Comparison

Notes on Blindness VR vs Mobile VR Station® (Ported)

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Notes on Blindness VR

Experience a virtual reality journey into the world of John Hull, who became totally blind in 1983. This interactive non-fiction app uses original audio diary recordings and 3D animations to explore his cognitive and emotional experience of blindness.

Highlights
  • Virtual reality journey
  • Interactive non-fiction
  • Original audio diary recordings
  • 3D animations
  • Binaural audio
  • Multi-language support
Features
Read full description

Arte Experience presents: Notes On Blindness, a virtual reality journey into a world beyond sight. "A magical VR Experience" - Guardian "Mesmerizing" - Motherboard - Vice "Poetic and timeless" - Le Monde In 1983, after decades of steady deterioration, John Hull became totally blind. To help him make sense of the upheaval in his life, he began documenting his experiences on audio cassette. These original diary recordings form the basis of this six-part VR experience, an interactive non fiction using new forms of storytelling and gameplay mechanics to explore his cognitive and emotional experience of blindness. Each chapter will address a memory, a moment and a specific location from John’s audio diary, using binaural audio and real time 3D animations to create a fully immersive experience in a ‘world beyond sight’. Notes on Blindness VR is viewable with or without virtual reality headset (cardboard mode or smartphone mode). Notes on Blindness VR is available in English, French and German. Runs on iPhone 5 (or later) and Ipad 5 (or later). Requires iOS 9.3.4 or later versions. For full user experience, please use headphones, raise the volume and increase the luminosity of your phone. Notes On Blindness VR is produced by Ex Nihilo, ARTE France, and the French startup AudioGaming, in co-production with Archer’s Mark. It has been supported by the TFI New Media Fund and Ford Foundation – JustFilms, Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée (CNC) and Région Midi-Pyrénées.

About

Mobile VR Station® (Ported)

Experience immersive entertainment with a VR media player adapted for Cardboard. View 2D, 3D, 360, and 180 content in virtual environments, access your own media, and explore custom tours. Unlock full features with an in-app purchase.

Highlights
  • Plays 2D, 3D, 360, and 180 VR content
  • Access personal photos and videos
  • Stream content via DLNA/UPNP, FTP, Google Drive
  • Customizable virtual environments
  • Create custom tours with Open Source App
  • Basic file management
Features
Read full description

Welcome to the Ported Edition of Mobile VR Station, specially adapted for Cardboard! Originally designed for Standalone VR headsets, this version boasts a complete overhaul from the original iOS release. Discover a world of immersive entertainment as you play 2D, 3D, 360, and 180 content within a captivating virtual environment. While this version may not offer the same flexibility as the original, it remains highly customizable with profile and preset configurations. Dive into unique and personalized virtual reality experiences by accessing custom tours created with our Open Source App. Unleash your creativity or indulge in journeys crafted by others, enhancing your VR adventure beyond imagination. Our app is free to use, but for uninterrupted content enjoyment beyond the 5-minute mark or the ability to save your work using the built-in VR text editor, a convenient in-app purchase is available. Elevate your VR journey with Mobile VR Station (Ported) Edition for Cardboard! What comes with the app: 1. Over 30 backgrounds and three virtual environments. 2. Access your own photos and videos for viewing in VR. 3. Access external content via DLNA/UPNP, FTP and Google Drive. 4. Basic file management to move around content. 5. 10 sample images are provided.

Screenshots

Notes on Blindness VR4 screens
Mobile VR Station® (Ported)4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Notes on Blindness VR at none against Mobile VR Station® (Ported)'s 1. Notes on Blindness VR also leads on review sentiment (49% vs 20%) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks). Mobile VR Station® (Ported)'s advantage is rating (4.1 vs 3.8) and ratings volume (49 vs 10). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Mobile VR Station® (Ported) sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Notes on Blindness VR asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Mobile VR Station® (Ported) holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 49 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 49% of Notes on Blindness VR's written reviews are positive against 20% of Mobile VR Station® (Ported)'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Notes on Blindness VR ships an update weekly, Mobile VR Station® (Ported) every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Notes on Blindness VR versus Mobile VR Station® (Ported): the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNotes on Blindness VRMobile VR Station® (Ported)
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (10 ratings)4.1 (49 ratings) — better
Positive reviews48.6% of reviews — better20.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1049 — better
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS9.1 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size421 MB329 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperARTE France AppsMichael Fuller

Customer experience

Notes on Blindness VR

All ratings10 ratings
Positive70.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative30.0%
Written reviews35 reviews
Positive48.6%
Neutral2.9%
Negative48.6%

Mobile VR Station® (Ported)

All ratings48 ratings
Positive77.1%
Neutral6.3%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive20.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative60.0%

In-app purchases

None

Notes on Blindness VR

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Mobile VR Station® (Ported)

One-time1
  • Premium Edition$5.99

Questions

Is Notes on Blindness VR free?
Notes on Blindness VR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Mobile VR Station® (Ported) free?
Mobile VR Station® (Ported) is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Notes on Blindness VR or Mobile VR Station® (Ported)?
Mobile VR Station® (Ported) is rated higher. Notes on Blindness VR averages 3.8 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Mobile VR Station® (Ported) averages 4.1 from 49 ratings.
Do Notes on Blindness VR or Mobile VR Station® (Ported) have ads?
Neither Notes on Blindness VR nor Mobile VR Station® (Ported) shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Notes on Blindness VR or Mobile VR Station® (Ported)?
Notes on Blindness VR ships an update weekly, and Mobile VR Station® (Ported) every 2 weeks. Most recently, Notes on Blindness VR was updated on October 22, 2026 and Mobile VR Station® (Ported) on October 24, 2026.

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