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There is now officially a new entrant in the virtual reality space.
Produced in collaboration with Oculus, the Gear VR is effectively a head-mounted housing for the company’s new Galaxy Note 4 ‘phablet’, using its 5.7-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED screen to display the two separate images that comprise the VR graphics.
It’s similar in ways to Google Cardboard, but delivered via a more polished form factor. Where it does differ is via the headset’s controls, which include a side-mounted trackpad.
There are a couple of games and demo experiences ready to go, too, including an Avengers game and interactive Coldplay concert.
The Oculus Rift Development Kit 2 already uses a Galaxy Note 3 screen. This Samsung collaboration was rumoured earlier in the year.
The perks of Gear VR are obvious – no cables, little in the way of dedicated equipment (for those who already own the phone, at least) and no need for a separate PC to get everything running. Plus it looks like the Gear VR will be the first proper consumer VR option on the market.
Samsung has also revealed a new phone called the Samsung Galaxy Edge that uses a curved display so icons and notifications can be seen from side on.
