Do you want to create your reality? Do you want to leave this boring reality behind and live in any reality you want whenever you want? Sounds like fiction? It’s not! This is possible in this reality using Virtual Reality. It is a technology that creates a simulated environment. This simulated environment can be totally different than the reality of this world and yet you can perceive it as reality. So Virtual Reality is just that, a “Virtual Reality” that you can move around in and experience as if you were there.
But how to experience this Virtual Reality? You can use all sorts of apps to experience Virtual Reality in gaming, movies, educational informatics, etc. There’s no limit! So let’s check out some Virtual Reality apps that you can enjoy in 2020. Some of them are free and some of them are paid, but all of them are worth it!
1. Google Expeditions
Do you want to travel and explore the world? Do you want to go to the heights of Mount Everest and see the depths of the Marina Trench? But do you think that’s not possible in real life? Do you think it’s too expensive and you can’t possibly see all the places in this world? Fear not! You can see all these and more in Google Expeditions app. You can explore all types of places in the world ranging from the real to the imaginary.
Google’s Expeditions app will allow you to tour places like Mount Everest or the Pyramids of Giza which are extremely difficult to access in real life. You can also visit space and see the Mars rover and the International Space station. You could even see dinosaurs if you wanted to, even though they don’t exist today! It is even possible to create virtual tours with the Tour Creator. All you need is your own 360° or 180° images collected from Google Street View. So if you want to travel and explore the world, you can always use Google’s Expeditions without any cost!
2. Allumette
Want to watch a movie with an altogether different experience? Allumette is the one for you! Developed by Penrose Studios, this is a Virtual Reality short movie that will blow your mind! Enter the world of Allumette and you can watch the movie however you wish. You can lean forward to get a better view, follow the main character around the story or even poke your head through walls to see what’s going on inside!
The story of Allumette inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s short story “The Little Match Girl” is enhanced and made even better by the Virtual Reality experience. So sit down and enjoy this 20-minute masterpiece that will leave you amazed and maybe even heartbroken in the end. This is a Free App.
3. Google Earth VR
Do you love geography? Do you want to experience the whole of Earth while sitting in your tiny portion of the Earth? If you answered yes, then Google Earth VR is the app for you! You can fly in the sky like an Eagle and see the vast oceans and forests and rivers on Earth. Want a closer look? No problem, just go closer and see then in detail. Even if you are not such a big fan of Geography, you can still explore all the beautiful monuments on Earth like the Colosseum, the Florence Cathedral, Hoover Dam, etc.
One disadvantage is that things appear to be blurred on closer look and you can only see as much detail. But hey! You get to see the whole world so a loss of detail is an acceptable tradeoff. Chances are you have used Google Earth before so you have an idea of what to do. Now dive into Google Earth VR and enjoy the unique experience! This is a Free App.
4. VirtualSpeech
Do you have stage fright? Do you think you’ll do great at a presentation or meeting but as soon as you see the crowd you get jittery and can’t perform? In such a situation, practice is the best thing to do but this practice is useless without a crowd. You could practice alone but that still wouldn’t calm your fears. So the best thing to do is practise in front of a virtual crowd!
You can do this using VirtualSpeech as it simulates real people watching your performance. You can customize the audience’s movements and sounds and the app will analyze and score your verbal and nonverbal communication at the end of your performance. Normally VR apps are fun and entertaining but this is one app that can help you improve your presentation skills. This is a Free App.
5. Titans of Space Plus
Do you ever look at the night sky and wonder what is beyond the stars? Do you ever wish to go beyond the Earth sky and see how our solar system looks? Do you want to explore the vast expanse of space and see some of the largest known stars in the universe? Well, this is impossible in real life unless you become an Astronaut! But you can achieve this easily using Titans of Space Plus.
Titans of Space is an immersive VR experience that will take you on a guided tour through the planets and moons of our solar system. Your guide aka the “Flying Professor Alien” can answer all questions you have and also provide you Side-by-Side Comparisons for questions like “How big does Jupiter look next to the Earth?” You can also analyze each planet using radar, topographic maps, elevation maps, etc. So geek out and enjoy the wonders of space from the comfort of your home! The price of using this app is $10.
6. Kingspray Graffiti VR
Want to become a graffiti artist but don’t want to go to jail for it? Fear not! You can create amazing graffiti using Kingspray Graffiti VR. You can spray paint on a dark and creepy train yard at night, or an abandoned Subway Station or even shadowy city rooftops. And no need to be scared because you are home and this is just virtual reality! You get the thrill of the game without any real risks!
Kingspray Graffiti VR even allows you to choose your paint surfaces which can be vans, trucks, trains, corrugated iron, bricks, concretes, plaster walls, etc. You wouldn’t even get so many options in real life. And the best thing is that you can play with friends in Multiplayer Mode and graffiti that wall together! The price of using this app is $15.
7. Ocean Rift
You can only imagine how the ocean looks on the inside! There is no way to experience it unless you are a mermaid! So it is impossible to see the whole ocean, travel from the marina trench to the great barrier reef and see dolphins and clownfish just swimming alongside you! But you can do this in a virtual reality of course! And Ocean Rift offers you this experience.
It is the world’s first VR aquatic safari park 12 unique habitats ranging from coral reefs, the arctic ocean, shipwrecks, and lagoons, or the deep and prehistoric seas. You can have a therapeutic experience by chilling in the ocean and watching the fish pass by or you can have an adventure by fighting sharks in the ocean. The choice is yours! The price of using this app is $10.
8. Tilt Brush
Are you an artist? Do you love to draw, paint and create visual masterpieces? Then let out your inner artist in the virtual reality space using Tilt Brush! This app allows you to create art in 3-D using three-dimensional brush strokes and if you made a mistake, no problem! You can just go back and delete any mistakes you might have made.
You can also add special effects in your painting like sparkling stars, light effects, smoke trails or fire. So go ahead and start painting, even if you don’t think you are creative. Your art is only restricted by your imagination and your possibilities are endless. You’ll have fun! The price of using this app is $20.