# Google Cardboard vs スマプラVR

The clearest difference is update cadence: Google Cardboard at every 3 months against スマプラVR's every 7 months. Google Cardboard also leads on review sentiment (27% vs 14%). スマプラVR's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Google Cardboard ships an update every 3 months, スマプラVR every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and August 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Google Cardboard | スマプラVR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[2.8 (598 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/google-cardboard/id987962261/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **598** | — |
| Positive reviews | **26.6% of reviews** | 14.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 60 MB | 162 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Google](https://appshunter.io/developer/281956209) | [avex entertainment Inc. JP](https://appshunter.io/developer/376187594) |

## What reviewers say

### Google Cardboard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/google-cardboard/id987962261)

Experience virtual reality on your iPhone. This app guides you through setting up a compatible viewer and offers initial immersive experiences to explore.

**Highlights:** VR viewer setup, Introductory VR experiences, iPhone compatibility, Cardboard viewer integration

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great VR experience
- 🎉 Fun and immersive
- 👍 Simulates VR headset well
- 🌟 Awesome for the price

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Spinning/glitching issues on newer iPhones
- 🤕 Can cause motion sickness
- 📺 Limited content/demos
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate/interact

**Reported bugs**

- Constant spinning/shaking on some devices
- Crashes and freezes on launch
- Incompatibility with certain VR headsets

**Requested features**

- More VR games and interactive experiences
- Ability to view own photos/videos in VR
- Support for newer iOS versions
- Improved navigation and controls


### スマプラVR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vr/id1188168644)

This application is a dedicated VR video player for specific VR content. It offers an immersive viewing experience for compatible media. Users should be mindful of usage duration and age restrictions.

**Highlights:** Dedicated VR video player, Immersive VR experience, Supports specific VR content

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Google Cardboard free?

Google Cardboard is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is スマプラVR free?

スマプラVR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Google Cardboard or スマプラVR have ads?

Neither Google Cardboard nor スマプラVR shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Google Cardboard or スマプラVR?

Google Cardboard ships an update every 3 months, and スマプラVR every 7 months. Most recently, Google Cardboard was updated on October 17, 2026 and スマプラVR on August 18, 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.*