Mobile VR will work on older smartphones, but the resolution will be lower. For instance, the VR experience on an iPhone 8 is significantly better than on an iPhone 6. If you have an older phone, you may want to consider viewing the VR video on your computer. For those who are interested, Wikipedia has a table comparing the resolution of different smartphones.

Question 3

I don’t have great internet speed/connection. Will mobile VR work for me?

Answer

If you don’t have good internet service, we recommend you see the mobile VR program via your computer rather than mobile VR

Question 4

Should I do the mobile VR experience if my battery is running low?

Answer

We recommend that your phone have at least half its full charge at the start of the VR experience, which lasts between 20-25 minutes, depending on the track.

Question 5

Should I get a headset with “sliders” to adjust for how far apart my eyes are?

Yes. A decent mobile VR headset should have sliders to adjust for the distance from the center of your face to your pupil, so you can see the VR experience clearly. Headsets listed in our table have such sliders to adjust the interpupillary distance (IPD). Each headset has two sliders, one for each eye, and they are typically located at the top of the headset (when you’re wearing it); you can adjust the sliders while wearing the headset to get the clearest viewing.

Answer

Yes, if you have them. It can enhance the sense of being in the experience. You can always have the sound come through your phone’s speaker. Headphones can be cumbersome to put on over the mobile VR headset, but they can work.

Answer

No. Users adjust their head position to pause, play, and exit. Details are provided on the Mobile Instructions page right before viewing the video.

Answer

Not if you have a bigger phone; they will not fit in all headsets. Below is a table with some models that we have tried, their “screen sizes” (the diagonal measurement of the screen). This is different than the dimensions of the phone (length and width), without its case. The table below shows moderately-priced headsets that we have tried, their screen sizes (measured on the diagonal), the maximum dimensions for a phone (when made available), any relevant notes about the headset, and Amazon links to the headsets. Note that Amazon is not always the least expensive vendor. Amazon typically lists the compatible specific brands and models for each headset. All of these have IPD sliders. Please let us know about your experiences with these or other mobile headsets.