Here in France there was a lot of confusion about whether the new Virtuoz button could replace Jolt or vice versa and I am glad to say, that no, Jolt stands in a category of its own and despite the confusingly similar “control everything” both products couldn’t be more different.

Let's cut to the chase about Jolt and the new Virtuoz:

📱Device Compatibility

- Jolt: Works with any phone. Period.
- Virtuoz: iPhone only. Alienates a huge chunk of your audience.

📱Setup

- Jolt: Instant. No pairing needed.
- Virtuoz: Bluetooth pairing required. Prepare for tech hiccups mid-show. Just think of your Bluetooth headphones and how they disconnect at will...

📱Trick Variety

- Jolt: Unlimited possibilities. 30 included, make and get unlimited more.
- Virtuoz: A measly 3 tricks. Hope you like repetition.

📱Control Options

- Jolt:
- Tap or shake any spectator's phone
- Use existing remotes
- PC/Mac keyboard shortcuts
- Multi app control so one app can control others for theatrical stories
- Flashlight control for Android and iOS
- Customizable timers with cues for impeccable personal timing
- Virtuoz:
- Proprietary remote (another thing to lose or break)
- Limited single app control (one-dimensional routines)
- Flashlight control for iOS only (make spectators feel excluded)
- Rigid and hard to guess timers for awkward pauses and imprecise performance

📱Audience Reach

- Jolt: Affects thousands of Androids and iPhones simultaneously.
- Virtuoz: Limited to iPhone users in Bluetooth range.

📱Performance Flexibility

- Jolt: Allows impromptu performances. Totally hands-free so you can focus on performing.
- Virtuoz: Requires pre-show setup. Needs 3 hands because you're juggling a remote control, a light-TT, and phones that can't be placed on the table or else they disconnect.

📱Customization

- Jolt: Make your own effects and they instantly show up on anyone's phone. Specializes in branding work for easy adaptation to client's corporate needs.
- Virtuoz: Same tricks everyone else performs. No customization options mentioned.

📱Transparency

- Jolt: Clearly shows unedited videos of included routines and provides extensive pre-sale documentation, clearly stating the potential and limitations of Jolt.
- Virtuoz: Fast paced sizzle video that confuses with familiar "control any phone" buzz tactics without documenting what the product can and cannot do. Their FAQ focuses on insulting Android users rather than being inclusive and helping performers make an educated buying decision.

📱User Instructions

- Jolt: Standard English instructions, many multilingual videos and support. Interactive documentation with AI integration.
- Virtuoz: Comes with French instructions.

📱Bottom Line

Virtuoz is a step backward disguised as innovation. It's a Jolt-inspired gadget masquerading as a professional tool. You need Bluetooth pairing, audience members with iPhones, and you're limited to three tricks. It's solving problems that don't exist while creating new ones.

Jolt, on the other hand, is a professional's tool. It works out of the box, with any phone, without limitations. No Bluetooth headaches, no Wi-Fi nightmares, no compatibility issues.

If you want to fiddle with outdated tech and limit your audience, go for Virtuoz. If you want a reliable, versatile tool that actually enhances your performance, stick with Jolt. The choice is clear for anyone serious about their craft.

I was afraid it would be hard to put on a borrowed phone. Nope! It couldn't be easier. Even a whole audience full of phones.
I was afraid it would be hard to remote control other phones. Nope! Tap one phone, stuff happens on another.
I was afraid it would be hard to make your own apps. Nope. Super easy, especially if you just remix the 50 included apps.
I totally get why one-trick-pony app makers and their distributors pretend Jolt doesn't exist; It replaces most previous and future apps at no cost to us performers. Thank you, Jolt!

This is a hidden gem but gets drowned out by all the visual Jolt magic effects. This alone could easily sell for $99 because it comes with so many advanced mentalism features. Real time peeking, pushing, forcing, reveals as notes, websites etc. All on borrowed phones. Best of all you can customize it to suit your style, country, client. The Facebook group has quite a few mentalists with fantastic ideas on how to use Jolt, so I don't feel alone ;-)

I am getting insane reactions with this. Nobody understands how I can poke my finger into their phone, then pull stuff from it. I made business cards that look like the low battery popup (thanks, Kim Andersen) and it makes for the wackiest way to organically hand out your contact info: It's an incredible visual effect and isn't about your card but about the spectator's phone. I found the hidden settings and use it to produce money and sponge balls from borrowed phones. Brilliant!

Now I know what I've been missing. Things actually jump off images in posts, then roll around in your phone until you pluck them out or make them jump out. Not just one, but many objects. Custom objects and custom posts, apps, websites to match the event!!! Mind blowing attention to detail. I'm not surprised this took a decade to finish. I can see exactly where Card2Phone and CardNow tried to imitate this in its early stages in 2008 and then never advanced. Replica4D is the holy grail! Highly recommended!

I'm saving tons of money with Jolt. I've stopped wasting money on single purpose magic apps because I can make something similar but better in Jolt for free. AND it's on spectator's phones. Brilliant!

First of all: Thank you for making it possible to invent my own magic apps at no extra cost. But being able to perform my inventions immediately on a stranger's phone blows my mind. Add to that the real-time remote controllability of any Jolt app (even for a whole audience full of phones that you haven't touched) and I am lost for words. THIS IS INSANELY COOL! You could have easily turned this into dozens of one-trick pony apps for a lot more money but you chose to empower us with a limitless creative tool instead AND included 30 unique effects; I commend you for your generosity!