Samsung, a tech firm giant known for its line of Android smartphones and tablets, finally released its own virtual reality headset, the Gear VR Innovator Edition, with a price tag of $200.
Unlike the Oculus Rift, which was widely popular as a video game peripheral, the Gear VR is not a stand-alone device. It was made for use with the Samsung Galaxy Note 4.
The Korean firm's VR headset was co-developed with Oculus VR. The Gear VR headset sports an optical lens with a 96-degree FoV (field of view) and uses several sensors such as geomagnetic, proximity, accelerator and gyrometer. It also has control features, including a focal adjustment control, volume keys, back button and a built-in touchpad. It can reach up to sub-20 milliseconds of motion-to-photons latency and features 3DOF tracking.
For those who wish to use the VR for video game purposes, a Samsung Gamepad is available, but is sold separately.
In addition, a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is needed to use the Gear VR. It will be connected to the Note 4 via the microUSB port. The headset will then utilize the 5.7 inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display, with a 2560 x 1440 pixels resolution, and a power source to show content in the headset.
For content developers, the Gear VR makes use of the Oculus Mobile SDK, which is a development kit that is free for download.
The Gear VR Innovator Edition is bundled with sample of VR content and video games such as Hero Bound, a dungeon adventure game, and Anshar Wars, a multiplayer shooter set in space. It also comes with a 360-degree video Zarkana, a show from Cirque de Soleil filmed specifically for the Gear VR.
Headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, Samsung has a number of affiliated businesses and subsidiaries, most of which are united under the company's brand. The company is also considered the largest business conglomerate in South Korea.