One of the very early VR headsets was literally about the size of a small microwave. These enormous, rudimentary head-mounted displays (HMDs) came about as job aids, specifically for aviation and related needs (look up Thomas Furness and HIT labs). Today’s workplace headsets are a different class of device: a 128 GB Meta Quest 3S weighs about 1.1 pounds and sells for $349.99. It’s a frequently asked question, and the answer is very much yes: VR can happen without a headset.
Key Points
- VR training runs without a headset, so motion sickness, vision differences, and simple discomfort do not have to leave anyone out of the program.
- Cardboard viewers cost under $20 and turn a smartphone into an entry-level VR device, which suits straightforward tasks that need to reach a lot of people quickly.
- Phone and tablet delivery drops the viewer altogether, trading immersion for an activity any learner can start in seconds.
- Desktop modules run in a browser or through your LMS, and cloud streaming now removes both the install and the graphics card requirement.
- The hardware math has flipped: a Quest 3S costs $349.99 while a base iPhone 17 starts at $799, so a headset is often the cheaper device to issue.
Offering Alternatives to Headset-Only VR Job Training
For some employees, however, the headset is not an option. Extreme sensitivity to motion sickness is a reality for some. Other physical and/or cognitive differences can rule it out. It’s critical to offer alternatives to headset VR so that all learners can participate and reach their learning goals.
And it’s not just the needs of differently-abled people that require these options. Comfort and user experience remain among the most common reasons employees opt out of a headset program, and vision differences that make a fixed focal distance uncomfortable add another group. Our virtual reality training solutions are still an option, though.
This article breaks down three VR headset alternatives that allow all of your learners to have similar user experiences.
Three Popular Choices for VR without a Headset
- Using cardboard or similar housing
- View content and interact through a smartphone or tablet
- Engage with content, learn tasks, or watch VR videos on a PC
VR training, with or without a headset, creates engaging virtual worlds where employees can build skills. Headsets may or may not be an option. Roundtable has worked with countless clients using both HMDs and headset-free virtual reality.
Read more: Which Headset Is Right For Your VR Training?
First Alternative to a Virtual Reality Headset, Cardboard (Yes, Cardboard)
Virtual worlds can be a quantum leap for job training. Real-life learning can happen with something as basic as some cardboard and some clear plastic.
A cardboard headset is a more affordable, lightweight, and scalable option than a typical VR headset. A cardboard VR headset works for organizations that may not be ready to invest in full-scale hardware. These headsets come in at a low price point (cardboard under $20; hard plastic, polymer, or other materials, roughly $50).
One thing to know before you plan a rollout: Google open sourced the Cardboard SDK in 2019 and stopped selling its own viewer in March 2021, and the phone-based platforms that once backed the format, Google Daydream and Samsung Gear VR, are both retired. Cardboard-style viewers are still sold by plenty of third parties, but the content now has to come from a standalone app or a WebXR experience rather than a phone maker’s VR platform.
These are your definite options for bottom-rung simple tasks related to immediate workplace training needs that need to happen on a huge scale. For US companies, most employees can get the training right away, since 91% of US adults own a smartphone.
How Do Cardboard VR Headsets Work?
After launching the VR activity on their smartphone, learners place it into the cardboard headset and secure it with Velcro straps. Once placed inside the headset, learners interact with VR content.
Interaction happens in a number of ways. Most modern phones carry a gyroscope, accelerometer, and magnetometer that track head orientation in real time and adjust what the learner sees and hears. Budget handsets sometimes omit the gyroscope, which is worth checking before a large rollout, and some smartphones can integrate handheld controllers.
Plus, the company-branded cardboard headset is a classic onboarding gift along with other SWAG (Stuff We All Get) for new employees.
Limitations of a Cardboard Headset
Despite the fun, the low cost, and ease of use, there are limitations to a cardboard headset.
- The Material: There are newer polymer-molded or hard-plastic analog smartphone VR headsets. However, these headsets will generally deteriorate faster than digital headsets today, which pass various ingress protection (IP) and other manufacturing protocols.
- Limited to 3 Degrees of Freedom (3 DoF, or “three dŏff”): Learners can’t physically move around within their VR environment to the same degree as with a VR headset. Most full-on digital HMDs for VR sold today are 6DoF.
- Head Strap: Cardboard headsets typically don’t include a head strap, so learners must hold the headset themselves as they complete their activity. Even when strapped tight, cardboard could fail, and a phone that cost $800 or more slings out and crashes onto the floor. Test the Velcro straps before using them, and be sure your phone is locked in tight.
- Platform Support: The experience has to be maintained as its own app or WebXR build, since no phone maker ships a mobile VR platform for it anymore.
Although there are drawbacks, cardboard VR headsets are a cost-effective, scalable substitute for organizations that may not be ready for full hardware investments. It’s an excellent option for learners who want an immersive experience with personal, disposable equipment they get to keep.
Cardboard headsets with a logo are also terrific for subtle branding. Place them on your bookshelf in the background of your Zoom screen.
