Samsung Makes Public Its New Virtual Reality Headset
Even with touchscreens, smartphones and self-driving cars, many would agree that virtual reality does still seem like a futuristic technology that’s far out of reach for the most of us. But perhaps, this notion will officially start crumbling once Samsung finally releases its Gear VR Innovator Edition.
What’s the Gear VR Innovator Edition?
Samsung has recently partnered with Oculus VR, a Facebook-acquired company that developed the virtual reality gaming headset Oculus Rift, to develop a virtual reality headset specifically for their upcoming new Galaxy Note 4 phablet. This wireless headset, which they named the Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition, is designed to let users play games and watch videos in virtual reality settings.
The headset comes with 4 different visual settings. It primarily simulates experiences such as being on the stage yourself or simply sitting as one of the audience in a theater.
However, the Samsung Gear headset is just a beta version pre-made for developers and enthusiasts. It is going to be available online only and is still yet to be mass-market ready. Although Samsung has not announced how much it will cost, they said it will be available later in the year.
Not the First Virtual Reality Gear
Samsung isn’t the first to go public with embracing virtual reality technology, nonetheless. Early this year, Google demonstrated attaching a cardboard box to an Android phone and then transforming it to a VR headset. Sony Corporation also has prototype virtual reality headsets for its Playstation4 game consoles.
Gone are the days when phone accessories were limited to just chargers, earphones, stickers and whatnots. Today, phone accessories are digital watches with built-in cameras and GPS functionality. Tomorrow, as you guessed, they will be head gears with the capability to bring users into a whole new dimension — virtual reality.
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