A new technical preview of VLC 3.0 for Windows and Mac now features support for 360-degree videos and photos. In future releases, VR headsets and other platforms will be supported. The default media player (QuickTime player) on the Mac does not support 360-degree videos, so you will need a thrid-party player. We recommend the the VLC player mac version, and the Ricoh Theta Mac App. Both of them support simgle drag and drop to load the 360 video file, and supports mouse drag to look around.
Here we share a list of top VR video player for you to enjoy VR videos on your Mac/PC, Android/iOS phones and tablets.
However, if I try to view a 360 picture from a Ricoh Theta SC 360 camera then VLC strobes black and white for a second before settling on a white screen. I've uploaded an example file from the Ricoh Theta SC here. VideoLAN, VLC, VLC media player and x264 are trademarks internationally registered by the VideoLAN non-profit organization. VideoLAN software is licensed under various open-source licenses: use and distribution are defined by each software license.
The Oculus VR, Samsung Gear VR, Google Cardboard and other video headsets are everywhere and 360 VR movies/videos are springing up, leading to questions on what are the best VR video players for Android/iPhone that can play VR videos 360 degree or 3D SBS. As some popular video players like VLC do not have VR media support, users need to seek for other free vr players. Here this best 360 vr players list covers the top virtual reality players for PC/Mac, and best 360 degree VR player Android/iPhone users can rely on. Before getting a good app for playing VR videos, you will need to get a computer or mobile device, a VR headset and the virtual reality video in hand.
Table of Contents
Part 1: List of Best VR 360/3D SBS Video Players for PC & Mac
1. 5KPlayer
Platform: Windows, Mac5KPlayer is a 100% free VR video player that can play 360 virtual reality movies, 3D Blu Ray videos, 4K/8K/1080p/720p HD videos on Windows and Mac smoothly! Unlike other media player freeware that bundles adware or malware. It is free of virus, plugins or malware!
2. Total Cinema 360 Player
Platform: Windows, MacThe Total Cinema 360 player is a professional and free 360 VR video player that works seamlessly on PC/Mac to experience the optimized live-action 360° videos with VR headsets like Oculus Rift. Total Cinema 360 player supports 4K 360 VR videos, delivering immersive feelings for viewers together with the Rift. Plus, this free vr player provides VR 360 contents constantly. In addition to the desktop version, Total Cinema 360 also has 360 virtual reality video player Android/iPhone/Web versions.
3. Kolor Eyes
Platform: Windows, MacKolor Eyes is among the best VR 360 video players free that can play VR videos on Windows, Mac, HTML5, iOS and Android. The desktop vr 360 video player supports 360-degree videos with resolutions of up to 8K and works well with DK 1 and DK 2. It features functions to turn at 360 degrees, zoom in/out, apply visual effects etc. For anyone who is interested in virtual reality, Kolor Eyes will be a good 4K VR video player, 100% free, with which you can watch virtual reality contents on 2D screen with Oculus. It's also a free vr 360 player for Android/iOS.
Also see: 4K Video Players, 360 Video Players, Best 360 Video Recorders
4. VR Player
Platform: WindowsVR Player is a free vr player for vr headset like Oculus Rift. It supports 2D/3D VR videos in mono, over-under and SBS format and is able to read local files, online streams (YouTube incl.), disc and more media. This player for 360 vr videos works well with Oculus DK 1, but is not recommended for DK 2. Besides, the free 3D VR movie player runs on Windows only with no Mac support, but there is 360 VR player Android & iOS version, through which you can watch VR video freely.
5. Skybox VR Player
Platform: Windows and MacSkybox VR Player is an intuitive player dedicated to virtual reality, categorized in All Files, VR Videos, Airscreen and Favorite. It can play nearly all video formats, ranging from MKV, MP4, AVI, VOB, RMVB, FLV, to 2D, 3D-Side by Side, 3D-TopBottom, 360-degrees video and even 4K UHD clips. Compatible with almost all VR devices, Skybox VR player lets you stream VR videos from your PC right to your Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Stream VR, Gear VR, Daydream, Cardbard or anything other VR headsets.
We recommend using Citrix Workspace as it provides the most reliable and full-featured experience for Desktop @ UCL Anywhere users. Alternatively you can access a 'light' version of Desktop @ UCL Anywhere via just your web browser. If you are unable to install Citrix Workspace on your computer or device then alternatively you can access Desktop@UCL Anywhere directly from your web browser. You will need to ensure your computer/device is running a supported web browser. Citrix workspace homepage.
6. Open VR Video Player
Platform: WindowsOpen VR video player is a free video player specifically designed for Oculus Rift. It supports videos in 2D, 3D, 360 degrees. The video player also works with Xbox 360 controller, Oculus Remote or mouse and keyboard. But users feedback the VR video file player is totally a cancer and doesn't work with the current Oculus Rift.
