Not only did the mobile virtual reality (VR) head-mounted display (HMD) finally receive its consumer-ready version – which is priced very generously – but a wealth of new content was revealed for the kit.
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The Samsung Gear VR was co-developed with Oculus, the firm behind the Rift headset. Samsung says its new virtual reality headset will be 22 percent lighter and, at $99, half the price of its previous model. The upcoming Gear VR is scheduled to launch in the U.S. before Black Friday, and then it’ll roll out worldwide shortly after, meaning it should make an ideal Christmas gift for any loved one this holiday season.
The Samsung Gear VR consumer edition is compatible with all the latest Galaxy series flagship smartphones, including the Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 edge+ and Galaxy S6 edge.
Of course, you’ll also be able to experience Facebook’s new 360-degree videos on Gear VR as well as.
This was announced at the Oculus Connect conference earlier today.
Compared to the $199 previous Gear VRs that only worked with fewer phones, this headset will be a lot more accessible. While we still don’t have a universal Gear VR, the price cut will open the doors for a whole new audience and get folks on-board for more VR devices in the future.
Oculus said it is also working with movie studios for users to buy and rent films. The headset now supports Netflix, and will soon work with Twitch, Hulu, and Vimeo, as well.
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In what is perhaps a long time coming for VR enthusiasts who have expressed faith in Oculus CEO Palmer Luckey’s vision for mainstream consumer hardware, the Facebook-acquired brand is finally putting it all together. For example Hulu has stated that they have created some original virtual reality short-form content specifically for the Gear VR.
