If you think virtual reality apps are designed just for gaming, think again. VR headsets are more accessible than ever before thanks to products like the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, or Sony PlayStation VR.
The recent two years should be an era of VR (Virtual Reality) which has triggered an incredible storm around the world. Virtual reality has the power to let you interact with some devices for an immersive and sensory experience. With its breakthrough in core technology, worldwide manufacturers are rushing to compete against each other for this newly emerging field.
Due to the rising craze of VR, various VR devices like Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, PlayStation VR, Samsung Gear VR, Google Cardboard, VR Box, etc are springing up to meet different levels of requirements for customers. However, the popular formats used for watching VR videos, SBS (Side By Side 3D) and 360-Degrees, are not supported by some popular media player like VLC and MX player currently. To fix the issue of how to watch VR videos on PC and mobile devices, you need a virtual reality player. So here are the best free VR video players for multi-platform and a simple guide for VR and 360 degree video download.
List of the Best VR Players
1. VR Player FREE
http://www.vrplayer.com/
Platform: iOS/Android/Windows
Pros: VR Player is a powerful free VR player designed specifically for watching immersive content on head mounted displays (HMD). It can not only play VR video, but also play 2D, 3D SBS, 3D Top/Bottom, 360 degree videos.
Cons: Sometimes you may come across some performance issues with Oculus Rift DK2, but it's still a good VR player.
2. Homido 360 VR Player
Platform: iOS/Android
For iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/homido-360-vr-player/id909196467?mt=8
For Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.homido.homidoplayer&hl=en
Pros: It is used for the Homido HMD headset. You can watch 360° spherical videos as if you were seated in an IMAX theater. The first ever HMD internet browser allows you to watch any VR content directly from YouTube or other VR video sites in the headset. Also, you can record SBS videos from your headset.
Cons: Again, to fully enjoy this app, you will need a Homido virtual reality headset.
3. AAA VR Cinema Cardboard 3D SBS
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.candlify.vrplayer
Platform: Android
FreeBSD (if that's the variant you want to run) looks like it should run on the Mac, evidenced here: AppleMacBookWikiEntry. NetBSD is really the BSD variant that is known for running on just about anything with a processor. They also appear to maybe sorta support Mac. You might have heard of Wine, a 'compatibility layer' to run Windows apps in other systems, like FreeBSD and NetBSD.(Wine doesn't work in OpenBSD.) So far, there is nothing like Wine to run macOS apps. NetBSD 5.x had compatdarwin(8) for running Mac programs, but it had 'many' bugs and was 'very experimental'. NetBSD 6 removed compatdarwin. Run mac apps on freebsd. The Wikipedia BSD article is good (and accords with my own understanding, for what that's worth). It says that Darwin, the system on which Apple's Mac OS X is built, is a derivative of 4.4BSD-Lite2 and FreeBSD, and notes that 4.4BSD is the last release that Berkeley was involved with. So, Darwin is as BSD as you can get (just like all the other BSDs!). Operating systems generally aren't able to run each other's programs unless there is a specially designed interoperability layer. No such layer for FreeBSD to run macOS programs. And BTW, not OSX, or OSx, but macOS. It's been branded macOS since 2016.
Pros: AAA VR Cinema Cardboard 3D SBS is a free and great VR video player Android app. Except for the wide ranges of options to play 360 as well as normal 3D VR videos, rotation killer mode and pure gyro mode is added to head tracking option in the newest version 1.6.1. This player only supports MOV, MP4 and M4V format. You may need some VR video converter app if your video format is excluded.
Cons: Pay attention, this app will crash when you open a file that contains '%' in the file name. Please rename before open the file. And Bluetooth mouse is disabled temporary in the current version 1.6.1.
4. Mobile VR Station
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/apple-store/id959820493?mt=8
Platform: iOS
Pros: Mobile VR Station is free VR player which is designed for iOS users and it works with every headset. It's an alternative to Homido 360 Player or even better, you can view your Photos, Panoramas, Videos & Files projected onto a virtual screen floating in space for a unique heater experience. You can watch HTML5 videos from mobile safari with Micro VR Station extension and get better viewing experience on 3D content, 360/ Spherical movies.
Cons: But remember, the app won’t display any content that are DRM-protected, for example the content you bought from iTunes.
5. LiveViewRift
http://soft.viarum.com/liveviewrift/
Platform: Windows/Mac
Pros: LiveViewRift is one of the most popular virtual reality players which allows you to watch different sorts of media files with the Oculus Rift. With its powerful distortion and field-of-view-correction functions, LiveViewRift lets you enjoy media as your eyes would be where the camera is.
