Samsung introduced today Gear VR Innovator Edition, billed as “the first widely available mobile VR headset.”
It uses Oculus VR technology combined with Samsung’s 5.7 inch Quad HD (aka “ultra HD and 4K) 2560 x 1440 pixel Galaxy Note 4 mobile phone — “an early-access, beta-version of the device for developers and enthusiasts rather than a final consumer product,” according to the Oculus VR blog.
Here’s how Samsung describes it:
With the Gear VR Innovator Edition, users can sit in the best seat of a theater, can be on-stage of a performance with full 360 3D video, and can enjoy gaming like it’s never been seen before – inside the stunning worlds where imagination becomes reality. Samsung’s industry leading Super AMOLED display technology and cutting-edge Oculus-driven technologies fuse to create an experience that surprises and delights – all on a mobile device. … Users will be able to enjoy a wide range of film, gaming, 360 degree video, and educational/experiential content.
Samsung says a microSD is included in the box, with a collection of 360-degree videos and 3D movie trailers from major studios pre-loaded, including samples of Hollywood and documentary IMAX films, “exclusive access to Tony Stark’s Lab inside the all new Avengers Tower,” a Cirque du Soleil performance, and Dreamworks animations.
Gear VR has a 96˚ field of view, accelerator, and gyrometer.
Samsung says Gear VR will be available in frost white through the Samsung online channel and some carriers this year.
CNET has a first look here.
