Samsung Gear VR Review: Simple, Seductive, Scalable

Last week at South by Southwest I got to make various gobsmacked expressions as I was hooked up to a very cool demo of Samsung Gear VR, the new head-mounted VR system from the company (created in collaboration with Oculus VR). The demo itself was a first-person shooter, where you're kind of a floating ball moving through connected corridors, blasting away at zombie robots (yes, really). And to be honest, it was the first time using virtual reality where I really felt a compelling sense of presence and immersion. I've used the Oculus Rift HMD in several demos, and found the "screendoor" effect too distracting. While powered by a Samsung smartphone (the Galaxy Note 4), the Gear VR graphics are a notch or two better than the original Rift. (The Samsung demo people themselves admitted that the next generation Crescent Bay from Oculus is better.) The significant difference is the lack of wires. It's a pretty big letdown to strap on a Rift and realize it's tethered to several cables and your heavy duty laptop/desktop. For VR to really go mass market, wireless seems like the only way to go.

So all that's a big plus in Gear VR's favor. Another advantage is even more compelling:

Gear VR doesn't come with internal graphics displays like the Rift -- it's just some high end lens and input buttons on the side. You literally clip your Galaxy Note 4 to the front (see above), and you're good to go. While it currently retails at $199, my guess is actual cost to produce this thing is closer to $20-40 total (for Samsung, that is). Which means it's likely we're going to see that $199 cost coming down quickly, and strongly. Which also means (at least for Note 4 owners), a strong increase in the install base for VR.

The nice Samsung folks who gave me the demo told me (off the record) that sales for Gear VR have been extremely strong. (How strong I can't say, but yes, the numbers seem solid.) So while I still can't say for certain if virtual reality is finally ready to go mass market, the signs are looking stronger.

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Comments

[Adeon Writer]

I love the idea of not being hooked to a computer via cable, but I can't give up the positional tracking of DK2.

[Kitty Revolver]

what is the battery life on the note 4? You might get cabled up there. Hmm...certainly sounds better, and with your intell, we might be headed towards VR for gaming at least.

[Issa Heckroth]

Wow, you look SO COOL in these pics.

Nothing personal, but everyone I see with these headsets on looks terrible. I really cant picture anyone wearing these for long periods of time in the home.

[Arcadia Codesmith]

If you're really intent on strapping your phone to your face, you could probably rig something up just as functional with coat hangers, cardboard and duct tape. For a couple dollars more, buy the customization kit (a box of crayons and some stickers).

[Adeon Writer]

@Issa: I think the problem is you're looking at the HMD from the wrong side.

[Wagner James Au]

"Nothing personal, but everyone I see with these headsets on looks terrible."

No doubt! It's that "duh" expression everyone's mouth makes when that thing is on.

[Adeon Writer]

@Hamlet: http://i0.wp.com/cdn.bgr.com/2014/03/white-guy-oculus-rift.jpg

We've all been there.

[Issa Heckroth]

Yes I think that is a large part of the problem. "The Gawk" isnt good look, but the headsets also look cumbersome, geeky and uncomfortable for long-term use. Maybe they are the most comfortable thing in the world, but they dont look it. You wont get my dad or my gran strapping one to their faces that's for sure.

I take Adeons point, but it doesnt matter how good it looks on the other side if you cant convince people beyond geekdom to try it because it looks like a cross between an Iphone and a facehugger.