Mobile VR - What smartphones work with virtual reality?

You don’t have to spend hundreds and tether yourself to a console or high-end PC to experience virtual reality. If you’ve got a smartphone, it can be very affordable.

Many Android and iOS phones support VR, but they don’t all do it the same way, or equally well. So with that in mind we’ve created this guide, explaining which phones work with VR, what VR platform you can use with them and how good those phones and platforms are for VR.

But first, for a quick breakdown of the best phones for VR, check out the table below. Resolution, power and compatibility are the key factors to consider, and these phones come out on top:

You might have noticed that many of the latest and greatest phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S20 range, Google Pixel 4 range and iPhone 11 range aren’t included in that list.

The lack of Apple stuff is because the company has never fully embraced VR (though it is still possible to use VR on iPhones, as we’ll get to below), while on the Android front, companies seem to be backing away from smartphone-based VR platforms, with standalone VR headsets like the Oculus Go and Oculus Quest being the more modern ‘mobile’ version of VR.

Of course, these cost more than buying a headset for a phone you already have, so they’re not ideal if you’re on a budget. Fortunately, plenty of the options above are still good.

Below you’ll find more information on the main mobile VR platforms.

Google Daydream

Google Daydream is Google’s biggest stab at VR yet. Currently the Google Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Pixel, Pixel XL, Samsung Galaxy S9, Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Samsung Galaxy S8, Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus, LG V30, Moto Z2 Force, Moto Z, Moto Z Force, Huawei Mate 9 Pro, Huawei Porsche Design Mate 9, Asus ZenFone AR and ZTE Axon 7 are compatible with Daydream.

More phones may be made compatible in future, in fact, even some phones that aren’t currently compatible could be made compatible through a software update. However, this is looking unlikely to happen, and new handsets are unlikely to support Daydream for the foreseeable future, as Google has essentially abandoned it, with its newest Pixel 4 handsets not being supported.

That’s not to say that it has abandoned VR completely, rather it’s in the process of making a standalone Daydream headset that doesn’t need a phone.

As well as having a compatible phone you’ll also need a Daydream View headset, which at the time of writing costs £99. However, Google has discontinued this, so stock is limited. In other words, if you want to experience Daydream with your phone, you’ll need to pick up a headset soon.

Once bought, you’ll be ready to experience some of the best mobile VR available. Google Daydream is a great option because it only runs on fairly powerful phones and the headset itself is well-built, and even comes with a remote to better control VR experiences. There are also a number of VR games and experiences that are exclusive to Google Daydream.

But it’s also rather expensive by mobile VR standards and available on a very limited number of phones.

Samsung Gear VR

Samsung Gear VR is the other high-end mobile VR option. The newest version of the headset comes with a controller, just like Google Daydream, and is similarly well-built and comfortable. At full price it costs more, but it can often be found for around £70.

Gear VR is also only compatible with select Samsung phones, specifically the Samsung Galaxy S10, Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus, Samsung Galaxy S10e, Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, Samsung Galaxy Note 9, Galaxy S9 Plus, Galaxy S9, Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8 Plus, Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, Galaxy A8 Star, Galaxy A8, Galaxy A8 Plus and Galaxy Note 4. Note though that some of these phones only fit older models of the Gear VR.

You may notice that the Samsung Galaxy S20 range, Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10 Plus are absent from that list, and that’s no accident. As with Daydream, Gear VR has been largely abandoned, though the store and other software should still work for compatible handsets.

The Gear VR has similar advantages to Daydream, in that it’s a relatively high-end option with a high-quality headset. As it’s been around for a while it also has a large amount of content, with well over 1000 Gear VR apps and games available right now. Note however that this library may not continue to grow much now that support is winding down.

Google Cardboard

Google Cardboard is for anyone whose Android phone doesn’t support Samsung Gear VR or Google Daydream, or just anyone who doesn’t want to spend much on a VR headset.

In general, Cardboard apps and games will work with any Android 4.1 or above phone and even iPhones, as long as they’re running iOS 8 or above.

Then you just need a Google Cardboard viewer, which is essentially a cheap headset. These vary in quality and price, with ones literally made of cardboard available from a few pounds, while sturdier plastic options could run you up to around £30. Google itself makes one for £15. You can even make your own. Note however that some only fit phones of certain sizes, so check the details before you buy.

This all makes Google Cardboard extremely affordable and accessible, but the headsets themselves are of course nowhere near the quality of the ones above, and many of the apps and experiences aren’t as high-quality either.

You may also be limited by your phone – a low-end one might run Cardboard, but it won’t do it any justice.

However, Google Cardboard has the advantage of still being fully supported, so going forward we might see the library of supported content grow more than it does for Gear VR.

iPhone VR

Google Cardboard will generally be your best option for iPhone VR, but as long as you have an iPhone 5S or above there are other VR headsets available too.

These will let you experience a number of VR games and apps that aren’t specifically designed for cardboard, and the headsets tend to be similarly cheap, but we’d generally advise you opt for a cardboard-certified headset, that way you should be able to experience everything.

Windows Phone VR

To be blunt, if you have a Windows handset then you’re not getting to get a very good VR experience, as there are very few VR apps and games available. However, there are a handful, and you can experience them with any cheap VR headset that fits your phone.

Other smartphone VR solutions

If you’re rocking an Android phone your best options have likely been covered above, but you may yet have other options, as the likes of LG, ZTE and Huawei have also created their own VR headsets.

However, these are only useable by a very limited number of devices – the LG 360 VR only works with the LG G5 for example, and while they’re better built than most Cardboard headsets, they still can’t compete with Daydream or Gear VR, and may not have as much content available as those services.

Conclusion

Ultimately, if you have a phone that supports Samsung Gear VR or Google Daydream VR, those are the platforms to go for – just as long as you’re willing to pay for the headsets and are okay with the content that’s currently available, as it might not grow much.

Any of those phones should also be compatible with Google Cardboard, giving you options, and in the case of things like the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus you can choose from all three of those VR formats. That, combined with the fact that they’re powerful handsets with great screens, makes them arguably the best phones for VR.

If Gear VR and Daydream aren’t an option, stick with Google Cardboard, as the alternatives generally aren’t as good, and with a wide range of Cardboard viewers available you still have a lot of headset choice, just make sure you opt for one that fits your phone.

And if you’re interested in buying a new phone to use with VR, the S9 and S9 Plus are your best options as mentioned, followed by the Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10 Plus and Pixel 3 XL (the former two ranking lower than the S9 range because they don’t support Daydream), then anything else recent and powerful with a QHD screen or above that’s useable with Daydream or Gear VR – check the chart above for a full rundown.

1080p should just about cut it if you’re on a budget, but it will degrade the experience, and anything lower resolution than that probably isn’t worth bothering with – though if you already have a low-end phone it couldn’t hurt to buy a cheap Cardboard headset and decide for yourself.

All that said, if you want one of the best phones possible and have the money both to buy that and to buy a standalone VR headset, that’s the way to go, since the most recent flagships don’t support the best mobile VR platforms.