How To Use A Cardboard Virtual Reality Headset For iPhone And Android
Cardboard Virtual Reality Headset Pros And Cons: Key Factors You Need To Know
Second Option to View: Phone VR without a Headset
If you have learners who aren’t comfortable putting any headset up to their face, you can still use your VR experience.
With a compatible mobile device, such as a phone or tablet, learners can launch a 360° VR activity or a similar module. In addition to interacting via the touchscreen, they can engage with content by pointing and motioning the device in different directions.
VR job training without a headset can take place using a standalone mobile device like a smartphone or a tablet, as shown here.
How Do Mobile VR Course Activities Work?
It reacts and traces similarly to using a cardboard headset, except the capacity to react and engage is enhanced by easier touch. Your learners can access the same activity created for cardboard and participate without putting their phones in the headset. The learner can hold their phone or tablet and physically move side to side with 3DoF to see the same activity and interactions as their peers. Instead of using a handheld controller, learners make selections by tapping their screen.
Delivery matters as much as the build. Chromium-based mobile browsers, including Chrome on Android, Edge, and Samsung Internet, run immersive WebXR sessions straight from a link with nothing to install. Safari on iPhone still trails on immersive support, so any browser-delivered module needs a flatscreen fallback for iOS learners.
Read more: Everything You Need to Know About VR Workplace Training for Different Generations
Limitations of a Mobile Version of VR
- Small Screen Size: Most phones now sit between 6 and 6.9 inches. Held at arm’s length, that size gives the user a lot less immersive perspective on job training.
- Compatibility Issues: US mobile browsing splits roughly 58% iOS to 42% Android, so a build that targets one platform leaves out a large share of your workforce. More importantly, some programming languages, game development specs, visual effects, and other outputs are not always compatible with VR or mobile: it’s critical that organizations ensure their development platforms support mobile formats.
- Device Supply: Employees need to use their own device or have their organization issue them one that’s compatible with the program. We’re all getting a little cagey nowadays about willy-nilly downloading apps with all their accompanying spy gear. This group may include your employees. And, believe it or not, most HMDs are now cheaper than smartphones. A base iPhone 17 starts at $799 and the entry-level iPhone 17e at $599, while a 128 GB Meta Quest 3S runs $349.99.
A mobile VR activity is a good fit for learners who don’t want to wear a headset and would prefer to use a phone or tablet to complete an activity that’s still engaging, exciting, and interactive. Phone VR without a headset is the ultimate right-here, right-now VR training option.
Free eBook: 7 Step Guide To Creating Your First VR Training Program
Third Choice: Complete a Desktop Version
A desktop version of a VR activity is similar to the mobile version, except it’s accessed through an external processor and displayed on a desktop monitor. Using a mouse and keyboard, learners can interact with VR content.
How Do Desktop VR Activities Work?
Learners can sign in to browser-based modules or use a program that is installed directly. With a solid high-speed internet connection and an enterprise-grade CPU, they can also access VR training courses directly through the company’s LMS.
Two things have changed since desktop delivery first became the fallback option. Browser-based modules have matured, so a WebXR or WebGL build can run from a link with no install and still report completion through SCORM or xAPI. Cloud streaming has also become practical, which lets a server render a heavy scene and stream it to an ordinary laptop, taking the graphics card off the requirements list.
Flatscreen Monitor Virtual Reality without a Headset, How to Explore and Interact
- Some laptops now have head-motion tracking in the embedded webcam.
- Various mountable/clippable eye, face, and motion-tracking sensors are also available.
- Sometimes it is simpler than that: high-definition rendered content that learners move through with clicks, scrolling, and a keyboard.
A VR activity completed on a desktop doesn’t have the same immersive feel as a headset would provide, but learners can still access roughly the same training content. A desktop version is a great way to provide accessibility options for virtually any employee.
Limitations of a Desktop Version of VR
- Lower Immersion Level: Similar to using a mobile VR version, learners aren’t as immersed in the environment as they would be with a full-fledged headset.
- Limited Functionality: Learners are limited to the functionality of their device and can only interact through their mouse and keyboard or a very basic peripheral.
- Compatibility Issues: Depending on the complexity of the VR experience, some devices may not be able to run the activity. If they do, the level of processing and bandwidth, especially for significantly larger screens than those in a headset, may have noticeable lag time.
A desktop version of a VR activity is still an excellent option for organizations that need something accessible that’s still scalable, convenient, and comfortable for learners.
Do Not Fret Over A VR Headset
A VR training program is a great way to incorporate hands-on, active learning in your organization. With our three alternatives to a VR headset, you can ensure that each learner is accounted for and comfortable participating in VR activities.
Ready to start planning your VR training program? Check out more of our resources on all things VR, or get started designing your program today.
Sources:
- Pew Research Center, Demographics of Mobile Device Ownership and Adoption in the United States. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/mobile/
- Meta, An Update on Meta Quest Pricing. https://www.meta.com/blog/update-meta-quest-pricing/
- Google Developers, Open sourcing Google Cardboard. https://developers.googleblog.com/open-sourcing-google-cardboard/
- StatCounter, Mobile Operating System Market Share in the United States. https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/mobile/united-states-of-america
FAQ
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