VR has for some time now been largely associated with the pricey Oculus Rift and HTC, which are soon hitting the shelves at $599 and $800 respectively. These two headsets are among the pioneering VR headsets that have heralded the revolution and the growing interest in VR technology. They have however been considered as very costly and hence inaccessible to the larger population. In a bid to bridge this gap of availability, Samsung has just launched a headset set to retail for as little at about $99. Unlike the Google Cardboard headset, it does not have the finite limitations.
The new Samsung Headset has been termed by CNET as the best VR headset you can buy. A simple glance at the gadget can give you a wrong impression the kind you would get from the cheap $15 cardboard style headsets that have recently flocked the shelves. A closer examination will, however, reveal a lot of great features embodied by the headset. It is relatively large and comfortable. The lenses are adjustable such that those who wear glasses do not need to wear glasses. It also has a navigation touch pad that enables users to swipe and tap their way through the menus without taking off the headset or the phone.
More stunning is the software. You only need a spin and a tap to go right into a VR video, play your favorite game or even watch Netflix in VR. As of the moment, the VR headset is only compatible with Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+. The slot into which phones are tucked is labelled “A” or “B”. The “A” option caters for Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ (Both are 5.7-inch) while “B” caters for Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy S6 (both are 5.1 inches). The moment your phone is docked, a spring-loaded clasp on the opposite will lock the smartphone safely into place. Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy S6 offer a smaller field of view but offer a greater pixel density of 577 per inch compared the 5.7-inch display smartphones which offer 518 pixels per inch.
The elastic bands on the side are easy to adjust making it comfortable to wear. It comes with 1 Year Warranty. On purchasing, the Samsung Gear VR, you will get a headset, replacement face foams, manual and a lens cleansing cloth. This comes a few days after phone manufacturer Alcatel announced that it will package its new smartphones Idol 4 and Idol 4 S in a box that doubles as a VR headset. LG has also just released a VR headset that will be powered by LG G5 smart phone. The pricing of the LG 360 VR headset has yet been made public. It is expected that all other smartphone manufacturers will be pulling similar or even better stunts. The release of the Samsung VR coupled with the effort of VR content producers like the VR Banger is expected to boost the uptake of the technology by all kinds of consumers.
