Do you have a Samsung Gear VR and wondering what you can do with it?
Let’s find out.
What Can You Do with Samsung Gear VR?
Gear VR has access to the two biggest services Netflix and Hulu (YouTube notwithstanding).
There are several different options for virtual reality experiences, including ones from Disney and Pixar, as well as others from Showtime, Dreamworks, and even Disney itself.
Best Gear VR Apps
Samsung’s Gear VR sits somewhere between the simpler offerings of the Google Daydream View and Google Cardboard, and the super ridiculous experiences of the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive.
It’s still an excellent choice for beginners in the VR world. Most apps are available through the Oculus store rather than Google play.
Facebook 360
Facebook 360 is kind of an obvious choice. It’s almost the whole Facebook experience in virtual reality. The app primarily focuses on photo and video content. However, you can see your news feed, like statuses, and the usual Facebook things.
This is an excellent app for the Facebook live-streaming platform. It supports game streamer videos, both 360-degree (VR) and 2D, and 360-degree photos as well.
Intel True VR
Intel True VR is an entertaining app for sports fans. With it, you can watch NFL highlight videos and, in some cases (like the Super Bowl), full games in virtual reality. To get access to these videos, you’ll need an NFL membership. But most of the clips are free.
The UI is your standard VR fair. You walk into a huge room with various content and video walls as wallpaper. You just pick what you’d like to view and then view it.
NextVR
NextVR is another good app for sports fans. They feature a variety of highlight reels, special events, and one-on-one matches. They feature mainly basketball, wrestling, and football with a few others. They also offer a small selection of concerts and comedy shows.
Like most VR streaming platforms, you log into the service, select what you’d like to watch, and then enjoy it. Some of the content is free.
Oculus Rooms
The Oculus Rooms is a little like a cross between a game and an application. You create a room where your friends can come together and chat. You can also watch videos and play games with them.
We considered this an early prototype of what could be a great tool for learning about virtual reality. But we found it lacking in features and functionality. And it was too expensive. So we decided not to recommend it.
Paint VR
Paint VR is a new drawing app for Gear VR. It’s a little goofy to actually draw with, but it works. You start out with a paintbrush in the middle of your view. You can change the colors, brushes, change background colors, and some other small options.
Plex VR
Plex is one of today’s best media streaming services. It keeps up with new technology and that means it has some really cool features for virtual reality.
You set up the computer at your house and install the Oculus Go software, and then you can play videos and listen to music through the headset without having to connect to any external devices.
With its true VR capabilities, you also receive support for 180-degree and 360-degree media. Plex also promised even more features in future upgrades. It’s definitely a definite yes from us as one the best Gear VR apps available.
Samsung Internet
For a list like this, Samsung Internet would be a good choice. It’s likely that Samsung has already developed a web browsing app for its own Gear VR system.
It competes very favorably against the Oculus Browser and it’s arguably the most competent of its kind among the few browsers available for the Oculus Store.
It allows you to view both 180-degree and 360-degree videos and supports the Gear VR controller, as well as your normal 2-dimensional content.
We’re sure there were some bugs here and there but overall, we think it was pretty good. You can always use PhoneCast for Chrome or Firefox if you want to avoid any issues.
What Can You Do with Samsung Gear VR?
Samsung PhoneCast VR
It’s easy to see why this is one of the best GearVR applications available. You can use almost any app on the go in the Gear VR. For example, you can play Angry Bird, use Google Chrome, read emails, or do anything else you want to do!
With the Gear VR, you get access to virtually every app in the Google Play Store and Samsung Galaxy App store. It’s basically a nice nature scenery with a window where you can see your app or game.
Wander
Wander is an excellent app for relaxing and exploring the world. It uses Google Street Map technology to allow you to virtually walk through any city or town in the world. You can take a stroll up or down the street or even go underwater!
With Wikipedia integration, a built-in search feature, and an interesting historical view mode, the new Google Maps application has plenty going for it.
Within (Formerly VRSE)
Within (formerly VR SE) is a VR streaming platform for both creators and viewers. You can find some good-looking VR videos here. The application functions mainly as a streaming service.
However, this is an app we use often when visitors come over to show them what virtual reality is really like. It has some educational value, but most of it consists of entertainment.
There is also an argument that there are some gaming elements in this one as most of the stories are interactive.
YouTube VR
It’s no surprise that YouTube is one of the most popular websites out there. You can watch videos from all kinds of different categories including music, entertainment, news, and other random things.
The YouTube VR app lets you watch both 180-degree and 360-degree videos. You can use it with your regular YouTube account or YouTube Premium if you have either one. The user interface isn’t perfect, but it gets the job done most of the time.
Conclusion
If you’ve never used virtual reality before, the Gear VR is probably the easiest way to jump right in. It’s got a lot of great apps, and it’s relatively inexpensive compared to other headsets.
But don’t expect to spend hours playing games or watching movies. This is a device designed for short bursts of enjoyment.
If you have any questions feel free to comment below.