Cons: You can only download it free for Mac OS X 10.9 and Windows 7/8 so far. There’s no version for windows 10 currently.
6. SKYBOX VR PLAYER
https://skybox.xyz/
Platform: Windows 64bit
Pros: Like Kolor Eyes, Skybox VR Player is a great and free VR video player on Windows 64bit computers. You are able to stream local videos from PC to mobile devices with zero quality loss when connecting Wi-Fi network. It also supports watching one video with multiple devices and can play nearly all video formats. You can experience HD, full HD, and 4K playback on this one.
Cons: It does not have Mac version right now but it will come soon.
So, these are the best free VR players for multi-platform to watch VR videos with ease. And there are more VR players like FreeVRPlayer, Delight VR Player that can also do a great job when playing VR videos. They may have their own pros and cons, but all of them aim to provide the best experience to users. Depending on your platform and preference, just choose the best VR player as you wish. Roli block app.
Free VR Video Downloading and Converting Software
Download VR videos from YouTube and other 300+ sites at fast speed. Photo app in macair. Convert VR videos to MP4, AVI, MKV, iPhone, Android, Samsung TV, LG TV and more other formats and hot devices.
A Simple Guide to Download VR Videos and Convert
After you've prepared VR devices and find out the best VR video player to meet different demands, can't wait to experience VR videos? I hope you have saved sufficient VR video resources to watch.
But if not, or if you just want to collect more at one time. As the dominant video-sharing website worldwide, you can download free VR videos from YouTube or any other online video sites. Before that, Free download and install Free HD Video Converter Factory on your PC (Windows 10/8.1/8/7/Vista). Then follow the simple guide below to download your best-loved VR movies. Here I just set VR video download from YouTube as an example.
Step 1: Run the freeware and open Downloader. Click 'New Download' button on menu bar;
Step 2: Paste the YouTube VR video’s link to “Add URL” box, then press the analyze button;
Step 3: Choose one preferred resolution and format and click OK to add the download task. Then press the “Download All” icon.
Download VR Video
Note: You can also download 4K video or download hot videos from YouTube here. Try to analyze it again if you don't get the wanted resolution that the orginal video resource should have.
Optional – To fix some compatibility issue, you can convert the VR videos to your devices supported formats via this freeware. And the format conversion steps are as follow:
Open Converter > Load the VR videos you download > Select your device supported format on the Output Format section > Press “Run” button to start the conversion
Additionally, Free HD Video Converter Factory can do more things for you, such as change video resolution, reduce video size, add subtitle, or compress 4K video and more.
Why not have a try and keep this freeware for further use? Just download VR videos with this program and put on VR headset and start your immersive experience in VR world.
Wait! You are supported to download video resources from 300+ online video sites including YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion, Facebook and any more.
So from this moment on, get your VR video player ready, save some awesome VR movies with this wonderful VR movie downloader freeware and watch your favorite VR video. Have fun!
Hope this article has helped you figure out what's the best choice for you. And if it works, feel free to share it to help more people.
In Case Someday You Want to Upload Video to YouTube/Facebook/Vimeo..
Aside from downloading VR resources, you can use the freeware to upload your recorded videos in right formats to online site including YouTube, Myspace, Facebook, and your blog. The software has provided ideal format profile beforehand, so that you don't have to be clear of what are the best video audio specs for uploading to a video-sharing site.
More Special Features on Free HD Video Converter Factory
- Download any video from online sites such as YouTube, Facebook ,Vimeo, etc.
- Support Various media formats, optimized profiles for 300+ hot devices.
- Extract soundtracks from film/video with orginal quality perserved.
- Provided with an built-in video editor for cutting/cropping/merging, etc.
- Can compress video with no quality loss.
- Fastest conversion speed, 50X speed up supported.
Get all best apps via Setapp
VR is a big trend, again. Recent advances in VR development prove that mass-market VR is near. Experts say 2020 might actually be the time of virtual reality's breakout. Also, it seems like self-isolation has something to do with it.
In spring 2020, the COVID-19 quarantine forced the whole world into a lockdown. Like a dip in ice-cold water, it hurt. But it also helped us rethink the routine of work and the tools we use to connect with each other. The new reality of social distancing caused a huge spike in video conferencing, content streaming, gaming, and…VR? If you think about it, VR might be a great way to think outside the Zoom box. Instead of seeing your friends' or colleagues' faces in small squares on a screen, you could actually get everyone into one room.
Prepare Mac for VR with CleanMyMac X
Get rid of all the clutter and optimize your Mac’s performance. This will give you a VR experience you’ll enjoy. Give it a try!
