Review: VRToto awkward, heavy

VR Toto Box
VRToto headset in its original packaging.

Disclosure: The folks at EverBuying just sent me a free review copy of the VRToto headset. Thanks, guys! The purchase links at the bottom of this article are to all the major sites I know that carry it, with affiliate links where available.

Bottom line: This headset does not make my best-buy list. It is heavy in comparison to other viewers that have come out recently, and the focal adjustment distance does not hold steady — it’s too easy to hold the headset in such a way that the smartphone moves towards or away from the lenses, losing focus.

VR Toto wrapped
Protective film covers outside cover, but not the lenses.

1. Field of view

The field of view is officially listed as 96 degrees, which is the same as the Gear VR. I have no complaints on this score. The view was sharp, clear and very immersive.

2. Weight

This headset is officially billed at 300 grams, or about 10.6 ounces, but on my kitchen scale it came in at 14 ounces, or about 400 grams, without the straps.

3. Straps

Usual straps that go around the sides and over the top of the head. No complains, but nothing particularly great about them, either.

4. Fits over glasses

My glasses fit, but just barely.

5. Adjustable lenses

VRToto headset. The knob in the middle adjusts the distance between the lenses. The two on the sides are for the focal distance.
VRToto headset. The knob in the middle adjusts the distance between the lenses. The two on the sides are for the focal distance.

The interpupillary distance is adjustable, which is the distance between the lenses. In addition, the focal distance of the lenses is adjustable, but not individually. However, the focal distance adjustment knobs aren’t sticky enough. That is, they move the entire front of the headset back and forth, and its too easy to undo the adjustment just by holding the viewer or setting it down.

Given the choice, I prefer that headset manufacturers move the lenses themselves back and forth, instead of moving an entire section of the headset itself.

6. Ready for augmented reality

VR Toto Panel off

The colored cut-out pops out easily, allowing the cell phone’s outward facing camera to see out.

The colored plastic panel on the front of the viewer comes off, allowing the outward-facing camera on the smartphone a clear view.

7. Fits over audio and power cables

Gaps on the sides allow for power and audio cables.

8. Controller

Mine did not come with a controller, but you will need one if you use apps that require you to use a button.

9. Ease of use

VRToto open
The outside cover flips open easily, and the smartphone drops down onto a little shelf. Spongy material holds it in place.

The mechanism to hold the smartphone in place reminds me a lot of the FiiT VR. You open the outside cover, and there’s a little shelf to hold the phone in place, with a sponge pressing against the back of the phone to keep it in place.

The one major usability issue, as mentioned above, is the focal distance adjustment problem.

The VRToto also comes with a unique little piece of hardware, a little cap that gets attached to the smartphone camera that lets it take side-by-side virtual reality photographs.

VRToto 3D camera add-on, top view.
VRToto 3D camera add-on, top view. The gray ring is a peel-off sticker and might be intended to go around the smartphone’s camera. My Samsung Galaxy S6 has a squared-off camera, and in any case, I didn’t want to glue anything to my phone.

It’s a little black plastic device that seems designed to split the camera’s view into two images.

VRToto 3D camera add-on, bottom view.
VRToto 3D camera add-on, bottom view.

There was a little diagram that came with the headset that showed how you were supposed to use this, but I couldn’t figure it out.

In any case, if I wanted to take virtual reality photographs, I would simply use my Cardboard Camera app.

10. Price

As I mentioned above, mine was free, but I probably won’t be keeping it. I’ll be giving it away to my readers who take a survey. However, if I were to keep it, I have a feeling it would become my go-to headset because it’s so easy to use.

It’s available for $27 from EverBuying, $30 from GeekBuying,  $22 from GearBest, $47 from Amazon, and $28 from AliExpress.

Maria Korolov