7. Whirligig
Platform: Windows, Mac
Whirligig is a 360 virtual reality player for Mac and Windows. Compared with other free vr players, it can play a wide range of projection types like fisheye, panoramic, flatscreen in both mono and stereo, and supports all common video formats with the appropriate codecs installed, including AVI, MP4, MKV, WMV, 360-degree etc. Users can easily play VR videos/films as it works with Vive/OSVR, Oculus Rift, and even desktop monitor if you have no VR headset. It's a good 360 VR player that will play stereo videos in over-and-under or side-by-side formats, 3D movies, 360 vr etc easily.
8. Virtual Desktop
Platform: Windows (8.x/10)
Virtual Desktop is among the best 360 VR video players for Windows desktop VR-capable. With a VR headset, Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, you can stream online videos (including Netflix and YouTube), play virtual reality video games and watch movies/videos in virtual reality, including side-by-side content (like 3D photos and videos) as well as spherical video in both 180 or 360 degrees, and optionally in 3D. A good 3d/360 virtual reality video player for Windows users, but there is no 360 VR player app android/iOS version available.
Hot Search: download 360 Degree Video, Best VR Video Downloader
9. LiveViewRift
Platform: Windows, MacLiveViewRift is on the top of the list of best free VR 360 video players for VR 2D/3D videos that is compatible with Windows and Mac (Mac OS X 10.9 and Windows 7/8) and the most popular virtual reality player for Oculus DK 2. LiveViewRift is well received for a good reason. This free vr player allows users to watch different kinds of media with Oculus Rift, including movies/videos in VR 360, 3D SBS format. It's flexible and stable, with strong performance and solid tracking. But it has no vr 360 video player for Android & iOS either.
360 VR Player for Android devices:
1. Android YouTube app
YouTube added virtual reality video to Android app last year. This 360 VR video player for Android allows users with Google Cardboard-compatible Android smartphones to play 360-degree videos in SBS, and 2D VR 360 videos. However, only monoscopic videos are currently among those supported for VR viewing.2. VR Player Free
VR Player Free for Android is media player app for Android with free and paid version to help users play high definition/4K VR videos and 360° LIVE streams. It can play 2D, 3D videos in mono, SBS, Top/Bottome formats smoothly on Android phones. Note that some features of the desktop version are not supported.3. VR Gesture Player
Another good 360 VR video/movie player for Android is VR Gesture Player, which will play VR videos and normal videos like IMAX. Suggested by its name, you can use the gestures of your hand to control the videos. It can play 2D videos in SBS with VR headsets, 360/3D videos in SBS and Top-Bottom as well as YouTube online videos.Rekordbox linux software. How to play 3D 360 degree videos? And any awesome 360 video players recommended? Keep rolling for further details.
360 video is the wave of now and future. It has been applied to many areas, for example, world's 1st NHS cancer operation is live streamed in 360-degree virtual reality; Michelle Obama has made a 360 degree video interview recently; Intel buys a 360-degree sports video replay specialist for the slam-dunk competition at this year's NBA All-Star games; YouTube creates a brand-new 360 video subscribtion and Facebook allows 360 degree video like and share. Having said all of 360 video application, it's high time to take a close look at this hottest buzz word in the tech world: what's 360 video? How to play such videos?
What's 360 Degree Video?
360 degree videos is known as immersive videos or spherical videos. They are videos recorded typically in every direction by a special rig of multiple cameras or a dedicated omnidirectionaly camera that contains many camera lenses therein. 360-degree video is formatted in an equirectangular protection typically. The cameras supporting creating 360-degree videos include GoPro's Omni, Vuze Camera, Kandao Obsidian, Samsung Gear 360, etc. Users can play 360 degree videos with 360º video player, they can have a control of viewing direction by dragging the video around. It's a form of virtual reality.
Table of Contents
Top 6 360 Video Players to Play 360 Degree Videos Without Any Hassle
After recording or downloading 360 degree videos, you may find difficulty in picking a reliably 360 vr player or xbox 360 media player for 360 video playback because there only a few video players supports 360 video playing on the market. Now that 360 degree video players are badly in demand for 360 degree videos playback. Here we list top 5 360º video players, giving you a new way to enjoy yourself.
#1 - 5KPlayer
When mentioning a 360 video player, 5KPlayer absolutely takes 360 video playback as its obligation. It is a 100% free 360º video player, specially designed for Mac and Windows users to play 360 degree virtual reality videos, 4K UHD 3840x2160, HD 1080p/720p, 3D Blu Ray videos as well as SD MP4, MOV, AVI, FLV, MKV etc videos. It also features download & airplay knacks. That is to say, you are free to get YouTube 360 degree video download with 5KPlayer. If you don't know how to play 360 videos on your computer, this video player for 360 videos will be a good choice.
