Technoglitch
Core Member
Cooked up by Samsung and Facebook subsidiary Oculus VR, the Gear VR is the first virtual reality headset designed for consumers, according to its manufacturers. Priced at $99, the device will serve up computer-generated virtual worlds in which you can play immersive games and view videos and photographs. The Gear VR requires a compatible mobile phone and will support Samsung's newest lineup, including the Galaxy Note 5 and the Galaxy S6, S6 Edge and S6 Edge+.
The launch of the Gear VR will be a test for both consumers and the virtual reality industry. Will gamers and other people gravitate to a technology that requires them to wear a chunky headset to get a dose of virtual reality? The need for a Samsung smartphone could serve to limit adoption.
The Samsung Gear VR is essentially a plastic box with a phone inside it that you strap to your head. Lenses magnify the smartphone's screen and make it appear to wrap around your field of vision. Sensors inside the phone and the headset can tell when you turn your head, causing the images to change accordingly so that you get the sensation of being in another world.
A good mix of games and videos could help the system take off.
Gear VR owners will be able to watch the entire catalog of TV shows and movies on Netflix and turn to Oculus Video to catch more than 70 films from 20th Century Fox and Lionsgate and 9,000 videos from Vimeo. Users also will be able to explore more than 200,000 photos in 360-degree views.
Samsung Gear VR headset now up for preorder at $99 - CNET
The launch of the Gear VR will be a test for both consumers and the virtual reality industry. Will gamers and other people gravitate to a technology that requires them to wear a chunky headset to get a dose of virtual reality? The need for a Samsung smartphone could serve to limit adoption.
The Samsung Gear VR is essentially a plastic box with a phone inside it that you strap to your head. Lenses magnify the smartphone's screen and make it appear to wrap around your field of vision. Sensors inside the phone and the headset can tell when you turn your head, causing the images to change accordingly so that you get the sensation of being in another world.
A good mix of games and videos could help the system take off.
Gear VR owners will be able to watch the entire catalog of TV shows and movies on Netflix and turn to Oculus Video to catch more than 70 films from 20th Century Fox and Lionsgate and 9,000 videos from Vimeo. Users also will be able to explore more than 200,000 photos in 360-degree views.
Samsung Gear VR headset now up for preorder at $99 - CNET
