Comparison

Vista Viewer vs XPlayer2

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

Head to head
About

Vista Viewer

This app allows you to view VR180 and standard 2D videos on your iPhone or iPad without a headset. It offers intuitive touch controls for exploration, multiple projection modes, and optimized performance for immersive playback.

Highlights
  • VR180 SBS playback
  • Multiple projection modes
  • Interactive camera controls
  • Stereo preview
  • Accurate FOV handling
  • Local file playback
Features
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Vista is a 180° side-by-side (SBS) VR video player for iPhone and iPad. It’s built to make viewing VR180 footage without a headset easy and intuitive providing the best experience. Designed with performance and visual correctness in mind, Vista uses Apple’s Metal graphics stack to render immersive video smoothly while giving you intuitive touch controls for exploration and inspection. Because of this, Vista also works equally well for high definition playback of standard 2D movies that are a part of your collection. With Vista, you may open videos that are on the device or shared files using the system Files picker. You may also browse and stream from an optional VistaServer library on your local network. Playback issues make File Sharing on MacBook unusable for most high quality videos. VistaServer was built to allow storage of high quality video files on your MacBook or external drive connected to MacBook and then share them to Vista player over local network with the highest quality possible. It is available on App Store for MacOS. Key Features • VR180 SBS Playback View 180° equirectangular side-by-side video with correct hemisphere selection for left or right eye sources. • Multiple Projection Modes Switch instantly between: – VR180 equirectangular – Equidistant fisheye (with adjustable lens FOV) – Standard flat 2D playback • Interactive Camera Controls Drag to orbit the view, pinch to zoom with physically consistent field-of-view behavior, and double-tap to reset orientation. • Stereo Preview Inspect both eyes side-by-side for stereo alignment and quality checks. • Accurate FOV Handling Per-axis field-of-view math prevents stretching on tall or wide displays, preserving correct geometry across orientations. • Local Files, No Uploads Open .mp4 and .mov files directly from your device using the system document picker. Videos never leave your device. • Optimized for iPhone and iPad SwiftUI interface with Metal-backed rendering for smooth playback and responsive interaction. Ideal For • Reviewing VR180 camera footage • Inspecting stereo alignment and framing • Previewing fisheye captures before processing • Exploring immersive video without a headset Privacy Policy: https://github.com/cgdusek/support/blob/main/Vista/PRIVACY.md Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

XPlayer2

Control your XR glasses with intuitive gestures on your phone. Enjoy precise playback control, automatic aspect ratio detection, and a seamless viewing experience without needing to unlock your device. The interface features a refreshed design with haptic feedback for every action.

Highlights
  • Gesture control for playback
  • Haptic feedback for actions
  • Phone screen fades out during playback
  • Precise seeking with timecode readout
  • Automatic aspect ratio detection
  • Refreshed liquid glass design
Features
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The remote is now a touchpad — control playback without looking at the phone: • Gestures: tap to play/pause, swipe or double-tap an edge for ±10 s, hold for info on the glasses. Every gesture answers with haptics. • The phone screen gently fades out while you watch and wakes with a single touch — no unlocking. • Precise seeking: slide your finger above the bar for 25% and 5% scrubbing speed, with a timecode readout. • Glasses are now identified by their actual model name instead of being guessed. • "Auto" aspect ratio: vertical videos no longer stretch; the film's format is detected and remembered per video. • Refreshed design: Liquid Glass on iOS 26, brand accent color, a Stop button. • Fixed: brightness after waking, menu flicker, remote responsiveness.

Screenshots

Vista Viewer4 screens
XPlayer24 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: XPlayer2 at none against Vista Viewer's 2. XPlayer2 also leads on ratings volume (4 vs 1). Vista Viewer's advantage is iOS requirement (17.6 vs 27.0). On price, rating, update cadence 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. Vista Viewer sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. XPlayer2 asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Vista Viewer against 5.0 for XPlayer2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 4 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Vista Viewer ships an update fortnightly, XPlayer2 monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Vista Viewer versus XPlayer2: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVista ViewerXPlayer2
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings14 — better
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.6 — better27.0
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB106 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCharles DusekAlexander Shekhovtsov

Customer experience

Vista Viewer

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

XPlayer2

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Vista Viewer

Subscriptions1
  • Professional$4.991 Month
One-time1
  • Professional Lifetime$24.99
None

XPlayer2

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Vista Viewer free?
Vista Viewer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is XPlayer2 free?
XPlayer2 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Vista Viewer or XPlayer2?
Vista Viewer and XPlayer2 are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 4 ratings respectively.
Do Vista Viewer or XPlayer2 have ads?
Neither Vista Viewer nor XPlayer2 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Vista Viewer or XPlayer2?
Vista Viewer ships an update fortnightly, and XPlayer2 monthly. Most recently, Vista Viewer was updated on September 25, 2026 and XPlayer2 on October 31, 2026.

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