For YouTube on iPhones, this is your only option. Many of the same apps noted above also let you view 360-degree videos with just a smartphone. You can get a VR-like experience without bothering with Cardboard. Pricier headsets offer greater comfort, and ones from Oculus, HTC and Sony promise more sophisticated apps. Cardboard can also be challenging for those with glasses. One drawback: With most Cardboard models, the eyepiece isn’t adjustable, which could mean double vision or other discomfort.Ĭardboard also typically doesn’t come with a strap, so you have to hold on to it as you watch and move around. Other apps let you play games, drive race cars or walk with dinosaurs. Google’s Street View offers 360-degree views of Machu Picchu and other places you might have only dreamed of getting to. The Times’ NYT VR, for instance, has segments on travel, politics and war. But you can get other Cardboard apps through the iPhone or Android app store. The YouTube capability isn’t available on iPhones yet. The phone’s accelerometer senses where your head is, and the phone’s screen shows you the right perspective - in 3-D through Cardboard’s lenses. Turn your head around to see what’s behind you. You can find some by searching with the hashtag “360Video.” Hit the Cardboard icon on the lower right, insert the phone into the contraption and look through Cardboard’s lenses - remember those old View-Masters?

With an Android phone, you can watch 360-degree videos of news events, rollercoaster rides and more on YouTube.

Gear vr lookthrough