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To watch VR videos you will need: VR headset, virtual reality video and a special player.
You’re already halfway to a whole new experience if you’re wondering what you need to watch VR videos in virtual reality! We, in turn, will try to help you figure it out as quickly as possible and without unnecessary, distracting information. Here we go.
1. Virtual Reality headset
The most important thing is the virtual reality headset (HMD, VR headset)
Everything that is available in the world of virtual reality can only be seen with a special VR headset. Without it, there is no way at all. And although many different models of these devices have already been released, we will focus only on a few variants. The most affordable and relevant at the moment.
The undisputed leader in terms of price-quality criterion
The most popular and recommended VR headset at the moment is the Oculus Quest 2. This headset has taken the virtual reality industry from the expensive “enthusiast-only” category to the masses. Not only is the Quest 2 a very high quality and inexpensive VR headset, but it is also completely PC independent. While you can connect this VR headset to a PC, you don’t have to at all. Everything you need for gaming, movies, and VR videos is already on board.
We also recommend checking out the Oculus Quest 3 and Pico 4
Quest 2 is at a sufficient level for a quality VR experience. However, if you want the best VR headset available right now, the Quest 3 will give you even more screen resolution, viewing angle and performance. Of course, at a higher price.
The Pico 4 is also slightly superior to the Quest 2 in terms of image quality and is a great VR headset. Pico doesn’t have as large a selection of apps and games for its headset as Oculus, and the quality of the software is clearly inferior to the competition. However, if you don’t particularly need games that will run inside the headset itself without connecting to a PC, the Pico 4 might be a great option for now.
VR headsets for smartphone
The cheapest option is a VR headset for a smartphone, similar to the VR Box. It does not have its own hardware and is simply a box with lenses, where you need to insert a smartphone. The biggest plus of such a system is its low cost. Similar devices can be bought for about 10 dollars. However, there is a very good chance that this way of watching VR videos can be disappointing.
From the minuses – rather poor picture quality (due to the low resolution of the smartphone screen) and the lack of a convenient way to control (there will be no special VR controllers).
If you want to really enjoy virtual reality and immerse yourself in it completely, you should buy a full-fledged VR headset. Although VR headsets for smartphones have a right to exist, they will not give the same realistic picture and usability as a full-fledged VR headset.
2. Virtual Reality video
You can then move on to a video made specifically for the virtual reality headset.
Now that it has become clear that Virtual Reality is not a toy, but a whole new industry, there are many content creators dedicated to making VR videos.
VR-video differs from the usual one not only by its huge resolution, but also by the fact that it contains 2 video rows in one. There is a different image for each eye. For this reason, video files can be up to several gigabytes in size. But where to watch it?
There are a lot of services for watching online and downloading VR videos, but not all of them are characterized by consistency and a large selection of content. At the moment we can highlight 2 sites where you will definitely find a lot of interesting virtual reality videos in good quality.
YouTube.com
Youtube was one of the first to adapt its platform for 360 and later for VR videos. On this resource you can find a lot of content for VR. To find such videos, type 360, VR 360 or just VR videos in the search box.
The downside of this site is the lack of a dedicated VR app for different VR headsets. 360 videos on Youtube will have to be watched in the browser for VR headsets in most cases, which may lead to deterioration of video quality.
DeoVR.com
This site appeared relatively recently, but has already established itself as an excellent resource for virtual reality videos. Here you don’t have to search for VR content among ordinary videos like on youtube. All videos on this site are already in 360 or VR formats.
Also, deovr.com has developed specific VR apps for different devices, which is a big plus in terms of accessing their content from a VR headset.
3. Applications for watching VR videos
VR video can be watched directly in the browser for virtual reality headset, but this way is not very convenient. For comfortable viewing, it is better to use a special player. Their number is as great as the variety of VR-headsets themselves. But we will focus on the two most successful ones.
The free option is DeoVR
This player is designed specifically for watching VR videos with direct access to your own content gallery. But it also allows you to watch VR videos that you download to your PC or headset. It has great functionality for streaming videos from online services. The link – deovr.com/app will take you to the player website where you can download it for any of the VR headsets.
Paid VR Player Skybox
This player is mainly for already downloaded videos and will cost you about $10. Its functionality is much more extensive and better than its free counterparts. The main advantage of this player is that it can stream video to VR-headset from your PC “over the air” via Wi-Fi without quality loss. How much more convenient it is than downloading video and then transferring it to the headset – you will realize later when you start doing it. To start with, it will be enough to use DeoVR. You can download Skybox VR on the official website – skybox.xyz/get.
VR player for your phone
If your VR headset is phone-based, the first two options won’t work and you need a different player. There are a lot of such applications for both Android and ios. Of those that have long existed and are supported by authors, we can recommend – VR Media Player.
That’s it! You’re ready to watch videos in virtual reality.
