Virtual Reality (VR) has truly arrived, and with Samsung’s Gear VR officially available in India, you can at least get a taste of what this new field of technology has to offer.
Yes, headsets like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive are really expensive and nowhere near the horizon in India right now, but the Gear VR and Google Cardboard make for the perfect way for VR enthusiasts to start.
Here are some apps that’ll give you the best taste of VR.
Samsung School of Rugby
Made for the Samsung Gear VR, this game has you standing in the middle rugby players who are throwing the ball around. Your task is to follow the ball and the longer you look at it, the more points you score. If you’re sitting, ensure that your chair swivels. Else, just stand and play. It’s a really addictive game for VR enthusiasts.
Gunjack
Another one for the Samsung Gear VR but this one isn’t free. It costs $9.99 and can be bought from the Oculus Store. It’s a turret shooter for virtual reality that really sets the bar for what even the most basic VR games of its kind. If you bought a Gear VR, you may as well try this one out.
Cosmos Warfare
If you don’t want to spend on VR apps right now, Cosmos Warfare also gives you a good taste of the Gear VR. In this, you’re flying a spaceship and the goal is to shoot other spaceships down. Cosmos Warfare’s best bits though occur even before you start shooting. When the real war starts, you’ll have fun, but only for that long. It’s worth a try.
Inside Abbey Road
Google Cardboard is simple, but it’s a lot of fun. If you don’t believe us, just download the Inside Abbey Road app. This one’s for the Beatles fans. You can take a virtual reality tour of the Abbey Road studio. Yes, the same one that tourists spend hours in line to see. You can skip the line and get a narrated tour of the studio.
Late Beatles producer George Martin’s son, Giles Martin, has lent his voice for the tour. Beatles fans would probably buy the Cardboard just for this app.
Insidious VR
In the mood for some horror? VR can potentially be a really good thing for the horror buffs, and Insidious proves why. It’s available on the Google and Oculus Store and gives you a very good taste of how horrific this genre can be on a VR headset. Keep in mind that it’s not for the faint-hearted.
Goosebumps: Night of Scares
Sticking to the horror genre, you obviously know what Goosebumps is. Well, this app brings some of its best-known monsters to life, virtual of course. You can try it out on the Samsung Gear VR.
Invasion
Last but not the least, Invasion is a really good movie to show friends interested in VR. It creates a vast world, complete with a cure rabbit and invading aliens giving you a preview of what watching animated movies in VR will be like.
(Som Dasgupta is a freelance journalist who thrives on everything tech. After all the time he’s spent around technology, he’d like to think he’s turned into a robot.)
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