Virtual reality based mindfulness applications: a commercial health app review
medRxiv March 24, 2025 Shraboni Ghosal, Mengying Zhang, Angeliki Bogosian et al. 1 citation preprint
A review of app stores and online platforms identified five commercially available virtual reality (VR) apps related to mindfulness: Headspace XR, Hoame, Innerworld, Maloka, and TRIPP. These apps offer meditative sessions, sometimes guided by virtual instructors, set in immersive landscapes with sound or music. Six raters assessed app quality using the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS). TRIPP received the highest average score (4.1), followed by Hoame (3.8), Maloka (3.6), Headspace XR (3.4), and Innerworld (3.3). Functionality scores were highest across apps, while information scores were lowest. The overall average MARS quality score was moderate (3.62/5.00). The authors conclude that these apps may provide a convenient and immersive way to practice mindfulness, especially for novices, but rigorous research is needed to assess their effectiveness for health outcomes.