Best VR Video Players For PC
VR is more popular than ever. Here's a breakdown of how to watch 360 and VR videos on PC, Mac, and smartphones, as well as which VR video players are the best.
VR and 360 videos have become quite popular over the past few years, and with the release of new VR headsets, such as the Meta Quest 2, Valve Index, and HTC Vive Pro 2, the popularity is continuing to grow. While you can watch a 360 video without one, to fully appreciate the vivid experience virtual reality experience, you really need to watch via a VR video player on a good VR headset - whether you're using Android, iOS, Windows PC, or Mac.
In this article, we're going to break down how to watch 360 and VR videos on PC and Mac, as well as which VR video players are the best.
Watching VR Videos
Although there are countless VR videos accessible on the internet, many people have never even attempted to watch one due to the daunting amount of effort and configuration that is seemingly required. Hopefully, after reading this guide, you'll have a great idea which player to use with your VR platform of choice.
To start, you're going to need:
- A Windows PC, Mac, or smartphone 💻
- A VR headset 🤓
- A high-quality VR video player to watch video ▶️
- VR movies or videos to stream or download 🎞️
- An open space or comfy spot to relax while you watch the video 🛋️
Once you have all that, just put on your VR headset, and begin playing the VR video you want to stream or have downloaded. If you want an even better experience, grab a pair of high-quality headphones so you can experience the fidelity the creator of the video intended.
The Best VR Desktop Players
These players offer some of the best ways to watch VR videos on PC and other platforms.
DeoVR
If you're looking for a free VR player that works on virtually all platforms, you might not need to look further than DeoVR. The DeoVR team claims it's the "Swiss Army knife of VR video players" and, based on their Steam reviews and personal testimonies on Reddit, they aren't lying. The player lets you stream from any video address, install multiple codecs, change video color and light settings, tweak offsets, reposition windows, and more. Besides the player, there's also a content library you're free to browse and filter.
DeoVR is available on Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, Steam VR for the HTC Vive, and Windows Mixed Reality.
Virtual Home Theater
VHT is an all-inclusive virtual environment for you to consume various forms of immersive content, like 2D or 3D movies on a large, virtual screen with virtual speakers, VR videos in 180°, 200° fisheye, and 360° format, as well as images. You can even play two-dimensional games on that big virtual screen! Virtual Home Theater also has a trick up its sleeve: true 3d spatial audio in VR to deliver an unmatched, virtual experience. The app has great reviews on Steam and Reddit and costs $29.99.
Virtual Home Theater is available on Steam.
Virtual Desktop
Along the same lines as Virtual Home Theater, Virtual Desktop provides a virtual screen for you to view content on but it's more focused on replicating the PC desktop experience. If you need to get some work done, but you're still the not-so-proud owner of an outdated 17-inch monitor, grab your headset and give Virtual Desktop a try.
The wired version of Virtual Desktop is available for the Oculus Rift / Rift S, HTC Vive / Vive Pro / Vive Cosmos, Valve Index, and Windows Mixed Reality on Steam for $14.99.
The app is also available in a wireless version for the Meta (formerly Oculus) Quest and Meta Quest 2 for $19.99, as well as the Oculus Go and Gear VR for $9.99.
Skybox
Skybox is an intuitive player that can handle just about any video format you throw at it. The app's main selling point is it allows you to stream videos wirelessly from a Mac, Windows PC, or local media server to a standalone VR device "without loss of quality" - even to multiple devices at once! You can immerse yourself in your choice of multiple VR theaters (even a Space Station or Moon theater !!) while watching 2D or even 3D videos in resolutions up to 8K on supported hardware.
Skybox VR video player is available for Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift S, and Oculus Go from the Oculus Store. The app is also available on Steam VR, Daydream, Windows, and Mac OS. The price varies per platform.
HereSphere
If you want to get in on the ground floor and have a hand in shaping the feature set of a new application in active development, give HereSphere a try. Since the application is in Early Access, expect to encounter the occasional bug or two. But, the additional immersion over other players in this list might be worth it. With features such as an autofocus depth algorithm, software IPD adjustment, head-tracking, spatial audio, and lens distortion/alignment corrections, HereSphere provides an engaging VR experience.
HereSphere is available from Steam and itch.io for $29.99.
Previous Entries in Our List That Didn’t Make the Cut
The following players made our list previously, but have either been abandoned or can no longer be recommended based on reviews or a lack of updates:
Kolor Eyes
As most VR users know, this VR video player is a free 360-degree player for not only Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac but HTML5, as well. The positive thing about this player is that it allows the clients to connect and play with 360-degree and virtual reality videos on their computers. Besides viewing VR motion pictures, you can also watch films online if you just connect your android or iOS device with your VR headset. Kolor Eyes is a good example of a VR player for PC.
Codeplex VR player
Essentially, this desktop VR player is designed and intended for playing virtual reality recordings and is a well-known program among Oculus Rift clients. The best part about this player is that it can read 2D/3D images and can even play these videos. It can read local files, streams (notwithstanding YouTube), CDs and so much more - no video converter required.
This PC VR player supports formats such as mono, over-under, and side. It has a 3D audio base which is based on the position and orientation. It has presets to help auto-configure the application settings so you can start playing quickly. You don't have to stress over the cost since you can just have it at an extremely low price without breaking your bank.
SpherePlay VR Player
SpherePlay VR Player is intended for Windows, Android, and iOS clients. You can watch GoPro recordings without the impact of distorted effects such as the fisheye one. Also, you can see vivid photographs and recordings with numerous adjustable controls. Moreover, you can even take panoramic photographs in the wake of installing the VR player for Android or iOS application. Overall, SpherePlay is a great VR player for Windows and other clients.
Total Cinema 360 Oculus Player
This player allows users to view live-action, omnidirectional recorded content on the Oculus Rift headset. It makes use of carefully designed cameras that can capture fully interactive, live-action spaces in very good quality 360-degree videos.
While playing on the Total Cinema 360 Oculus player, the player usually feels as if they have been transported and will feel as if they are actually taking a stroll down the scenic High Line in New York City, or are being surrounded and swarmed by a litter of loving kittens, etc. This player comes with four demonstration videos that teach the user to pause, zoom and adjust the distance of the eye from the video.
VR PLAYER
Users can make use of this VR player to create a very vivid watching experience. On the off chance that you are watching a video or movie that is not from your region originally, you can even load captions in any language you desire, which is very helpful for anyone who is trying to learn a new language.
VR Player likewise supports playback of all 4K videos and 3D SBS (side by side). If you would prefer not to download the video first, you can open a video from YouTube or Dropbox the URL, so your device's storage is constantly usable. If you're in a rush, this is an easy choice to begin VR playback and a solid VR player for desktop users.
Opera VR Player
You may think Opera is only a web browser, yet truth be told, it is so much more. Now, you can even utilize it to watch VR videos. Simply plug in your headsets to begin playing the VR video. There is no reason for you to download an external player for VR videos when you have Opera, a great Windows VR player.
