What is the actual difference between CricketX and iB Cricket?
The difference is what you hold. iB Cricket is played with a Meta Quest controller. CricketX is played with a real cricket bat that a controller mounts onto. Everything else about the two products follows from that single decision.
iB Cricket has been in the market for years and is the best-known name in VR cricket. It is built as entertainment — stadium atmosphere, multiplayer, tournaments. It does that well, and independent reviewers consistently rank it first in the category.
CricketX is built as a training tool by Xrev Studio in Calgary. The bat has the weight and length of a real bat, so the swing you rehearse in VR is the swing you take into a net. AI bowlers are modelled on real professionals with customisable line, length, swing, spin and pace, and after each session you get swing-path heatmaps, shot maps, timing analysis and multi-angle 3D replay.
It is used by MCC Lord's for winter training, the Toronto Blue Jays for cross-training baseball hitters, Pakistan's National Cricket Academy for U19 squad development, and by Cricket Canada, Ontario Cricket Academy and GIC Lahore. It holds a 4.2 out of 5 rating from 26 reviews on the Meta Quest Store.
Side-by-side comparison
| CricketX | iB Cricket | |
|---|---|---|
| What you hold | Real cricket bat with controller mount | Meta Quest controller |
| Built for | Batting practice and technique work | Entertainment and multiplayer |
| Post-session analytics | Swing path, shot maps, timing, 3D replay | Match and scoring stats |
| App price | $20 one-time on the Meta Quest Store | Priced separately on the Quest Store — check the listing |
| Hardware needed | Meta Quest 2, 3, 3S or Pro. No PC. | Meta Quest headset |
| Coach / squad tooling | Multi-profile accounts and coach dashboards | Some academy partnerships |
| Bowler control | Line, length, swing, spin and pace all customisable; bowlers modelled on real professionals | Preset bowling within match play |
| Replay | Multi-angle 3D playback — stump cam, bowler's view, above the crease | Standard in-game views |
| Pitch conditions | Dusty turners, green tops, flat subcontinent roads | Stadium environments |
| Notable users | MCC Lord's, Toronto Blue Jays, NCA Pakistan, Cricket Canada | Broad consumer base, largest in category |
Competitor details reflect publicly available information at the time of writing. Prices on the Meta Quest Store change — check the listing before buying.
Does a real bat actually change anything?
Yes, and it is the whole argument. A Meta Quest controller weighs around 130 g and is about 15 cm long. A senior cricket bat is roughly 1.2 kg and 85 cm — close to ten times the weight and five times the length. Those are not similar objects, and the swing mechanics are not transferable in the same way.
If your goal is to enjoy a cricket game in VR, that difference does not matter much. If your goal is to build muscle memory that survives contact with a real ball, it matters enormously. You cannot rehearse a proper front-foot drive holding a controller, because your hands are not where they would be on a bat handle.
CricketX bats come in real willow and 3D-printed versions, from $60 to $120. The bat comparison page covers the differences between the four models.
Which should you buy?
Neither product is trying to be the other. Pick based on what you actually want out of the headset.
Choose iB Cricket if…
- You want to play cricket in VR for fun
- Multiplayer and tournaments matter to you
- You do not want to buy a separate bat
- Stadium atmosphere is the appeal
Choose CricketX if…
- You are training, not just playing
- You want a real bat in your hands
- You want shot data after each session
- You coach a squad and need per-player dashboards
Can you own both?
Plenty of people do, and it is a reasonable outcome. They serve different evenings. iB Cricket is what you load when friends are round; CricketX is what you load on a wet Tuesday in February when the nets are shut and you want to face 200 deliveries. Both run on the same headset, so the only additional cost of adding CricketX is the app and a bat.
Common questions
Is CricketX an iB Cricket alternative?
It is an alternative in the sense that both run cricket in VR on Meta Quest, but they are aimed at different things. CricketX is a training simulator with a real bat; iB Cricket is an entertainment title played with a controller.
Do I need the CricketX bat to play CricketX?
No. The $20 app works with Quest controllers alone. The bat is what turns it from a game into batting practice, which is why yearly Pro subscribers get a Classic Lite bat included.
Which VR cricket game is the most realistic?
Realism splits into two questions: how the world looks, and how the batting feels. iB Cricket invests heavily in stadium presentation. CricketX invests in ball physics, bowler modelling and the fact that you are holding a bat. Which one reads as "more realistic" depends on which half you care about.
What else is on the Quest Store?
Independent reviewers also rank Cricket Strike, Final Overs, CricketR and VR Cricket Pro. Our round-up of VR cricket games covers the wider field.
Try the real-bat version
CricketX VR is $20 on the Meta Quest Store. Add a smart bat from $60.