Google Cardboard was founded as a Google 20 percent project. It is a low cost, DIY headset that can be assembled for under $20. The viewer uses your smartphone as the screen and works with both Android and iOS devices. The app first launched in 2014, and has since been updated to provide users with an even more immersive experience.
Google Cardboard has many uses, but it is most commonly used for entertainment purposes, or to add a new layer of virtual reality to existing games or apps. With over 1 million downloads from the Google Play Store alone, here are some of the best apps available for this VR headset and what they have to offer.
Table of Contents
Best Apps For Google Cardboard
Cardboard Theater
Price: Free
Cardboard Theater is a unique video player for Google Cardboard. It basically lets you view your 2D and 3D movies in a virtual cinema without too much of a hassle. It also supports 360-degree and 180-degree video content. The app supports several video codecs, has simple controls, and it actually works pretty well. We also have it on good authority that the developer is a good person who doesn’t smoke and works out (apparently). In any case, the app has its issues, but it’s difficult to complain about a Google Cardboard app that is still updated in 2018. Give it a shot!
Cardboard Theater is one of the best google cardboard apps
Google Cardboard app
Price: Free
The official Google Cardboard app is a must have. You can use the app to set up your Cardboard experience. It also has some decent VR experiences all on its own. The app lets you view you videos, photospheres, and other VR content stored on your device. More importantly, it has a directory of VR apps and games that makes finding new stuff a lot easier. Google hasn’t updated this app since 2016 and that’s a little concerning. However, we still recommend it for now because it’s the only app that does what it does.
cardboard best vr apps for google cardboard
Sites in VR
Price: Free
Sites in VR is a fairly decent VR app for Google Cardboard. It includes a bunch of virtual tours from all over the world, including some historical landmarks, museums, and other places of potential interest. The tour includes full 360-degree imagery and the developers did an excellent job with the stitching to make sure everything looks clean. It’s obviously not very functional, but it’s a great thing to show your friends or kids who may be interested in VR stuff.
Sites in VR screenshot
Google Expeditions
Price: Free
Expeditions is an education oriented app that is meant to be used in a classroom environment. However, it can be used just about anywhere that you want. The app has over 200 expeditions that you can immerse yourself in. You’ll be able to check out various destinations, landmarks, landforms, waterscapes, and tons of other places. There is a 360-degree mode that works without Cardboard if you need it to and the app is fairly easy to use. It’s also completely free, which is nice. Google Arts and Culture is another fantastic eduction-based VR app made by Google! The only complaint we have is that Expeditions occasionally suffers from connection errors.
Google Expeditions – best google cardboard apps
Fulldive VR
Price: Free
Fulldive VR calls itself a VR navigation platform. What that means exactly is that the app will help you find and view tons of VR content from around the web. It has support for VR video from YouTube, a VR video player built in, and even a VR browser to view online content. There is also a camera, photo gallery, and a market place to take VR images and surf for more VR apps and games. It’s definitely one of those VR apps that are worth checking out. It is also free to download. As it turns out, it’s also great for Daydream!
FullDive VR – best VR apps for Google Cardboard
Here are some more excellent VR apps and games to check out!
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featured image for the best Daydream apps
Here are some more excellent VR apps and games to check out!
Related
featured image for the best daydream games
Google Street View
Price: Free
Google Street View is an old friend of Google Maps and it was updated not long ago to support VR content. It works essentially as it always has, which has provided people with 360-degree views of various roads, addresses, landmarks, and other places. With the VR update, you can also use your Google Cardboard to look at all of that stuff. On top of that, you can view content posted by other people and provide your own content if you need to. It’s a fun way to experience the world and probably the best way to experience Google Street View.
Best google cardboard apps 2021
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Best App for Socializing in VR: vTime XR
vTime XR is one of the best apps for socialization in virtual reality.
vTime
What We Like
vTime XR is cross-platform.
There are a lot of different locales to visit.
What We Don’t Like
The more vibrant character animations require a controller, which the Google Cardboard doesn’t have.
