The Evolution of Mobile Software: Alternative Stores and Augmented Reality Experiences
The EU's requirement to support alternative app stores has opened up a whole new world of options. If you live in the European Union, you can now have a dedicated pornography app on your iPhone for the first time ever, in case that’s a thing that you’ve just been absolutely fiending for.
Native iOS Applications and the AltStore PAL
Hot Tub, a porn search engine, is the first native porn app that can be installed on iOS devices through legitimate means, per TechCrunch, thanks to the recent enforcement of the EU Digital Markets Act that requires Apple to support third-party app stores. Hot Tub, which is available through the alternative app store AltStore PAL, allows users to search and watch content across a number of popular porn sites including PornHub, XVideos, XNXX, and XHamster. The app is billed as “Porn Without the Pop-Ups,” as the app prevents the slew of shady advertisements that you’ll get served visiting these sites on a browser.
Alternative app stores have been allowed on devices in the European Union since last year, but Hot Tub is still the first porn app to get all the way to market. That’s in part because Apple continues to maintain a Notarization process designed to ensure apps meet “baseline platform integrity standards.” The app, which was developed by developer and iPhone jailbreaker c1d3r, successfully went through the Notarization process and was approved for use on iOS.
Furthermore, the AltStore is taking advantage of its successful launch of a porn app to donate its earnings to sex workers and LGBTQ causes, announcing that it will donate its monthly earnings from Patreon to organizations like The Trevor Project and Red Umbrella Fund—a decision that it says was made in part to combat recent policies aiming to ban porn outright and remove protections for marginalized communities on social media.
Mobile Market Trends and Statistics
There is some evidence to suggest that folks are interested in breaking out of Apple’s walled garden approach to apps. A survey by MacPaw (which operates its own alternative app store, so keep that in mind) found that 80% of users expressed interest in trying a third-party app store. Also, maybe surprisingly, lots of people watch porn on their phones.
| Metric | Statistic |
|---|---|
| Porn viewership on smartphones | 69% |
| Mobile searches that are porn related | 20% |
| User interest in third-party app stores | 80% |
| Price of Meta Quest 3 | $499.99 |
| Price of Apple Vision Pro | $3,499 |
Augmented Reality: The Meta Quest 3 Experience
The Meta Quest 3 is the best virtually reality headset for watching augmented reality pornography. Its array of front-facing color cameras allows for better pass-through video than the grainy, black-and-white of the previous generation, and that means a new kind of porn. While the technical specs of the Apple Vision Pro are superior to the Quest 3, its price is way higher ($3,499 versus the Quest 3's $499.99) and its design is porn-unfriendly.
Below is a step-by-step guide to watching augmented reality VR porn on a Meta Quest 3 headset:
- Get the right VR headset: I have a Quest 3, so this guide is based on that that, but the general ideas apply to any headset with cameras out front.
- Make sure you have a fast connection: In order to work, streaming VR video requires huge data transfers to your headset.
- Download and install DeoVR: You can download this app either directly from your headset or through the Meta Quest app on either Google Play or Apple's app store.
- Sign up for a membership to a site producing pass-through porn content: The industry leader in this niche is Sexlikereal, which requires a subscription.
- Use DeoVR to navigate to the website of your choice.
- Click "Pass Through" on the search panel to your left.
- Select a video and start streaming.
Tips for Optimizing the Pass-Through Experience
To really get the most out of your experience, you have some work to do. Convincingly integrating live video and pre-recorded 3D content is so technologically difficult, I give producers props for even trying, but my results have been mixed at best. Here are some tips:
- Have a wide open area: You'll need a fair amount of open space to make this work.
- Make sure it's brightly lit: Pass-through cameras work better with more light.
- Assume the correct position: VR porn is generally shot from a static camera, so the POV is standing, lying down, or sitting.
- Align the video content: Try to connect video elements with real-world furniture and body parts.