The Galaxy Note 4 has already been established as one of the best “phablets” to be released this year. Now the device can also be one of the first commercial VR headsets on the market.
Samsung and Oculus announced today that the Gear VR Innovator Edition is now available. The virtual reality headset attaches to the Galaxy Note 4 and transforms the device into a mobile VR headset through the mini-USB port. The hardware, much like the Oculus Rift, is intended for developers to start making virtual reality applications for mobile devices. Oculus believes that everybody should have access to virtual reality and this is another step in that direction. After all, who doesn’t want to watch movies in VR on their smartphone?
“With Gear VR Innovator Edition, Samsung is putting the device in the hands of creators to craft amazing experiences, as we define this new mobile category together,” said Justin Denison, vice president, Product Strategy and Marketing, Samsung Telecommunications America. “This is a great opportunity for the enthusiast community, developers and Samsung to get feedback and continue to innovate in this exciting new space.”
If you do end up buying the Gear VR, it will come with a number of applications already built for with mobile VR in mind. The three games available are HeroBound, Anshar Wars and theBlu. The latter is the most interesting as its an underwater exploration title. There are a number of similar exploration titles built for the Oculus Rift on the PC and has proven to be one of the more popular applications. It may end up being the same on mobile devices, but time will tell.
The Gear VR Innovator Edition is now available in the US! http://t.co/hRFFQBIm3t pic.twitter.com/u5pb1pDfDv
— Oculus (@oculus) December 8, 2014
Here’s a better look at the hardware:
The Gear VR is available now for $200 either at Samsung’s or AT&T’s online store. The Galaxy Note 4 is available for $300 under contract at AT&T. The Gear VR is built specifically for the Note 4 so you shouldn’t buy one unless you already own or plan on buying Samsung’s latest phablet.