Apparently, VR manufacturers and tech companies got the gist. On September 16, at their annual Connect event, Facebook announced the long-anticipated Oculus Quest 2. It’s a flagship VR headset uniting all of the Oculus VR hardware owned by Facebook. Rumor has it Apple is working on something in the domain of virtual reality, too.
Steam Vr For Mac
In fact, lots of cool VR tech has been available for some time now. Whether you’re an avid VR believer or simply enjoy gaming, let's make sure you use the best tools available. In this article, we'll explore VR on Mac — from choosing the best VR headset to making your computer VR-ready.
How to set up VR on Mac
Up until the release of macOS High Sierra, virtual reality has been, well, a non-existent reality for Mac users. Apple computers have not been technologically equipped to support VR, just as any advanced video editing programs. But times have changed, and there's been huge progress VR-wise over the last three years.
source: GadgetFlow
So what does it take to create the best VR setup for Mac? Apart from a good VR headset, three things:
Powerful graphics card. If your Mac is 2015 and younger, you already have a solid internal graphics card. Recent Macs that come with Radeon Pro 555 or 560 and iMacs with Radeon Pro 570-580 are pretty powerful. Still, even your high-end Mac's graphics card is not enough for gaming. This is why it's recommended you get an external card as well.
External graphics card. The only major requirement is it should be compatible with High Sierra or later — so make sure you check it before buying.
eGPU Enclosures. It's where you plug an external graphics card — a must-have if your Mac is older than 2015. To get eGPU work with Mac, make sure you upgrade macOS to High Sierra or later. Plus, your Mac should have a Thunderbolt 3 Port or an adapter for older Macs without Thunderbolt 3. Apple's registered devs can purchase a native toolkit (eGPU + Radeon graphics card + Thunderbolt 3 adapter). But you can also get it all separately. More info on eGPU compatibility and graphics cards here.
Bottom line: If your Mac isn't older than 2015 + you get a good external graphics card and an eGPU enclosure, you're good to go.
Best VR headset 2020 working on Mac
Last piece of the puzzle, VR headset that's compatible with Mac. I would love to give you a huge list of options — but the truth is you can really use only one. HTC Vive is the only VR headset officially working on Mac. Poor tech specifications in macOS are the main reason why large VR manufacturers are primarily focused on PCs. This makes HTC Vive VR the only sustainable option. It's also the best VR headset for Steam, according to PCMag review, which is awesome news for gamers. Well, it WAS awesome news.
source: PC Gamer
Until recently, SteamVR has been the only VR system Mac users could use for gaming, along with HTC Vive headset — but it seems like they are dropping support for macOS soon. So the future of HTC Vive games is pretty fuzzy.
HTC Vive versus HTC Vive Pro
If you consider getting a headset for Mac, there are two HTC Vive models you choose from — the basic one and Pro. The improved version was released in 2018 as an upgrade to the original HTC Vive. But is it really worth it? Let’s point out the main enhancements you’ll find in HTC Vive Pro:
Dual-lens setup. An extra lens has been added to enable new tracking capabilities. Unlike the original model, HTC Vive Pro can track hand gestures.
Built-in headphones. No need to add your own pair of headphones to have an immersive VR experience, the Pro version has it.
Upgraded resolution. 1440 x 1600 pixels per eye versus 1080 x 1200 in HTC Vive.
Clearly, the newer version has some top-notch design and resolution perks — but note that it’s also considerably more expensive. The HTC Vive price is $719 on Amazon. It covers the full VR system, including the headset, controllers, base stations, and cables. The pro version will cost you $1199 for the full kit or $599 if you want to buy the headset only.
Are there HTC Vive alternatives for Mac?
Not really. Some users say you can make Oculus Rift work with Mac, which is another top-rated VR system. Technically, some recent MacBook Pro and iMac models seem to have the right specs, but the GPU performance is still no good for VR. Plus, Facebook recently announced they are retiring Rift S next year. This leaves you with HTC Vive VR headset for Mac, and a bit of hope Apple will produce an alternative, maybe.
Is it possible to use Facebook’s Oculus Quest 2 with Mac?
The newest Oculus Quest 2 headsets that will start shipping on October 13 are not officially compatible with macOS. However, it’s still a widely held opinion that Oculus Quest works with high-performing Macs. To make it work, you can run Windows on your Mac via Boot Camp — which many users say will work perfectly fine with Mac Pros that have solid video cards.
