Wearable device is compatible with smartphones.
By Dileep Thekkethil
Samsung started shipping the first batch of Gear VR Consumer Edition in the US for buyers who pre-ordered the affordable Virtual Reality wearable device early this month.
Samsung Gear VR Consumer Edition is the latest edition of the Gear VR, which comes at an affordable cost of $99. The wearable gadget is compatible with smartphones, including the Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 edge+, S6 and S6 edge.
Gear VR offers users an amazing virtual reality experience by leveraging each device’s super AMOLED display to provide better color, clarity and performance.
Samsung had launched Gear VR Innovator Edition last year, which became a frontrunner in wearable virtual reality devices. The Gear VR Consumer Edition was launched last month, with Samsung partnering with Oculus.
According to Samsung, the device is 19% lighter than its predecessor and adding to this the device has improved its touchpad experience, providing greater control while enjoying the robust selection of film, gaming, 360-degree video and experiential content available for Gear VR.
The buyers of the Samsung’s latest wearable device can experience Mars in virtual reality by downloading ‘The Martian VR Experience’, created by Twentieth Century Fox, which gives a 360-degree view of the red planet through the eyes of an astronaut. The same is available in Samsung virtual reality games platform, Milk VR, that provides the videos for free. According to sources, the full VR movie of Mars will release sometime next year.
The prospective buyers of the Gear VR might have to wait a bit more as the online stores have hung the ‘out of stock’ board and we are yet to know when Samsung will resume the sales of the device. However, virtual reality headset of the company can be bought through the official website of Samsung.
Another game made exclusively for the new Gear VR Consumer Edition is the Gunjack, developed by CCP. This virtual reality game makes users play as the gun turret operator. The game is listed in Oculus store at $10.
Samsung Gear VR Consumer edition measures 201.9×116.4×92.6mm and weighs 310 grams. The device also comes with an accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor (for mount/ unmount detection), and includes a field of view of up to 96 degrees.
During the launch event, Samsung had boasted about the newly made-for-VR games for the Gear VR, including Land’s End, Bandit Six: Salvo, and Dead Secret, which are now available in the Oculus Store.
Virtual Reality Wearables is a segment that not many companies have ventured into but, lately, companies such as Sony, Oculus, HTC and Microsoft have shown interest in VR, developing platforms and wearables capable of providing the best augmented reality experience.