# BFBS Player vs 4VR

The clearest difference is rating: BFBS Player at 5.0 against 4VR's 1.2. BFBS Player also leads on review sentiment (19% vs 4%). 4VR's advantage is ratings volume (104 vs 3) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

BFBS Player holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 4VR has 104 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 19% of BFBS Player's written reviews are positive against 4% of 4VR's.

BFBS Player ships an update every 6 months, 4VR every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BFBS Player | 4VR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bfbs-player/id1017649305/reviews)** | [1.2 (104 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/4vr/id1391573417/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **104** |
| Positive reviews | **19.4% of reviews** | 4.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 4 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 66 MB | 105 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **8.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [BFBS Radio](https://appshunter.io/developer/463475235) | [Channel 4](https://appshunter.io/developer/385532930) |

## What reviewers say

### BFBS Player

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bfbs-player/id1017649305)

Access a variety of UK TV channels and exclusive Forces content while serving overseas. Requires authentication with a Defence Gateway account for serving British Forces members and entitled users. Not intended for unsupervised use by minors.

**Highlights:** UK TV channels, Exclusive Forces channels, Overseas access, Defence Gateway authentication, Forces TV channel access in UK

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good for overseas access
- 👍 Catch up service appreciated
- 👍 Improved login process (recent)
- 👍 Works well for some users
- 👍 Free service appreciated

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Location detection issues
- 🐛 Constant buffering
- 🐛 Login problems
- 🐛 App crashes/freezes
- 🐛 Limited channels available

**Reported bugs**

- App thinks users are in the UK when abroad
- App buffers constantly
- Unable to play stream
- Cannot log in
- App returns to login screen after submitting info

**Requested features**

- Show all channels
- Improve location detection for overseas users
- Add Apple TV app
- Enable screen mirroring/casting
- Make app backwards compatible for older iPads


### 4VR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/4vr/id1391573417)

Explore immersive content from Channel 4. Experience a new way to engage with television through virtual reality and augmented reality features.

**Highlights:** Immersive content, Virtual reality experiences, Augmented reality features, Channel 4 exclusive content

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BFBS Player free?

BFBS Player is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is 4VR free?

4VR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, BFBS Player or 4VR?

BFBS Player is rated higher. BFBS Player averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while 4VR averages 1.2 from 104 ratings.

### Do BFBS Player or 4VR have ads?

Neither BFBS Player nor 4VR shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BFBS Player or 4VR?

BFBS Player ships an update every 6 months, and 4VR every 4 months. Most recently, BFBS Player was updated on October 6, 2026 and 4VR on October 14, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*