the direction of the sound. The sound effects enhance the VR experience and give a more real feel to it.
Adjustable focal lenses
New VR headsets have adjustable focal lenses that allow the user to adjust the distance of the lenses. The standard range of adjusting the focal lenses is between 55-75 mm. The user can adjust the focal lenses according to its need that provides an ease to the user in watching VR videos.
Weight of the VR headset
A virtual reality headset should be extremely light. Otherwise, the user will be unable to wear it for a long time. If the user cannot watch a movie or clip on the VR headset, then what is the use of it? VR headset that is light in weight enables the user to wear it for a long time and does not provide any problem to the user. Instead, it provides the user an advantage over other VR headsets. As we can see, the new headsets that are coming to the market are extremely light in weight. Thus, they are attracting the crowd.
Easy set-up
VR headset should be easy to set-up. The user should just plug-in and play. Nobody wants to waste their time in setting up a new device. There should be no complications regarding setting up the device. It is a disadvantage. People have now become lazy and just want to enjoy their time as everyone has a busy schedule. So, a VR headset should be easy to set-up enabling the user to enjoy to the fullest.
Compatibility regarding the size of the phone
The compatibility of phones is an important feature. It is a must to see the size of phones that the headset supports. Every headset that is compatible with smartphones has a compartment, where the user puts the phone. The compartment has a limited size. Make sure that the VR headset has the ability and compatibility to fit your phone. Otherwise, it will a waste of money or you will have to use a new headset or a new phone.
VR Headset Should Be Strong
The most interesting generation in technology is the kids and teenagers. They just can not be left out of anything related to technology. It is important to make sure that a VR headset is strong and robust. Any drop will cause damage to the headset or not. Children are careless and may drop the headset, before buying any headset make sure that it is drop-proof. So that even the children can enjoy it.
Field of View
The field of view plays an important role in the working of a VR device. A VR headset should have a minimum of 100 degrees to ensure a good display to the user. According to research, a human eye has FOV between 220-240 degrees, which makes VR nowhere close to the real eye. But to render a 3D object and see it from a real eye’s perspective, at least 100 degrees of field of view is required. As development is still in progress, we can expect that FOV will get better and provide a more realistic view to the user.
The Material of the VR Headset
The material of a VR headset should be of premium quality so that it ensures long life. It is not a wise idea to buy a cheap headset as it will not live a very long life. For example, Google Cardboard is made from simple cardboard, it has no premium feel to it. If anyone sits on it, it will get crushed. If you sweat while wearing the headset, it will get a stain. It is rightly said that quality comes with a price. It is important to ensure the built quality of the headset so that you can enjoy it for a long time.
The Best VR Apps for iPhone
VR headsets require applications to work. Therefore, discussing the application is necessary to understand, “How does virtual reality really work with iPhones?” As virtual reality is becoming more of the industry itself, it is important to discuss VR applications for iPhones. Now, it is time to discuss which VR app to use with the headset that will provide the user with a good experience.
End Space VR
Virtual reality is not just for looking at pictures or watching videos. The main crowd of the VR community engages themselves in gaming. End Space is a VR game that delivers a beautiful and bright virtual environment. It is built by Justin Wasilenko. In this game, the user takes control of a spaceship and the objective of this game is to destroy or blow up other enemy ships. The graphics of this game is overwhelming.
Life VR
It gives the user experience of publishing brands mainly Times magazine, people, news, sports, and other political standings.
YouTube
YouTube allows the user to watch 360-degree videos. It is an immersive experience where the user can feel all the dramatic and scenic views. YouTube is updating its content to VR so that many people can enjoy the perks of it.
Relax VR
It is an application to provide relaxation to the people suffering from anxiety and stress. Relax and meditation photos and videos pop in front of the eye causing relation to the user.
Virtual Speech
A virtual speech app trains an individual to get confidence while speaking. If anyone is afraid of public speaking then this app is the perfect solution to it. It has scenarios in which the user can attend a business meeting, conduct a presentation or go for a job interview. The app allows you to add your slides to the presentation and convey your message. The app also keeps track of your progress and gives feedback on your performance.
Google Street View
If you want to visit any street in the world, then Google Street View is the perfect app for you. It works on the features of Google Maps, just select a city and street and you will be there. It is a great app for exploring cities and countries. You can also take a 360-degree photo and add to your collection to watch it later.
Incell VR
It is an action and racing VR game that is built with a bioscience strategy and recreated cells. The game is pretty vibrant and bright in colors. The user can race along with the colorful environment and enjoy the beautiful experience of virtual reality.
Sisters
It is a very famous VR app that allows the user to experience and enjoy a horror game. It has multiple scenarios and hints that enhance the gameplay of the user. However, it is recommended not to play this game during the night.
The Future of Virtual Reality on iPhone
The advancement of virtual reality on the iPhone depends on Apple itself. The VR headsets available in the market will not be of much improvement if Apple does not take any step towards virtual reality. The CEO of Apple, Tim Cook says that augmented reality has a greater potential than virtual reality. Augmented reality is laying digital graphics over the real world. Whereas virtual reality immerses an individual into a completely new environment isolating him from the real world. But we can see that VR is making progress in each field. As the day comes, Apple has to take steps towards VR to stay in the market.
Conclusion
Virtual reality is the tomorrow of technology. As it is improving its extent to every user, it is important to note that it is also allowing itself to enter every industry. As we have answered the question “How does virtual reality really work with iPhones?”. Many VR headsets offer compatibility with iPhones. A VR headset that supports the use of the iPhone mainly consists of a body (exterior) and lenses. The rest of the tasks and things are done using the iPhone. To get a better VR experience, it is recommended to use the new models that came after the iPhone 6. The display in the new models is much better adding to the quality of VR.
There are many features to look for before buying a VR headset for an iPhone. These features include the comfortability, weight, resolution of lenses, fit and support, field of view and many more. More features a VR headset has, the better experience of VR can be felt. It is important to note that Apple has not launched its VR headset and by the looks of it, not planning to launch any soon. It is planning to focus more on augmented reality, combining the real world with digital customization and creating an environment of their own.
So, How does virtual reality really work with iPhones? We hope you now have more information to answer that specific question.
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