Best Google cardboard apps and games

HTC Vive vs Google Cardboard

The best virtual reality tech we've seen is HTC's Vive, but it's going to be expensive, require a high-end PC, and won't be out until the end of the year at the earliest.

Google Cardboard, meanwhile, is the worst virtual reality tech we've seen, but on the plus side, it's available right now, it's cheap to buy (and even cheaper to make), and requires nothing more than a recent smartphone to work.

So, given that all you need is a bit of cardboard, some scissors and a spare morning to become the owner of a virtual reality headset, here is TechRadar's pick of the top 10 Google Cardboard apps you should try.

Shadowgun VR

Shadowgun wants to be the Android equivalent of Gears of War, and while it falls way short of the Xbox third-person shooter, it's pretty decent. Shadowgun has popped up on pretty much all the major Android platforms, from smartphones and tablets to dedicated gaming devices like the Ouya and the Nvidia Shield.

The VR version is really just a one-level tech demo, but it's still one of the most graphically impressive games available on portable VR. Think of it as a free demo for the (hopefully in development) full VR game.

Free, Requires Bluetooth Controller

Proton Pulse

If you have an aversion to bright colours and thumping techno music, stay away from Proton Pulse. If, however, you spent a good chunk of your youth in nightclubs (or maybe still do), then you'll get a kick out of this psychedelic puzzle-action game.

It's a bit like a 3D version of Pong or Breakout, but instead of using a controller, you simply look where you want the paddle to go. It's rough around the edges, but there's plenty of invention in the 50 levels, and the meagre price is helping to fund development of the highly promising VR shooter, Vanguard V.

£1.27

Virtual Real Porn

An unwritten rule of the tech industry, apparently, is that any new format's success depends on the backing of the porn industry. While the major porn studios aren't yet jumping on virtual reality, the current trailblazer is a company called Virtual Real Porn, which has more than 60 videos available for Google Cardboard.

There's no way that Virtual Real Porn will be picking up any AVN awards, but the studio has quite a diverse selection, some of which is actually way more female-friendly than traditional adult entertainment. If you're of legal age and have an open mind then it's worth checking out - we guarantee it's the one virtual reality experience your friends will actually want to hear about.

€5.95 (Around £4.19, US$6.53, AU$8.83) (15-day trial)

Jack White: THIRD-D

Rock 'n' roll auteur Jack White is one of the names you'd expect to have a VR concert at this early stage, and as long as you like his music, you should check out his Google Cardboard app. It contains three songs from two different venues, and gives you the option to skip between them by tilting your head clockwise or counter-clockwise.

The video quality isn't great, the audio quality isn't much better, and it can often be quite difficult to get a good glimpse at White on stage. However, it's a strong indication of how immersive watching music concerts in VR could one day be.

Free

YouTube

There are plenty of video apps for Google Cardboard, but let's face it - YouTube is the main way people watch video content these days. Thankfully, Google has been quick to update its YouTube Android app to be Cardboard-compatible, with a small number of videos viewable in 360 degrees thanks to head tracking.

There's not a lot of content available right now, but technological pioneer Björk is one of the early adopters with her video for Stonemilker. Avicii's Waiting For Love video is a little more visually interesting, however. Expect more 360-degree videos to keep coming and in the meantime keep an eye on this playlist.

Free

Chair In a Room

It's clear that certain genres work better than others in VR -- the "sitting down in a spaceship" genre seemed to be a popular choice for early VR pioneers. But as more devices come out and more game makers create content for them, the horror genre is becoming extremely popular.

Chair In a Room doesn't do anything that different from modern horror games like Outlast and Amnesia, where tension ramps up from unreliable flashlights and creepy sound effects. Yet the immersive effect of VR makes this game all the more chilling - it genuinely isn't for players of a nervous disposition.

Free, Requires lenses

VRSE

It's still early days for Google Cardboard, which means there are lots of glitchy apps that lack polish. VRSE is different: it's a company set up by filmmaker Chris Milk, who has directed cool videos for musicians like Kanye West, Beck and Arcade Fire.

VRSE's aim is to create a hub for storytellers who want to share content and explore the realms of VR. Current highlights include Milk's own Evolution of Verse short film and the poignant Clouds Over Sidra, a documentary about a 12-year-old girl who lived in a Syrian refugee camp for 18 months.

Free

InMind VR

InMind VR is to Google Cardboard what Wii Sports was to the Wii -- a game that anyone can pick up and play. You play as someone who's shrunk down in order to fix someone's body from the inside, a bit like in the movie Innerspace. Once inside the patient's brain, you fix broken neurons, which turn from red to green when you focus your sight on them.

It's not a million miles away from the underappreciated Xbox 360 classic Child of Eden, only sadly without the trippy music and visuals. However, it's simple to pick up and play, completely free, and if you like it, you can support the developer's next game InCELL via in-app purchases.

Free

Village for Google Cardboard

One thing we've learned about virtual reality: exploring virtual worlds is vastly more interesting than it is in 2D. Village isn't a game, but it's a strong indication of how compelling it would be to have an Animal Crossing-like experience in VR.

In this proof of concept, you walk through the streets of a cartoon village, observing farmers, animals and the environment. You can also change the time of day and even the seasons, but that's about it sadly. It's twee enough to be enjoyable though, if only for a limited amount of time.

Free

War of Words VR

You probably didn't know that you wanted to experience Siegfried Sassoon's controversial poem 'The Kiss' in virtual reality, but thankfully developer Burrell Durrant Hifle did, and he made it into War of Words VR with the help of BBC Arts.

The poem covers themes such as preparing a rifle for battle and bayoneting your enemy, which are both visually represented in this VR experience. It's beautifully drawn in a stark visual style, but it's a shame there isn't more interactivity. If anything, it's probably the VR experience that will most appeal to your older relatives.

Free

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