Samsung’s Gear VR is in a difficult position. It falls between between the basic options of Google Daydream and Google Cardboard and the absurd experiences of the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. Nonetheless, it’s a fantastic gadget for those new to the VR experience. The majority of apps are offered through the Oculus Store rather than Google Play. Furthermore, all of these apps operate in virtual reality to some level, so you get the experience with all of these apps. The main downside is that most experiences are rather rudimentary, consisting mostly of streaming video material, instructional activities, and some basic technologies like as web surfing. It’s a developing medium, therefore it should improve in the next years. Here are the best Gear VR apps available right now.
The best Samsung Gear VR apps
1. Facebook 360
The obvious choice is Facebook 360. In virtual reality, it’s nearly the complete Facebook experience. The app is mostly concerned with photo and video material. You may, however, browse your news feed, like status updates, and do other typical Facebook activities. This is a fairly good app for the Facebook video platform. It supports game broadcasters, 360-degree and 2D video material, as well as 360-degree picture content. It doesn’t operate or feel like your mobile Facebook app or the Facebook website, but that’s alright since it’s still a pleasant experience to use. Of course, Facebook 360 is absolutely free to use, although you may encounter some advertisements.
2. Intel True VR
For sports enthusiasts, Intel True VR is a great app. It allows you to watch NFL highlights and, in some circumstances, whole games in pure VR glory. For the live games, you must have an NFL membership. The majority of the highlights, though, are free. The user interface is relatively conventional for VR. As the background, you see a large space with a variety of content and films. Simply choose what you want to watch and watch it. Otherwise, it’s a relatively easy software with generally favourable results. It is highly recommended for those who have a subscription to the NFL’s streaming service.
3. NextVR
Another good app for sports enthusiasts is NextVR. It offers a wide range of highlights, special events, and live athletic events on demand. It mostly offers NBA, WWE, and soccer, with a few more sports thrown in for good measure. You also get a limited number of concerts and stand-up comedy shows. It functions similarly to most VR streaming platforms. You log on, choose what you want to see, and then sit back and enjoy it. Some of the content is free. For example, the WWE intends to provide 10 minutes of free material alongside some pay-per-view events. However, some material, such as NBA content, may need the purchase of a product such as the NBA League Pass in order to watch live games.
4. Oculus Rooms
The Oculus Rooms app is a cross between an app and a game. It’s reminiscent of Nintendo’s Miitomo software. You make some social area and invite folks to hang there. You may watch TV and interact with other individuals by playing mini-games. This is more of a social app than anything else, and it’s a terrific way to get started in the VR arena. It’s also free and simple to use. If you wish to integrate with Facebook, you may do so as well. During our testing, we loved it and found no serious issues.
5. Paint VR
As you might expect, Paint VR is a drawing app for the Gear VR. It’s a little awkward to use, but it’s practical. You notice a paintbrush in the centre of your view. You may alter the colour, brush size, backdrop colour, and a few other minor parameters. Some have expressed dissatisfaction with the restrictions, and we understand why. However, after a little practise, it begins to come together. Paint42 and GoPaint are two additional independent drawing apps that show a lot of potential. On the Oculus Store, Paint VR costs $4.99.
6. Plex VR
Plex is one of the most powerful video streaming home server solutions. The firm is quite adept at keeping up with latest technology, like VR. After you’ve configured the home server and the app, you may view your locally saved movies and TV episodes directly from your Gear VR. It also supports music, though we didn’t put it through its paces. In true VR flair, 180-degree and 360-degree media are also supported. Plex also promises that future versions will include even additional functions. As one of the best Gear VR apps, we say yes without a doubt.
7. Samsung Internet
For a list like this, Samsung Internet makes sense. Samsung is most likely capable of creating a browser for its own Gear VR device. It competes well with the Oculus Browser and is perhaps the most capable of the few browsers available on the Oculus Store. It supports 180-degree and 360-degree video, as well as the Gear VR controller and standard 2D content. It’s far from ideal, and there have been reports of connection bugs and keyboard issues. Of course, you can always utilise PhoneCast VR to use Chrome or Firefox if you don’t mind the fact that it’s just in 2D.
8. Samsung PhoneCast VR
PhoneCast VR is still in development, but it is certainly one of the best Gear VR apps. This allows you to utilise almost any app on your phone in the VR world. You can, for example, play Angry Birds, utilise Google Chrome, check your email, or do whatever else you want. Of course, the experience is somewhat hampered by the fact that 2D apps lack good VR controls. However, this software gives the Gear VR access to the whole Google Play Store (as well as the Samsung Galaxy Apps Store). The user interface is essentially a beautiful natural landscape with a window for your app or game. You can play games in this area, but we recommend that you just play the easiest games because the controls would be considerably more difficult otherwise.
9. Wander
Wander is a lovely software that may be used for both pleasure and education. You basically utilise Google Street Map’s capabilities to tour the entire earth. You can virtually walk up and down the city and even explore portions of the ocean. The programme has Wikipedia integration in case you want to learn more about a certain site, a voice search option for fast discovering landmarks, and even a historical view mode that we thought was cool. It costs $4.99. That may seem a little steep for an app that just does two things, but it does both of them extremely effectively, and it’s also wonderful for educating your kids about topics.
10. Within (formerly VRSE)
Within (formerly VRSE) is a virtual reality video platform for both makers and users. Here you may discover some high-quality VR entertainment. The app primarily serves as a video streaming service. However, this is one of our favourite apps to use when we have people over to show them what VR is all about. There is some small instructional value here, but the majority of it is for entertaining purposes. There is also a case to be made that there are some game components in this one because the majority of the stories are participatory. In any case, this one may not retain your interest for long, but it’s a terrific way for novice Gear VR owners to get started and a fun time killer for experienced fans.
11. YouTube VR
This is another obvious pick for such a list. YouTube is the world’s most popular video-streaming service. YouTube has a wide variety of music, entertainment, news, and other miscellaneous content. The YouTube VR app, as expected, offers 180-degree and 360-degree videos. It also works with your regular YouTube account and, if you have it, YouTube Premium. The user interface might be a little confusing at times, but it works well enough most of the time. That’s all there is to it. You understand what YouTube does and why people enjoy it. It’s a no-brainer, especially if you utilise YouTube Premium.
12. Netflix, Hulu, Disney, DreamWorks, Showtime, others
There are several video-streaming Gear VR apps available. Actually, there were more than we had anticipated. With Netflix and Hulu, Gear VR gets access to the two most popular services (YouTube notwithstanding). Showtime VR, DreamWorks VR, and Disney Movies VR are some more alternatives. Coco VR, a single VR entertainment experience from Disney and Pixar, is also a fantastic option. These services differ in price, but they all work well with the Gear VR. This is also a great place to find videos for you and your children to watch if they ever want to use your headset.
13. Various TV channel Gear VR apps
There are several distinct TV networks that have their own Gear VR apps. AMC VR, CNN VR, and Discovery VR are a few examples. Each channel has its own collection of programmes tailored to a certain demographic. Those who enjoy CNN news should check out this app. Those who enjoy Discovery Channel programming should give it a go, and fans of The Walking Dead know where to go from here. Each has its own set of prices and subscription choices. We didn’t observe any major issues, however we did test these quite rapidly to ensure they all worked at all. We might have missed something, but we played the video and it worked great.
14. Various documentaries
There are about a dozen good short documentaries developed just for VR. The Poeple’s House, Notes on Blindness, Dispatch, Zero Days VR, Nomads, and The Turning Forest are among the selections. These are instructive virtual reality experiences covering a variety of themes such as the White House, blindness, and wildlife. These aren’t that interesting. They function similarly to traditional documentaries, except that they are in 360-degree video format and are confined within a single application. We tested a few of them and found no major defects or problems. Of course, your results may vary.
15. Various relaxing Gear VR apps
There are a plethora of calming Gear VR apps available. We’re discussing in groups of dozens. Some of the better possibilities include Happy Place, Calm Place, Nature Treks VR, and Zen Zone, which is also quite good. These apps feature quiet surroundings and relaxing music, rather than action or anything else. They are essentially virtual reality peaceful spots where you may unwind after a long day. There are also various yoga and meditation apps, but their quality varies greatly, so we recommend using them with caution. The apps fluctuate in price, but we didn’t see anything more than $4.99.