#2 - Kolor Eyes
Vlc 360 Video Mac
Kolor Eyes is a free 360° video player for Windows, Mac, HTML5, iOS and Android. It allows you to play and interact with your 360° videos on your computer and on your Oculus Rift. The desktop application of this 360 vr player lets you play 360-degree videos on your Mac or PC, watching videos up to 8K and enjoy the finest resolution at 360 degrees. What's more, turn at 360 degrees, zoom in and out, change the projection and apply visual effects all can be done with Kolor Eyes.
#3 - VR Player
VR Player is an experimental Virtual Reality 360 media player for Head-Mounted Display devices like the Oculus Rift. It features playing 360 degree videos, reading 2D/3D images and videos, local files, streams (including YouTube), disc, and more! For the moment, VR Player is a rare 360 video player keeping the trend of videos.
#4 - JW Player
JW Player is one of the most popular embeddable 360 vr players for websites. It supports a wide array of platforms, browsers, and media formats, including 4K 360 degree videos, 3D 360 VR, 1080P/720P, and standard definition videos in MP4, MOV, AVI, FLV etc. It is open-source software which is easy to configure, customize, and extend. Besides, it's a trifle for JW Player to play 360 degree videos, as well as xbox 360 games walkthrough served as an awesome xbox 360 media player.
#5 - Total Cinema 360° Web Player
Our Total Cinema 360° Web Player lets you experience and play 360° videos on the web from both desktop and mobile browsers. Built with HTML5 and WebGL, the 360 Web video Player operates seamlessly on Chrome, Firefox, and Safari on Windows, Mac, iOS and Android. But it's a pity that Total Cinema 360° only have access of its official site contents.
Vlc 360 Mac Download
#6 - Kolor GoPro VR Player
Kolor GoPro VR player is placed sixth in our best 360 video players list. It is compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux computers, on which you can play 360°action videos, without an internet connection. With a lightweight interface, the player allows you to play 360 degree videos at the cost of the least effort, by simply loading the VR files and opening the very basic controls. An added value for the tool is you can adjust the general settings, video encoding, controllers, and more before playing 360° spherical videos.
Where and How to Get 360 Degree Video Contents?
As we can see above, though 360 video players are ready to play 360 videos. But where and how can we get 360 degree videos? You can certainly record your own 360 degree videos with the cameras, while getting 360 video download is also a decent idea, since both YouTube and Facebook nowadays are set to be the cradle of 360-degree VR videos. MacX Video Converter Pro makes the downloads a simple task. It allows you to download 360 degree videos hassle-free since it's an outstanding 360 VR video downloader, allows all kinds of video download including YouTube 360° videos, 4K UHD, 1080P/720P videos and so on.
1.Free download the 360 video downloader for Mac or Windows version for PCs and launch it. Click 'YouTube' >> 'Add Link' >> 'paste & analyze' to detect the 360 video URL copied from YouTube.
2. Choose the output format, resolution, size etc.
3. Specify the output folder path to save the downloaded 360 video.
4. Hit 'Download' button to start 360 degree VR video download.
Note: This 360 degree video downloader Mac also owns outstanding editing features like compress video size, trim video to several video clips, crop unwanted areas, merge multiple videos into a new one, add watermark to 360 vr video and more. Thus, after shooting 360 degree video with Samsung Gear 360 VR camera or other cameras, you also can edit your personalized 360 degree video for uploading to YouTube etc.
Additional: How to Watch 360 Degree Videos?
However, though there are a lot of 360 degree videos available on the internet today, not everyone has tried or already experienced to watch 360º videos. So, after we proceed to the top 5 360º players, let's check how to watch 360 VR video in a simple and easy way as possible.
Vlc 360 Mac Download
1. To start with, a normal windows MAC or PC or a smart phone is needed.
2. For you to hear the sounds of the movie you are watching, you need to have a 360 VR headset depending on what effect you want to best achieve.
Vlc 360 Player
3. Choose a 360 degree video player where you can have the movie.
4. 360 degree movie or game- downloads like 360 VR videos from 360 video sites also.
Vlc 360 Mac Free
5. Once you have downloaded the 360 video, you can now find a place where you can choose to watch the movie.
6. Just put your VR headset, start playing the 360 VR video you download using also your best 360 video player on your smartphone, PC/ MAC. But before you start, make sure not to forget to put your own earphones on for you to experience the best virtual reality sound and view you want for.