Google Cardboard vs VR Noir
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Google Cardboard
Experience virtual reality on your iPhone. This app guides you through setting up a compatible viewer and offers initial immersive experiences to explore.
- VR viewer setup
- Introductory VR experiences
- iPhone compatibility
- Cardboard viewer integration
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Cardboard puts virtual reality on your iPhone. The Google Cardboard app helps you set up a Cardboard viewer and includes a few experiences to get you started. To fully enjoy this app you'll need a Cardboard viewer. Learn more and get your own Cardboard viewer at http://g.co/cardboard. Do not use this app while driving, walking, or otherwise by being distracted or disoriented from real world situations that prevent you from obeying traffic or safety laws.
VR Noir
Step into the shoes of a private detective in this immersive virtual reality experience. Make choices that determine your path as you navigate a gritty narrative. This app offers a unique blend of cinematic storytelling and interactive gameplay.
- Virtual reality gameplay
- Cinematic storytelling
- Player choice and consequences
- Detective narrative
- Immersive experience
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=Requires Google Cardboard Device= You play Veronica Coltrane, a private detective forced to take a job for the money. Will you carry out your client's wishes and cross the line? VR Noir is a groundbreaking step forward in cinematic storytelling and immersive gameplay. "VR Noir is a great example of how virtual reality will change television...it carries forward the torch that GONE lit before it" ~ Upload VR
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: VR Noir at 61% against Google Cardboard's 24%. VR Noir also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 months) and rating (3.2 vs 2.8). Google Cardboard's advantage is ratings volume (598 vs 41). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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.
VR Noir holds the better App Store score, 3.2 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Google Cardboard has 598 ratings behind it against 41, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 24% of Google Cardboard's written reviews are positive against 61% of VR Noir's.
Google Cardboard ships an update every 3 months, VR Noir every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Google Cardboard | VR Noir |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.8 (598 ratings) | 3.2 (41 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 24.2% of reviews | 61.2% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 598 — better | 41 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 8.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 60 MB | 791 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | New Canvas Pty Ltd | |
Customer experience
Google Cardboard
VR Noir
User reviews
Google Cardboard
From 598 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great VR experience
- 🎉 Fun and immersive
- 👍 Simulates VR headset well
- 🌟 Awesome for the price
Room to improve
- 🐛 Spinning/glitching issues on newer iPhones
- 🤕 Can cause motion sickness
- 📺 Limited content/demos
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate/interact
VR Noir
From 41 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎬 Immersive VR storytelling experience
- 🎨 High-quality graphics and visuals
- 📱 Works well with cardboard VR headsets
- 🎭 Engaging noir narrative and atmosphere
- 🕵️ Interactive detective gameplay mechanics
Room to improve
- ⏱️ Extremely short gameplay duration (5-10 minutes)
- 🐛 Spinning/rotating screen issues
- 🖥️ Black screen on startup
- 🔊 Audio not working or missing
- 🌀 Fisheye distortion causing motion sickness
Bugs and requests
Google Cardboard
Reported bugs
3 issues- Constant spinning/shaking on some devices
- Crashes and freezes on launch
- Incompatibility with certain VR headsets
Requested features
4 requests- More VR games and interactive experiences
- Ability to view own photos/videos in VR
- Support for newer iOS versions
- Improved navigation and controls
VR Noir
Reported bugs
10 issues- App stuck on loading screen
- Black screen on launch
- Audio not functioning
- Spinning/rotating display issues
- App crashes mid-gameplay
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- Fisheye lens distortion
- Audio clips playing out of order
- Game not progressing past certain points
- Incompatibility with newer iOS versions
- Notification prompt causing app failure
Requested features
8 requests- Complete full game with more chapters
- Release of part 2/sequel
- Subtitles and closed captions
- Save points and chapter selection
- Longer gameplay experience
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- More interactive story choices with consequences
- Tutorial for new players
- Extended narrative content
In-app purchases
Google Cardboard
No in-app purchases
VR Noir
No in-app purchases
