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If you’re over 60, and haven’t used VR. Today, I might change your mind.
Getting a VR headset is much easier and less expensive than you think. That is, as long as you are willing to accept a “mediocre” VR quality compared to Meta and Apple.
Today I’m showing you VR headsets for smartphones. It’s a “Fake VR” because you put your phone inside the headset. “Real VR” with a full-vision display and motion-sensing controllers costs hundreds of dollars.
You can by the “Fake VR” smartphone-compatible headset for under $50. Here's how to watch VR with your iPhone, even better when you have a "Fake VR Headset" like VR SHINECON.
It's important to know before you buy...
You can watch regular widescreen videos on your smartphone VR headset, but to get the full experience you'd better try a special formatted VR video ("Google Cardboard" split screen VR video format).
YouTube and Netflix for example have these inside the app.
Or you can download a special VR video or VR app before.
You watch it widescreen, and the screen is split left and right - that’s how the VR goggles line-up to your eye balls. That’s how this type of Google Cardboard “Fake VR” works.
I love a little virtual reality word play to keep the mind sharp.
If you put a technology hat on someone’s head, and say it’s good for them, you’ve got to back up that statement with proof. What's the VR for older people buzz all about?
The theory is, elderly Virtual Reality users have lots to gain.
I’ll dive deeper into the three broader areas of elderly companionship, remote elder care, and spectacular A/V experience. We have lots to learn, but these all are reasonable claims for the application of VR in the elder care industry.
Gamers and kids already know and love VR. But how can seniors, the aging, and their caregivers benefit from a VR headset at home?
We’ll discuss broad applications, and you might find one reason for you to try. After that, we’ll finish reviewing the best-available most-affordable VR headsets you can buy and use when you own any kind of smartphone with a screen that can turn sideways.
Remote companionship offers a way to connect with others remotely. It allows individuals who are physically distant, such as an adult child living Out of State calling their good old dad in Michigan.
Virtual companionship happens when the companion is virtual. Today, for example, you can buy realistic singing robot budgie companions for the elderly, or interactive companions in apps on your phone.
VR takes the possibilities even deeper.
For the individual, this type of companionship is particularly valuable for individuals living alone or lacking regular social interactions. For the social entrepreneur, setting up this remote of simulated interaction becomes a service you can deliver to lotsa people.
By leveraging technology, these industries can expand their reach and provide services to a broader population.
In business and in healthcare, making a service online and remote-friendly benefits individuals without easy access to healthcare providers (like Rural Michigan) or who require specialized care (like the aging population who prefers in-home care).
The remote service and telehealth industries have greatly benefited from technological advancements. I’m talking on-call doctors 24/7 from the comfort of your home, medical consultations, healthcare support from anywhere - because now geographical barriers are no longer a limitation.
Virtual reality technology has become increasingly popular and widespread, but mostly among hardcore gamers who buy for themselves and parents who buy for their school-aged kids.
VR remains out of reach to the older demographic. It’s new, confusing, and expensive - not the kind of thing I’d want to spend my time on at age seventy. Unless someone brings a VR headset to me and shows me how to use it, and it turns out I love VR. It could happen!
VR has been employed in various settings, including universities and elder care centers, to enhance experiences for individuals with dementia, specifically in memory care.
There’s a kind of VR video, game, or app for every type of experience anyone could want, so I’m sure a senior could learn to enjoy VR - with or without some assistance to getting the headset on your head, and get the VR going.
Certain technology companies are developing VR systems for elderly people, particularly those residing in care facilities. Rendever is my current favorite example. MyMind VR is another noteworthy product. Wii Fit is a classic in residential settings accommodating the needs of seniors.
For most families, the Meta Quest is the best in-home VR option because it’s easy to use and low cost, but it’s not made specifically for seniors. VR SHINECON is how my family introduced my aging father to VR travel.
VR SHINECON emerged as the leader in smartphone-compatible VR headsets during the COVID pandemic, surpassing BOBO VR. They are a trusted and reliable brand known for their high-quality and moderately-priced virtual reality headsets.
DESTEK offers a range of VR headsets, with the V5 model being the recommended choice. They also manufacture accessories for Meta VR headsets, so it's essential to ensure compatibility with your smartphone. Don’t buy an accessory for a Meta you don’t own.
While BNEXT provides a cost-effective option for VR headsets, they lack built-in headphones and require a somewhat cumbersome method of inserting your smartphone.
The Official Google Cardboard is a well-known and widely available option for VR enthusiasts, offering a basic yet functional virtual reality experience.
