Astronomy

HomeStar VR

The XR School › Astronomy › Homestar VR
Special Edition $24.99 The Pocket Company Relaxing planetarium Meta Quest 1, 2, 3, 3S, Pro
Homestar VR released 18 June 2020 • Special Edition released 12 October 2020 • Based on the HOMESTAR home planetarium

Homestar VR

A relaxing VR planetarium from the makers of the HOMESTAR home star projector. Lie back under a sky that wraps all the way down to your feet, travel to famous stargazing spots, watch the aurora and recreate the night sky on a date that matters to you.

Developer: The Pocket Company
Price: Special Edition $24.99
Platform: Meta Quest
Subject: Astronomy • Wellbeing
6.0
/10
XR School Score
Worth a Look
Beautiful, calming skies • Based on NASA data • Lying down mode • Famous stargazing locations • Light on teaching content • Special Edition is pricey
4.1 • Special Edition 52 ratings on Meta Quest
Overview

Homestar VR is a virtual reality planetarium from The Pocket Company, based on the HOMESTAR home planetarium projector made with Sega Toys. The HOMESTAR range is supervised by the planetarium designer Takayuki Ohira and has sold more than 1.7 million units worldwide. The standard Homestar VR app came to Meta Quest on 18 June 2020, offering three relaxing modes: World Sky Time Travel, VR Celestial Planetarium and Starry Sky Selection. It is rated 3.2 from 51 ratings.

Homestar VR: Special Edition followed on 12 October 2020 for $24.99 and is better rated, at 4.1 from 52 ratings. It shows a full sky based on NASA data that extends down to your feet, lets you recreate the sky on a meaningful date such as a birthday, and includes a Starry Sky Selection of famous stargazing locations, some with aurora. A lying down mode lets you watch from a sofa or reclining seat. Narration is by voice actors including Donna Burke, Jun Fukuyama and Sayaka Ohara. Both versions are single player and rated for everyone.

A Calm Night Sky Anywhere Many students have never seen a truly dark sky full of stars. Homestar VR recreates that experience in a classroom, with the Milky Way and aurora overhead. It is designed for relaxation and wonder more than instruction, which makes it a good starting point for curiosity about the night sky.
What You Can Do
🌌
Watch the sky
A full sky from horizon to horizon, including the Milky Way.
📅
Travel in time
Recreate the sky on a special date, such as a birthday.
🏔️
Visit famous spots
See skies from well known stargazing locations.
🛌
Lie back
Use the lying down mode for comfortable viewing.
Which Version? The Special Edition is the better rated and fuller version but costs $24.99, which is a lot for a relaxing viewer. The standard Homestar VR has fewer features and a lower rating. Both run standalone on Meta Quest headsets, sitting or standing, with no PC needed.
Homestar VR vs PlanetariumVR
Feature
Homestar VR
Focus
Relaxing, beautiful skies
Detailed astronomy and challenges
Platform
Meta Quest, standalone
PC VR
Teaching content
Light
Extensive
Best for
Wonder and wellbeing
GCSE Astronomy and clubs
Classroom Value
Wow factor
8.0
Astronomy content
5.5
Curriculum links
5.0
Ease of setup
8.5
Value for money
5.0
Strengths and Limitations
Strengths
  • Beautiful, immersive night skies
  • Based on NASA data
  • Runs standalone on Quest
  • Lying down mode
  • Recreate the sky on any date
  • Rated for everyone
Considerations
  • Special Edition costs $24.99
  • Little structured teaching content
  • Standard version has a mixed rating
  • Designed for relaxation more than learning
  • Few ratings overall
For Teachers: Wonder First, Then Facts Use Homestar VR as a calm, awe inspiring hook at the start of a KS2 or KS3 unit on Earth and space. Let students recreate the sky on their birthday, then ask what they noticed and what questions they have. Follow up with a more detailed app or a star chart to identify what they saw.
$24.99
Special Edition • Meta Quest 1, 2, Pro, 3 and 3S
Get the Special Edition → More astronomy apps →
Quick Facts
Developer
The Pocket Company
Based on
HOMESTAR home planetarium (Sega Toys)
Homestar VR release
18 June 2020
Special Edition release
12 October 2020
Special Edition price
$24.99
Ratings
4.1 (Special Edition), 3.2 (standard)
Headsets
Meta Quest 1, 2, Pro, 3, 3S
Age rating
Everyone
Verdict
Homestar VR offers some of the most beautiful and calming night skies in VR, and it runs easily on a standalone Quest. It is built for relaxation rather than teaching, and the better Special Edition is expensive for what it offers. Use it to inspire wonder, then turn to a more detailed app for real astronomy content.

Gareth Griffiths

Gareth Griffiths is a scientist and the founder of World of Teaching, a free library of over 1,000 teacher made PowerPoints. He set up The XR School to help teachers, schools and parents find virtual and augmented reality apps that genuinely help young people learn, and to give an honest view of what each app teaches, which headsets it needs and what it costs.