Imagine Facebook in virtual reality and you’ll start to understand exactly what vTime XR is. This is a virtual social network that allows users to create their own, unique avatars and chat with friends and strangers from all over the world. The “XR” tag on the name is new and designates cross-platform compatibility. While this app works great with Google Cardboard, users can also chat with people using an Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and many other types of headsets.
vTime XR places users in a virtualized environment, but there are dozens of destinations. Sit at a swanky hotel bar, camp in the middle of a forest, and much more. You can even take a virtual selfie if you want to. vTime XR works with both iOS and Android and is totally free.
Download For:
iOS
Android
02
of 10
Best App for Culture: Google Arts and Culture
Google Arts and Culture lets you explore museums and art galleries.
Google
What We Like
The hundreds of museum options will keep you entertained for hours.
The ability to see van Gogh’s Starry Night at will is nothing short of amazing.
What We Don’t Like
Controlling the app without a controller can be a bit clunky.
If you love exploring museums, then the Google Arts and Culture app is one of those rare can’t-miss downloads. Google partnered with hundreds of museums and art galleries from more than 70 countries to allow people to see the exhibits online. While there is a non-virtual reality mode for this app, the fact that users can take a virtual tour of most of the museums really sets it apart.
If you see an installation or exhibit that interests you, you can zoom in for a closer look. You can even sort by time periods. The personal collections option lets you save your favorite pieces of art to share with friends later, and the “On This Day” feature lets you explore history that happened on whatever that current day is. It’s a great way to visit museums in other countries that you might be able to afford to visit otherwise. Google Arts and Culture works with both iOS and Android for zero cost.
Download For:
iOS
Android
03
of 10
Best for 3D Modeling: Sketchfab
Sketchfab is a great way to get up close and personal with 3D models.
Sketchfab
What We Like
Sketchfab is an amazing introduction to 3D modeling.
There are a lot of models to examine and inspect.
What We Don’t Like
Some models are not available without payment.
3D models are always interesting whether you create them yourself or not, but Sketchfab takes it to a different level. The community around this app has uploaded a massive number of models online that users can view and explore in both AR and VR. Something as simple as a couch to as complex as the interior of a castle. Many of the models are completely free to download and explore, and you can always examine a model for free.
Sketchfab was designed as a sort of marketplace for 3D modelers to sell their work, and as a result you can sort by a few different categories—including low-poly models and game-ready models. One of the best ways to check out the coolest models is to sort by what’s popular and take a closer look at all of the interesting creations. A quick browse showed everything from anime-inspired models to Stranger Things homages. Sketchfab works with both iOS and Android and is free to download.
Download For:
iOS
Android
04
of 10
Best App for News: NYT VR
NYT VR is a great way to connect with the news.
New York Times
What We Like
NYT VR lets users see the news in a totally different way.
360 degree documentary experiences.
What We Don’t Like
Content selection can be limited.
Rarely includes breaking news.
If you like to keep an ear to the ground for the latest and greatest news stories, the New York Times is likely your go-to choice. Even for those that don’t live in New York, the world-renowned newspaper is famous for a reason. Now that same newspaper has made its way to virtual reality, where users can watch news stories, documentaries, and much more with nothing but the Google Cardboard and their phones.
The ability to dive into a documentary and get a 360-degree view of the action creates an immersive experience that drives home the storytelling in a way just reading about it cannot. Whether it’s a shark cage or a dog show, the experiences are nearly endless. NYT VR is available for Android and is free to download.
Download For:
Android
05
of 10
Best App for Photos: Google Cardboard Camera
The Google Cardboard Camera lets you make your own VR experiences.
Google
What We Like
Easy to create a 3D photo and capture a moment like never before.
Acceptable alternative to a VR camera.
Free.
What We Don’t Like
The spinning motion required to take the photograph requires a degree of precision and finesse that can be hard to grasp.
If you enjoy the experiences you have in virtual reality and want to try your hand at creating a few of them yourself, check out the Google Cardboard Camera. This app lets you take 360-degree photos and view them through Google Cardboard. It’s a great way to allow friends and family to experience moments just as you did: totally immersed. The way the app works is a lot like taking a panorama. Open the camera and follow the onscreen instructions. It will have you turn slowly in a circle.
The app does the hard work of stitching the photos together. It also grabs audio from around you so that you’re appealing to multiple senses at once. It also works with Google Street View VR. Google Cardboard Camera works with both Android and iOS and is totally free. It’s one of the easiest ways to create virtual reality photographs without investing in a budget-busting VR camera.
Conclusion
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