Samsung to launch Gear VR Innovator Edition in December

Samsung to launch Gear VR Innovator Edition in December. Samsung’s first entry in to the virtual reality is just a month away. The tech giant announced its first virtual reality crack this Wednesday. The Gear VR Innovator Edition headset will be launched along with Galaxy Note 4 that will provide a number of immersive experiences. The gear uses the quad HD screen of Note 4 as the display. It has a slick black and white design that enables it to strap to your head and enables you to immerse in whatever game or music video or movie you like. Samsung has partnered with many big – names for the content, so that you can do a number of things apart from playing games such as watching Cirque du Soleil performance or go on exploring Marvel’s Avengers Tower etc. the Gear offers a field view of 96 degree and uses a gyro meter, accelerator, proximity and geo – magnetic sensors for interacting with the VR apps and games in a more realistic way. The gear has physical buttons for back and control options plus a touchpad that can be used for navigation. All in all Gear VR provides a simpler way to have an immersive experience.

The ergonomic design of the Gear has been made to provide maximum softness and flexibility for great comfort. The viewing experience is as if you have a mega screen in front of you. You get immediate access to exclusive games and movies which can be instantly enjoyed just as in cinema. The Gear can be connected to the Galaxy Note 4 via microUSB connection. The device is 198 x 116 x 90 mm in dimensions. It can be purchased from the Oculus store. The device will be available for sale in US for a price $199.

Rumours are that it may be bundled with Bluetooth controller that has not been specified yet for $249. The experience is not same as that of the Sony’s Project Morpheus or Oculus Rift. These two devices packed their own displays and had to be connected to a greater platform for the content such as PS$ or a PC. In this regard, Samsung’s VR seems more flexible; it just has to be connected to the Note 4 and it will serve both the purposes – the display and providing VR content. And this is definitely one step ahead of Google Cardboard. However, the disadvantage is that the Gear’s tracking is limited to turning and tilting whereas Oculus and Morpheus track position with high accuracy using camera. the thing to be worried about is the reliance of device on  Android os. The other two gears have the full support of PlayStation 4 and PCs running on Linux, Mac OS X and windows. Samsung claims that it would be easy to port the existing Oculus games, but developing applications for this platform can prove to be a tough task. And no matter how impressive Note 4 might be, it can match up with the speeds of PlayStation and gaming PCs.