Virtual and augmented reality has been on the horizon for a while now. Alongside 4K and 3D they are technologies which are diametrically split between entry level solutions to the more expensive solutions costing hundreds of pounds.

The VR Insane Augmented Reality Gun falls into the former camp of VR. The gun is built of hardboard, which makes for a sturdy construction. There is a small panel to remove which houses two AAA batteries (not supplied). The panel is held in with a small Philips screw. I did have some concerns that the screw was going to go into the hardboard itself which would have meant that the wood would gradually loose its thread. Thankfully you screw into a plastic fixing which is a lot more durable.

The gun is augmented as opposed to virtual as it uses your own phone as the display, rather than a headset. The phone takes the place of a target acquisition device. To hold the phone in place the gun is equipped with a sprung bracket which should hold most phones, I tried it with a Galaxy 8 and an iPhone (not the X) and felt confident in its stability to wave my phones about. The gun connects to your phone via Bluetooth and setup was straight forward and hassle free.

Without software all you have is a hardboard gun. There is a free app that can be downloaded from either google or apple store. The app comes with fifteen small AR games. For the most part they are basic games, but then the format is limited to the point and shoot genre. That said the trigger is responsive and the games offer up 360 degrees of movement. Some of the games superimpose game elements onto your real-time environment. Sounds good, but unless your pointing at a wall a busy environment can be a distraction.

The gun does what it promises to do and does it reasonably well, longevity would be determined on more software being developed, but as it stands it works well as a stocking filler.

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Charles Packer