VR mobile phone – how does VR actually work with a mobile phone and suitable VR headsets? is it really good We’ll show you which cell phone you need, which VR headsets and what you should pay attention to so that you get the best VR experience.
Here you can see how the principle works using the example of Destek’s VR headset in connection with a Samsung Galaxy smartphone:
Virtual Reality – The Principle
The principle is actually simple: You have a VR headset, in these headset there are 2 lenses through which you look at a display and something is shown on the display. The VR headset recognizes when you move your head and move the image with it, giving the impression that you are looking around. In order to achieve a three-dimensional (spatial) impression, the same image is shown for each eye, but a little offset. In “real life” your left eye sits on the left half of your face, the right eye on the right half of your face. So the two eyes have a certain distance from each other. Your brain combines both images that you see with your eyes, creating a “sense” for space or even for distances. Try turning a blind eye and then judging distances, you’ll find that harder than with the two of you, especially in unfamiliar surroundings. VR takes advantage of this and shows each eye a slightly offset image, which creates a three-dimensional effect.
(A look through the VR headset. Here you can see that Destek V4 VR headset )
How does VR work with a cell phone?
What role does the cell phone play now? The mobile phone now takes on 2 very relevant tasks:
- The smartphone serves as the display
- The smartphone recognizes how you move your head.
The principle here is again very simple: You insert the smartphone into the appropriate VR headset, the VR headset has 2 lenses through which you can look at the smartphone. A specific app is then running on the smartphone that splits the image and shifts it slightly, thus also creating this three-dimensional effect.
(After a VR app has been started on the smartphone, it can now be inserted into VR headset.)
(The image is shown a bit offset for the left and right eye, so that a 3D effect is created. Exactly as if you were really in “virtual reality”)
(The distance between the lenses and the display and the distance between the lenses can be adjusted for most VR haedsets in order to create the sharpest possible image.)
(The remote control can be used in many apps, for example as a pointer, pistol, sword or for navigation. The tracking works surprisingly well in VR with a mobile phone.)
Which apps for VR with a mobile phone?
There are several apps that split the picture in 2 and let these pictures “move” according to the movement of your head. A very essential app that works on almost every mobile phone is the Google Cardboard app.
With the Google Cardboard app, Google developed VR support for mobile phones, which suddenly brought a large number of apps and VR headsets for smartphones onto the market. The Google Cardboard app serves as the center for other VR apps, such as B. Youtube-VR and various VR games.
With the “Google Daydream” app, a controller can be used that also detects the movement of the controller. Thus, the controller can e.g. B. be swung as a sword. However, not all smartphones are suitable for Google Daydream. You can find out which you can use with Google Daydream here: Google Daydream Ready Smartphones
You can find a few selected apps here: These VR APPS should not be missing on your smartphone
(There are countless videos, VR games and other entertaining content in the Google Daydream app)
What your “VR smartphone” must be able to do
There is really no such thing as a “VR cell phone” in this sense. There are some models that support Google Daydream and are therefore really suitable for VR, but smartphones that do not support Daydream can also be used very well for videos and some games. The mobile phone should above all have a high resolution, an AMOLED or OLED display and ideally have a fast processor so that the apps run smoothly.
You can find more details here: VR Handy It should be able to do that
You can find the best smartphones for VR here: The best VR smartphones (cardboard)
Which smartphone is now suitable for VR?
We have compiled a list of smartphones that meet exactly these requirements:
Here you will find the best smartphones for VR -> The best VR phones
Further information:
Google Cardboard vs. Google Daydream
At the end of 2016, Google also set a new standard for virtual reality for VR smartphones with the release of Android N and the new Pixel Phone (we reported: Google Virtual Reality – Daydream finally introduced ).
Google Cardboard can be used with any VR headset on the market ( VR headset charts ), you can also use almost any smartphone, regardless of whether it is too big, too small, too low a resolution, too bad a display, etc. It is therefore perfectly suitable for beginners in virtual reality. Of course, on the other hand, the VR experience is not as good as with Google Daydream or with the HTC Vive.
With Google Daydream Google now sets strict guidelines that are necessary for the use of Daydream. You can find a list of Daydream-compatible smartphones here: Daydream-ready smartphones . There are currently only a handful of smartphones.
Another difference is that Daydream currently only works with the Daydream View and this is at least twice as expensive as the common VR headsets on Amazon. If you want to use Daydream, you have to dig a little deeper into your pocket.
See the list further down this page for smartphones that you can use with Google Cardboard.
Where can I find VR apps for VR smartphones?
After you want to dive into the new virtual world with a suitable smartphone and VR headset, you might ask yourself: “Which apps do I need now?”.
We have made a list of our favorites here: These VR APPS should not be missing on your VR smartphone
Does your VR headset don’t have a magnetic switch?
This is the question VR beginners ask themselves when they suddenly have to “click” in an app. You may be able to use a bluetooth mouse here, or our walkaround (retrofit magnetic switch) .
Even so, the good old remote control is still the best solution: VR headsets remote control.