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6 best VR videos to watch with your cheap phone headset
We all can't afford shiny, new VR devices— but here's all the neat things you can do with your budget device
To be quite honest, my first brush with real virtual reality (VR) was at the Microsoft store at the mall — and I didn't walk out with that device. If you relate, (staying on budget is a serious consideration) then the next best thing is that $30 VR headset you bought online or at a store on a whim.
Don't get me wrong, VR is the bomb — moving around and having full control of your body in an artificial space is a mind-blowing thing. However, your phone does the exact same trick if you use a little more imagination.
From apps to YouTube videos, here are six amazing things you can do with a cheap phone-powered VR headset.
Beware Crimson Peak
Inspired by Guillermo del Toro's "Crimson Peak," Legendary VR developed a 360 degree, fully immersive look into a haunted house. As you walk around Allerdale Hall, you'll encounter all kinds of spooky characters — see if you can make it through the full minute and a half without getting too scared. (Like we did.)
Educate with Titans of Space
Titans of Space is a guided tour of our Solar System — although only available on Google Play. The app compares sizes of planets, distances and descriptions along with providing a soundtrack and 50 minutes of narration as an add-on. This app could easily kill an hour of you — or your kid's — time.
Stare at starry skies
If you're looking to relax or unwind, take a look at this video titled "If you could see all the asteroids, what would the sky look like?" Turn your head around and around for a 360 degree view of a night sky not polluted by light. This video's a great place to tune the world out for a few minutes — or a few hours.
Catch up with The New York Times VR
Every month, the NYT posts a 360 degree video on its VR iOS app or Android app taking you to places that you might never have a chance to see in this lifetime. Some story examples include fighting with Iraqi forces in Falluja to climbing the World Trade Center.
Shake in fear with scary videos
There's an abundance of scary VR videos out there guaranteed to spook your socks off, but this specific one on YouTube will do the job in only three minutes. The video looks like a tour around an insane asylum with a close-up scene of a patient as the climax. Only watch it if you think you'll last.
Explore the world with Google
Google Cardboard allows you to do a variety of different things from exploring different environments, walking through a museum and discovering different Google Earth destinations. The brand new "Arctic Journey" addition is enough to warrant a download.
With all these VR headset options, you won't even think about the Oculus Rift anymore. So, get lost in the world of virtual reality with your friends and family or by yourself — it's bound to take up a whole Saturday.
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