Virgin Media Play vs 4VR
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Virgin Media Play
Stream popular TV shows, dramas, and Irish content live or on demand. Enjoy features like restarting live shows, accessing all channels, and improved accessibility services. Discover new titles and search for favorites.
- Stream live and on-demand TV shows
- Restart live shows from the beginning
- Access all Virgin Media channels
- Improved accessibility (subtitles, audio description)
- Watch major shows minutes after airing
- Browse and search for new titles and favorites
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It’s Playtime! Virgin Media Play is Virgin Media Televisions revamped and brand new on demand Player. Looking to stream some of the most talked about TV shows for free? You’re in the right place. From homegrown Irish content and unmissable sport to reality boxsets and jaw-dropping dramas, Virgin Media Play has it all available live or on demand. What you’ll love about Virgin Media Play • Restart shows live from the beginning so you don’t miss a single moment. • Seamlessly watch all our channels within the app. • Improved accessibility services, including subtitles and audio description. • Stream major shows such as Love Island and Gogglebox Ireland minutes after they’ve aired so you don’t get FOMO. • We add new TV programmes and films all the time, so why not browse new titles or search for your favourites and stream to your device? So, what are you waiting for? Download the new and improved Virgin Media Play app to your mobile, tablet or smart TV and open up a world of entertainment at your fingertips. Got a feature you love? Share the love! Found a bug? We're here to squish it! Think there's a smoother way to do things? Let's optimize like there's no tomorrow! Don’t hesitate to get in touch to share your feedback by contacting playsupport@virginmedia.ie.
4VR
Explore immersive content from Channel 4. Experience a new way to engage with television through virtual reality and augmented reality features.
- Immersive content
- Virtual reality experiences
- Augmented reality features
- Channel 4 exclusive content
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Home of Channel 4's immersive content
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Virgin Media Play at 2.3 against 4VR's 1.2. Virgin Media Play also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months). 4VR's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (105 vs 3). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and device support 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Virgin Media Play holds the better App Store score, 2.3 against 1.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 4VR has 105 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 12% of Virgin Media Play's written reviews are positive against 4% of 4VR's.
Virgin Media Play ships an update monthly, 4VR every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Virgin Media Play | 4VR |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.3 (3 ratings) — better | 1.2 (105 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 11.8% of reviews — better | 4.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 105 — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 8.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 86 MB | 105 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | TV3 TELEVISION NETWORK LIMITED | Channel 4 |
Customer experience
Virgin Media Play
4VR
In-app purchases
Virgin Media Play
No in-app purchases
4VR
No in-app purchases
