Samsung and Oculus to Launch Gear VR This Fall
Posted on September 26, 2015
Samsung and Oculus have announced it will launch Gear VR this Fall for $99. Gear VR is the first virtual reality headset targeted at consumers with an attractive price point. It will work with the latest Galaxy tablets and smartphones. These include the Galaxy Note 5, S6, SG edge and S6 edge+.
Oculus was acquired by Facebook last year for over $2 billion. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently told Vanity Fair that he sees VR as the future. The $99 price for Gear VR should be low enough to entice some gadget savvy consumers to try out the device. It is $100 less than the original Gear VR Innovator Edition for S6. The device has obvious uses for gaming but there are also streaming apps available, including one for Netflix.
JK Shin, CEO and President of IT & Mobile Division, Samsung Electronics, says in the announcement, "Samsung has been at the forefront of delivering mobile experiences and Gear VR Innovator Edition launched last year was no exception. We see virtual reality as the next computing platform, and we are thrilled to partner with Oculus on Gear VR to set the standard for mobile VR and bring this revolutionary product to consumers."
The consumer model is 22% lighter than the previous model. It also features new foam cushioning which is designed to make the headset more comfortable to wear. Gear VR will initially be available only in the Frost White model.
Here is a video of Samsung's Gear VR presentation from earlier this week: