7 Of The Best Smartphone Virtual Reality Apps

Virtual reality is not just coming it's already here. What's particularly exciting about virtual reality is that it has the potential to change the world as we know it. This article is going to attempt to introduce you to some of what's possible by taking advantage of virtual reality on your smartphone.

Which app will you try?

YouTube

An unsurprising addition to this list is YouTube. They are leading the change in the form of virtual reality apps. They are already using 360-degree videos together with virtual reality. It already has a service you can use on your smartphone. The catalogue is relatively small, but there's everything from music videos to wildlife.

Just search for them on YouTube and give them a try.

Google Cardboard

Google Cardboard is not just an app it's a headset. This is Google's flagship product that will take advantage of the growing interest in virtual reality.

Some of the options available include a wraparound version of Google Earth and flying across the Atlantic. Along with Google Cardboard, there are other apps that are compatible with the headset, and more are coming out every week. This has the potential to enhance all of Google's other services.

VRSE

Documentary makers are one group that is looking forward to what virtual reality can do. The number one rule of any documentary maker is to make the watcher feel like they are actually in the movie. VRSE is going to help them to do that.

Check out what it can do by taking a look at some of the fun shorts and the music videos already on the platform. For more serious connoisseurs of virtual reality, there are serious videos that involve exploring the world.

Cleanopolis

Virtual reality also has a less serious side to it. "The Cleanopolis virtual reality app is an educational title aimed at younger people," says Filip Boksa, CEO of King of Maids, a provider of cleaning services in Chicago. It's still a fun experience for people of all ages, though. The app is about becoming cleaners as you fight as Captain Clean to rid the city of CO2. This resonates with us as a cleaning company and has the potential to inspire cleanliness and better health practices in all people."

This 3D city can be fully explored and there are lots of things to do across its four districts. This is so much more than an ordinary game and is an insight into what the future holds for gaming.

NYT VR

Media companies are increasingly experimenting with brand new apps in order to bring virtual reality into the world of news. The New York Times is no exception. The NYT VR app is a place where the brand is showcasing some of its virtual reality capabilities.

You can go everywhere from the bottom of the sea to the endless expanse of Pluto. Like with most other media companies, this is still in the early stages of production.

Sisters

Cleanopolis was an example of one of the simpler types of games you would see on a smartphone. It's far from a total immersion experience, though. Sisters is a game that intends on changing that. This horror game is difficult to describe without completely spoiling the plot.

It's a short and terrifying experience that makes you feel as if you are exploring the environment entirely by yourself. What has people so excited about this game is that it comes with a near infinite amount of potential.

InCell VR

This is something that's partly a game and partly an educational tool. InCell VR allows you to see what it's like to be within a human cell. You are actually flying through all these cells at the same time, while outrunning a wave of viruses. It's a stunning recreation of what a cell really looks like.

It's an intensive experience, while also being educational.

Conclusion – What Lies Ahead?

Virtual reality may have made some major gains, but what people have to understand is that it's still in its early stages. There's little chance that it's going to take over the world anytime soon. On the other hand, there's no doubt that it does have a bright future ahead and it's going to come to dominate the world one day.

These virtual reality apps all take different areas and demonstrate what's possible. There has never been a more exciting time for new technology.

What do you think lies ahead for virtual reality technology?