Best Vr Software For Mac
If your Mac has the required specs, you can try and use Oculus Quest 2 with a Mac. It has some major performance improvements compared to the older version. Please note it’s the first Oculus product that requires Facebook authorization via an account. The price of Facebook’s brand new VR headset starts from $299.
S'mac Menu
Are there HTC Vive alternatives for Mac?
Not really. Some users say you can make Oculus Rift work with Mac, which is another top-rated VR system. Technically, some recent MacBook Pro and iMac models seem to have the right specs, but the GPU performance is still no good for VR. Plus, the creators of Oculus Rift say they don’t intend to focus on macOS support for now. This leaves you with HTC Vive VR headset for Mac, and a bit of hope Apple will produce an alternative, maybe.
Apple VR headset: Is there hope?
Over the last couple of years, Apple has been very active interacting with AR/VR companies and acquiring related startups. The rumor has been around for some time, the company is working on its own Apple VR headset utilizing new processing chips — the so-called T288 project. Expected release: later this year. Again, Apple made no official announcements about this, but the community is hopeful.
Very possibly, we might even expect more than a native headset. On April 30, 2020, Valve announced they are dropping support for Macs. This is no surprise with only 4% of gamers using macOS. Plus, Valve has repeatedly mentioned even the latest MacBook Pros failed to meet SteamVR specification requirements. At the time of writing this post, there’s been no official response on Apple’s side. And many users assume this might mean only one thing — the company is going to release its native full-fledged VR very soon. So let’s stay tuned!
How to optimize your Mac for VR
All things considered, Macs and VR are not the best match — at least for now. This doesn’t mean you should give up on your favorite Apple computer only because it’s not the best choice for HTC Vive games. In fact, there are some great ways to bring these two closer together. By optimizing Mac’s performance for greater speed and low graphics card requirements, you definitely add some power. Think of it as biohacking for Mac gaming. No worries, we’re not gonna break anything.
Before diving into hacks, make sure you have a suitable hardware setup. Apart from Steam VR headset for gaming, you’ll also need two base stations for tracking the headset’s position and orientation, as well as a pair of Vive controllers. If you want a wireless VR headset, you’ll also need an adopter. The best choice would be to get the HTC Vive full kit instead of buying the headset separately.
Ready to roll? Let’s make the most out of your Mac’s performance.
1. Free up space on Mac
Steam games are heavy — too heavy for an average hard drive. This means your Mac’s storage has to be prepared. You can go through your folders and clear away all the clutter and stuff you don’t really need. Two reasons why it’s not the best idea: 1) Some tricky file leftovers and old caches will remain undetectable; 2) You’ll literally spend hours on every thorough cleanup. Good news is you can avoid the pain with CleanMyMac X, the best Mac cleaner out there. The app will run a smart scan on your computer, inspecting every corner for hidden junk. Next thing you know — it’s all gone.
My personal favorite is CleanMyMac’s Uninstaller. The problem with naughty apps is they often leave traces on your Mac — lots of associated files that you can’t delete simply by moving the app into the Trash folder. In Uninstaller, you press a single button to free up every gigabyte you possibly can. Plus, you can bulk uninstall apps to speed up the process.
2. Ensure perfect streaming quality
A good play takes one very basic condition. Top-notch streaming quality — which totally relies on your network connection. WiFi Explorer is a Mac utility that makes sure you don’t have to worry about it. The app works as a smart network analyzer that controls your WiFi while you stay focused on your work — or Steam games. The best thing is WiFi Explorer not only provides insights on the state of your network connection, it also helps troubleshoot it. That’s right, you can fix WiFi problems without any professional skills, simply by using WiFi Explorer’s built-in toolkit.
3. Keep your iStat Menus on the pulse
On your Mac’s pulse, to be accurate. iStat Menus is number three wonderful utility for VR fans, and pretty much anybody who wants to keep their Mac strong and fast. Working from the menu bar, iStat Menus monitors every aspect of Mac’s performance. From basic indicators like CPU load and battery life to the most advanced ones, including airflow and frames per second. With iStat Menus, you get to see disk usage and disk activity, which helps trace the real-time impact of certain processes on your Mac. It’s a perfect tool to make sure your Mac won’t get stuck or freeze while you’re playing.
All three apps mentioned here are available with a free 7-day trial on Setapp. So you’re getting the entire strategic toolkit for Mac gaming in one installation. Nice bonus, 180+ best apps you can use for other jobs on Mac will arrive with Setapp, too. Hope these tips will make your virtual reality for Mac a better reality. Just make sure you don’t move there for good, we need you here.
Vr S Mac App Download
Meantime, prepare for all the awesome things you can do with Setapp.
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