The Knockoff Google Cardboard is a cheaper alternative to the official version, providing a budget-friendly entry into smartphone-based virtual reality - and you’ll like the head strap more than without.
FEEBZ is a relatively new player in the market, offering expensive VR headsets that have gained popularity among budget-conscious parents whose kids enjoy video games.
Some of 2023’s biggest VR virtual reality products and services are only available for B2B sales to senior care facilities. Some are available to aging consumers for in-home use.
Here are some straightforward reasons why these 2023 leading VR consoles are good for seniors, the elderly, and/or their caregivers:
Rendever - Rendever offers immersive virtual reality experiences designed for seniors, which can combat social isolation, improve mental well-being, and promote social engagement through group activities. The apple of my ElderCare eye in 2023. Ooh la la, I would love to try this with my dad if I could!
RendeverLive - RendeverLive is a virtual reality platform that allows seniors to participate in shared experiences remotely, fostering social connections and reducing feelings of loneliness. It works well when staff promote the video times to residents.
MyMind VR - MyMind VR focuses on mental health and relaxation, providing seniors with therapeutic experiences that can reduce stress, promote relaxation, and improve overall well-being for both seniors and their caregivers. It's a nice feeling.
Meta Quest - Meta Quest is a virtual reality headset that offers a wide range of experiences, including games, educational content, and creative tools, providing seniors with entertainment, cognitive stimulation, and opportunities for exploration. It's the best VR to buy if you can afford it.
Nintendo Switch - While not specifically designed for seniors, the Nintendo Switch offers a variety of games and activities suitable for different age groups, providing seniors with a fun and interactive form of entertainment that can help improve cognitive abilities and motor skills. It's the new Wii Fit.
The real tech geeks who know their stuff are saying Meta Quest 2 (formerly known as Oculus, associated with Facebook) is the best non-smartphone virtual reality headset of 2023 and into 2024, because it’s easy to use and has 3D videos, games, and special effects experiences for all imaginations.
Apple’s announcement of the Vision Pro cements VR’s place in the future of consumer tech products.
The reason why Amazon.com’s most popular smartphone-enclosing VR headsets have a typical 3 to 4 star rating is - is because people buyin’ cheap smartphone VRs and expecting Meta/Apple VR results.
I believe actually experiencing VR with your smartphone inside a headset is the best tool for a consumer to determine whether this product is good for them or not.
By choosing an inexpensive VR headset designed to fit your phone, you can’t expect the results like Meta/Apple. The reason why personal VR headsets based on the principle of Google Cardboard split-screen smartphones have been around for years, but never taken off to levels of wide popularity.
With all of Meta and Apple’s advanced VR technology stealing the spotlight, who cares about this rinky dink poor-man’s VR? In Gratiot County, Michigan where I live, money’s hard to come by and gas oh my gosh. That’s one reason poor-man’s VR might be right for me.
Me? I've never used virtual reality. The VR SHINECON headset I'm choosing to buy - the 2023 Version 9 with radial volume adjustment and an easy slip smartphone setup - Will be the first time I tried it first hand. More importantly it'll be the first time my father who's lived with Parkinson's for over 20 years will try virtual reality.
Big Poppa and lil gangreen are beaming up to web 3 in our living room.
If a For-Profit Social Enterprise (or caregiver gone resourceful) I don’t have the $300, $600, $900, $1,200 for a top-of-the-line VR headset. Even if money wasn’t tight, I’m still scared to shell out hundreds for something I’ve never tried and don’t know the first thing about.
A smartphone headset that requires you to manually download VR apps/videos on your phone, then put the phone in the headset (some headsets come with a bluetooth controller), and watch the VR video or play the VR game? That’s cheaper, much cheaper. So I’m checking AliExpress and Amazon for the best deal.
I’m going to try it at my house with my dad and me, and my mom and wife to gain a female perspective on virtual reality. If that works out, I’m going to try it with some over-the-hill friends of mine (who wouldn’t mind if I joked about age). If they like it, maybe I’ll try to sell smartphone VR headsets to my friends who would benefit from one.
VR Headsets work great with friends because they’re easy to take anywhere. VR headsets work great when a caregiver sets up the VR headset for an elderly or disabled person to have a brand new experience.
“Fake VR Headsets” that use deceptive advertising to make you think it has a screen, only to learn when your package arrives that you need to stick your phone in it - well - if you know-before-you-buy that you gotta put your phone in it, then you’ve found 2023’s most affordable way to try VR for the first time.
