Virtual reality seems to be a big deal but actually it is not. With the emerging technology and regular updates, it is becoming accessible to everyone, even in the smartphones. Although VR headsets for PC and VR headsets for gaming are expensive but the good thing is, the smartphones VR headsets are cheaper. Is my phone VR compatible? In this blog, you will find out. Let’s get started.
VR Headsets for Smartphones
Many big names like Samsung, HTC, Google etc. are giving VR technology a big push by making it accessible easily to everyone. As the virtual reality headsets by these companies are top-notch quality and pricey, there are some VR headsets that are made out of cardboard that satisfies the need of smartphones.
You will get a plenty of options for the VR headsets for smartphone but the key is whether or not your smartphone is virtual reality supported.
Here is how you can check the presence of hardware and software in the smartphone.
Is My Phone VR Compatible?
The virtual reality for smartphone is not as much developed as the VR headsets for gaming PC however, there are some headsets that are compatible for phone. Instead of establishing connection through wires, the virtual reality headset for smartphone allows your device to fit in the frontal areas.
The headset area that minimum allows a phone that has a screen size of 4 to 6 inches. Here are some prominent features that will identify if your phone is VR compatible or not.
Features that Support VR in your Smartphone
The key characteristics that make your smartphone compatible to VR headsets include
- Gyroscope
- Magnetic Field Sensor
- Internal Compass (optional)
- NFC (optional)
Virtual reality system is not new for Android phones as they are running this feature since 4.1+ however, it does not provide the quality as the VR does with the PCs. Yet, it ensures the control and support at its optimal level.
Further, to check the compatibility of your phone, here is a rule to check the presence of the sensor that supports the VR system.
1. Presence Rule of Sensor
For that, you need to get your mobile phone display and sync it with the head orientation, showing a stereoscopic view. This can be done with the help of 2 sensors; gyroscope and accelerometer. These sensors actually help to track the movement and the orientations into three dimensions.
The simplest way to check the presence of sensor, you can install an app that are easily available on Google app store. These apps will help to read the phone sensor’s output and provide the data about the sensor. In case of iOS, iPhone series after 5S are VR supported as every model after this series possess the sensors.
2. YouTube Option
The other option for to check the sensor is by open YouTube simply and search 360 videos and play them. With every movement of your phone. For that, simply open your YouTube app on your phone, search for 360 degrees videos and click the play button.
To get the video right, make sure there is a small cardboard icon at the bottom of the right side. Once you play the video, the video will be divided into 2 screens.
3. Cardboard Mode
Another way to play these videos is to click on the three dots at the top right of your video screen. Find and select the View in Cardboard option. Tapping on this option will split your screen in to two half parts. With every movement of yours, if the video will move, it means that your phone has got the Gyro sensor and will match with the VR headset perfectly.
4. Checking through Browser
In this technique, you can check your phone by searching the VR content on your browser which is known as the webVR. This is a way of playing the VR videos through web and also to know if the browser can access the sensors.
If you want an ultimate experience, follow these tips
Tips to enhance the Virtual Reality Experience
These tips will continue to provide you a quality experience. This include
- Turn of the automatic brightness as the lighting must be similar throughout the video.
- Make sure your smartphone is at its highest brightness level.
- turn on the airplane mode on or you can turn off the on-screen notification in order to avoid distraction.
- Turn the auto rotate off. This is an important part before you begin stereoscopic view.
What Type of Smartphones should I Use VR Headset with Android and iPhone?
Nowadays, the VR headsets does support many smartphones, even the ones that are mid-ranged and the big companies are making is more accessible by adding this feature in every phone. The popular VR headsets for smartphones includes Google Daydream, Samsung Gear, Google Cardboard.
The smartphones that offers ultimate VR experience includes; Samsung Mobiles series S and iPhones that are above series 5.
Remember: Other mobile phones also offer VR compatibility; however, it is not restricted to these series as now almost every phone comes with gyroscope. Still through the above mentioned method you can confirm.
Summing it Up
With the emerging technology and the popularity of the virtual reality system, this technology is supporting at the smallest level too; the smartphones. Along with the VR headset, it is important to know if your phone is compatible with the VR system or not. In this blog, we have shared some trick and tips so that you can get to know the answer to your query.