VR Apps for iPhone are constantly evolving, especially with the advent of affordable gadgets like the Google Cardboard, even though the case of integrating the Oculus Rift is still pending. Competition is always a welcomed idea, and the race of providing the customer with the best viewing experience leaves the buyer with the highest value in the equation. From cinematics to educative experiences, some VR Apps for iPhone are reasons enough to acquire an HMD.

This post reviews VR Apps for iPhone that should bring you at least a rewarding visual experience if their cultural or informative aspects fail to impress you. The fact that they are all free can’t hurt either.

• Orbulus – was launched in the summer of 2015 for iOS, and it is meant for those of you who want to travel the world (and not only) without having to leave your living room. Different themed galleries are uploaded constantly, with subject matters as diverse as the Mars Rover, the Aurora Borealis or the Alhambra in Granada. It works with many models of headsets.
• DinoTrek VR Experience – is one way to improve on the idea of wholesome family entertainment. It basically is your own dinosaur themed natural park, for your family to go on a Cretaceous safari. The user has a 360-degree view of the interactions of the great prehistoric reptiles, whether they are engaged in ferocious territory battles or (not so) elegant mating dances. It is also free, with new features being added every few months.
• Skydive 360 – I usually go for the real thing, but when it comes to jumping out of moving vehicles, and aerial ones at that, I prefer the surrogate. Trying to visually re-create an experience that often leaves people lost for words is no mean feat. Maybe this is the reason that reviews for this app go from one extreme to another. As someone that gets frightened at just mentions of jumping a fence, I highly recommend the VR experience.
• Infiniti Driver’s Seat VR – it is recommended for use with the Google Cardboard, although that’s not mandatory. The features, options and general awesomeness of Infiniti’s concept cars are only accessible through this app. Fasten your seatbelt and drive the Infiniti Q60 and QX30 through some of the most exquisite test drive routes, while listening to a history of the concepts delivered to you by Infiniti’s head of development.

• VR Cities – with the most recent update coming just last month, VR Cities borrows the work of 360 photographers and brings it to your iPhone for the best tourist’s exploration no money can buy. From the cities of old Europe like Paris and Prague to the futuristic novel architectural tigers of Doha, Dubai or Singapore, there is a multitude of options.
• VR ONE Cinema – German quality and design from Carl Zeiss AG, permits you to watch movies in a 3D theater experience, lights off. Controllable through an intuitive interface, this app works by copying movies in MP4 format (or directly from your camera roll) through the iTunes sharing, a little flick of the head and the curtain is raised immediately. It works best with a Zeiss head-mounted (though not a requisite) display plus videos in 720p resolution, yet it does not support movies from the iTunes store.
• Discovery VR – enhances your favorite science and exploration themed shows with a new viewpoint. Where current VR technology excels is at the computer generated recreation of things past: sites of ancient cities, prehistoric animals, distant planets or ocean depths upon which a video camera has never been set. A huge upside for this app is the fact that it uploads new content on a regular basis, with the latest update just a few weeks ago.
• Sisters: A Virtual Reality Ghost Story – a variation on the old scary story theme, this app takes it beyond the level of the campfire narrator. The developers promise something close to a horror-cinematic experience, complete with a realistic environment that is supposed to respond to your actions, yet some of the user reviews decry the quality of the sound.
• NYT VR – the virtual reality app from the New York Times has a clever little slogan, and should help users immerse themselves in the realm of quality journalistic storytelling. Presumably, it is enjoyed best with the Google Cardboard, and it even has some tips in the iTunes description. The editors update the app with new material about once a month.

These VR apps for iPhone may prove one reviewer’s derisive remark that “virtual reality has already been here for a while” as having some truth, however, if one is truly passionate about a subject, then a different angle of exploring that passion cannot hurt.

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