As detailed via the official Oculus VR blog in a Samsung press release published on Wednesday, September 3, the Oculus Rift developer and the electronics company have both announced their collaboration to produce a virtual reality headset for mobile phones.
Being optimized for the Galaxy Note 4, the new mobile virtual reality headset, coined as “the Samsung Gear VR”, is touted to be a completely untethered, easy-to-use experience, with the procedure being to just plug in your Galaxy Note 4 and play. The device itself is described as something that enables you to “ fully immerse [yourself] in a cinematic virtual reality environment. ”
The Samsung Gear VR will initially release as an “Innovator Edition,” which will be an early-access Beta version of the device for developers and enthusiasts. the Gear VR also uses Oculus VR’s new Oculus Mobile SDK (Software Development Kit), as well as variations of the Oculus Tracker and firmware built into the headset itself for an extremely accurate, low-latency experience.
” We are thrilled to reveal the Gear VR Innovator Edition, a state-of-the-art mobile VR experience powered by Oculus, ” said Oculus VR’s CTO John Carmack. ” The deep technical partnership with Samsung has enabled us to create a virtual reality headset with world class resolution and performance, all on a completely mobile platform. ”
“ The Samsung Gear VR goes far beyond expectations of how mobile technology can be used to consume content, and is a powerful representation of the progressive innovation of the Gear series, ” added Samsung’s president and CEO of its IT and Mobile Communications Division JK Shin. “ We are pleased to have partnered with Oculus VR to bring this incredibly immersive mobile content experience to consumers. ”
What’s more is that the Innovator Edition of the Gear VR will also launch with four different modes for you to view your content with: Oculus Home, Oculus Cinema, Oculus Video and Oculus 360 Photos; all which have been detailed below.
Oculus Home is a simple interface for connecting to the Oculus Store, where you can discover, download, and launch VR content.
Oculus Cinema is a virtual movie theater, where you can playback your favorite 2D and 3D movies in a variety of theater environments.
Oculus 360 Videos and Oculus 360 Photos are experiences that allow you to playback panoramic content in VR.
The Gear VR will also be built with “ with soft, flexible cushioning and lightweight materials, ” meaning that the device will be comfortable for you to wear. The device will also be completely wireless, and the Innovator Edition will be available this Fall.
Further information on the Samsung Gear VR can be read via the source links below. We’ll bring you more news on the device should further information reach our ears.