The BoboVR Z4 is the latest VR headset from the company boasting a massive 120 degree FOV and integrated headphones for a more immersive VR experience. Is it any good? Read my BoboVR Z4 review to find out!
I want to say thanks to GearBest for sending me a sample to review.
Check Price at GearBestWhat’s In The Box?
Inside the box, you get:
- 1x BoboVR Z4 Headset
- 1x Cleaning Cloth
- 1x Instruction Manual
BOBOVR Z4 Review: Design
The BOBOVR Z4 follows the typical design of other VR headsets. The whole unit is quite large.
The black, white and grey color scheme looks great and definitely fits the “futuristic” image that VR headsets inspire. I also felt ridiculous wearing it but that happens regardless of which VR headset you’ve got strapped to your face.
The front of the unit houses the smartphone holder, locked in place by a secure button latch. The front panel opens up to reveal the smartphone holder. It cleverly limits the opening angle to prevent your smartphone falling out when open.
The actual smartphone holder has two adjustable guides at the bottom. BOBOVR mentions something about automatically centering your phone but I had to manually move them. The holder is quite low down so smaller smartphones do tend to sit a little low. The bigger your smartphone, the better.
This section also holds the headset’s 3.5mm connector for the in-built speakers. A small rubber nub makes it easy to remove the flush-mounted connector. Unfortunately, the cable is short but will reach the headphone port on most phones. Unfortunately, BOBOVR didn’t factor in phone’s with bottom-mounted headphone sockets. Some Google Cardboard apps won’t adjust to your device’s orientation so you’ll need to pick up an extension cable to use the in-built headphones with devices like the iPhone 6 or Galaxy S7.
The lens section features a soft foam that is comfortable to wear. However, the lack of any sort of covering like the leather-like one seen on the Blitzwolf VR headset cheapens the feel of the headset.
There’s plenty of controls all over the unit. The top features a dial for adjusting the pupillary distance (PD – the distance between your pupils). There’s also dials on either side for adjusting the focal distance.
Underneath, there’s a volume slider that allows you to change your smartphone’s volume and a button for activating the pressing the touchscreen. BOBOVR have really done an excellent job making things as convenient as possible.
The headphones are built into the unit which is both a pro and a con. It’s great that you’ve got an all-in-one VR headset but it makes using your own headphones far harder (or impossible if you’ve got bigger headphones).
BOBOVR Z4 Review: Using It
The smartphone holder does a great job of keeping everything in place but there’s not a huge amount of clearance. I was able to fit in my Samsung Galaxy S7 in a case fine but my iPhone’s bulkier case meant I needed to strip it down to be able to use it.
You can hook up the included headphones using the 3.5mm connector hidden in the faceplate. However, the socket’s cable is quite short and, with a number of smartphones now moving the headphone socket to the bottom whilst Google Cardboard fixes rotation, you couldn’t actually use the headset without a headphone extension cable.
The touch button is a great inclusion that’s often missing in other VR headsets. Being able to interact with the screen (i.e. when an app uses Google Cardboard’s magnetic switch) is great.
I also loved that the company included volume and call controls in the headset, allowing you to remain in VR even when the real world is calling.
The massive 120 degree field-of-view (FOV) of the BOBOVR Z4 is incredible. Whilst headsets such as the Blitzwolf VR Headset present an image that looks like a box in front of you, the BOBOVR’s image completely wraps around you. The quality of the lenses are great and seem to offer a consistently sharp image. It’s fantastic.
The built-in headphones are comfortable and their sound quality is also pretty solid, with plenty of bass and enough detail for an immersive experience. They’re not audiophile quality but are suitable for VR games and movies. Sound isolation is decent, but you’ll still hear some background noise.
In terms of comfort, the BOBOVR Z4 is quite comfortable. I didn’t get hot and never felt like the headset was too heavy, even after lengthy sessions.
Verdict
I really enjoyed my time with the BOBOVR Z4. The headset is well made and has the best field of view that I’ve seen so far. It’s far more immersive than other VR headsets I’ve used.
That said, the 3.5mm connector is oddly short and having built-in headphones make it nearly impossible to switch out the headphones for your own.
If you’re wanting an all-in-one headset with unparalleled immersion (at least compared to other Google Cardboard headsets), the BOBOVR Z4 is excellent – as long as you’re ok with the premium pricetag and non-removable headphones.
Getting One
The BOBOVR Z4 is available from GearBest for around $45.
Check Price at GearBestIt’s also available from GeekBuying, Amazon, eBay and Aliexpress.
I need some help!!! I am totally confused by all of the options, reviews of those options, the whole VR details are like a foreign language… I need a VR headset for use with my iphone 6, for my 9-year-old son whose primary uses will be playing games/apps & watching movies. Is this a good option for my needs? Would I need to buy a compatible hand-held, Bluetooth controller in order to play games, if so, can you reccommend one that will work here, please? I am so confused here… I am good with this $40-50 price range, so if you think another option/version would be better suited for my son, please keep that in mind. I appreciate your time & help in advance!
Signed,
Going Crazy in St. Louis :-)
Hi Sarah,
Helping people is exactly why I started this site! I know how confusing all the reviews are so hopefully this will help.
The BoboVR Z4 will be compatible with the iPhone 6 (I’ve got the same phone!) and the company has now added a coiled audio cable to reach the iPhone’s headphone port which my early model didn’t have. The other option would be getting the Virtoba X5 Elite and adding your own headphones. You can read my review here: http://hometheatrelife.com/virtoba-x5-elite-review/
In terms of needing a controller, most VR games are designed to work without a one. But if you’re wanting a solid iPhone-compatible controller, I’d check out the Apple-certified SteelSeries Nimbus: http://amzn.to/2gHmMts
Thanks so much for the info! One more question because I’m clueless to this world… If you don’t need a controller, how do you move your guy/figure/game piece (whatever) around in the game, & how would you make choices in the game without one? I don’t get it?
Thanks again, I really appreciate your quick turnaround time with my above answer, I’m trying to get something sorted out in time for a Christmas present! ????
Sarah
Hey Sarah,
Most of the games either rely on looking in a certain direction and waiting a second or so or looking and then pressing the screen (the BoboVR Z4 and Virtoba X5 Elite both have a button to touch the screen). There’s usually a dot showing what you’ll select.
Good luck with your Christmas shopping and don’t forget to follow me on social media.
I just wanna ask a question before I buy this. The face padding that I see in your review is some foam like stuff on the bobo vr official site it’s the same foamy stuff. Now on amazon, gearbest etc, I see some leathery dotted stuff as face padding. Are these fake man?
Hi Will,
From what I’ve gathered, the first batch of the BoboVR Z4 (like mine) came with foam. Later batches swapped out the foam for the leather-like padding which I personally find more comfortable.
Hope that clears it up.
bobo vr z4 vs fiit vr 2s?
That’s a tough one Zoran as they’re both well-reviewed. I personally like the BoboVR Z4 as it has a wider FOV (field of view) plus the newer versions seem to have leather-like padding around the face as opposed to foam. Not sure if the switch has been made on the fiit.
Good post !
My axgio virtual reality headset was only $8.99 i ordered on Prime day amazon I guess it is the cheapest