Samsung has been at the smart wearables game for a while now, and was the first big company to push smartwatches last year with the launch of the Galaxy Gear. Not to be outdone by any competitors, today they are announcing a brand new type of smart wearable, the Gear VR. What we thought might be a competitor to the absolutely awesome Oculus Rift on the PC has apparently turned into a full-fledged partnership between Samsung and Oculus to bring you a new way to interact with media.
Samsung is touting the display used in the Gear VR, which is actually the same as the Galaxy Note 4. A 5.7-inch Quad-HD Super AMOLED powers the display, giving an enhanced viewing experience over the latest model Oculus Rift which uses the Galaxy Note 3’s 5.7-inch 1080p Super AMOLED screen. Samsung is touting this as an all media-consuming device, meaning it’s not just a replacement for your tablet at home, but even for your TV if you want it to be.
Watching movies on the screen will simulate being in a theater in the front row, with the massive screen taking up your entire field of view. Gaming becomes more immersive as you’re put straight into the gaming world, and if you’ve ever seen any Oculus Rift gaming demos either on YouTube or in person you know exactly what to expect here. The Gear VR is made with comfortable, soft and flexible materials that cover your face to provide an experience that you can enjoy for a long time. Samsung hasn’t specified exactly where the content is coming from or how it’s going to interface with other device, but they are touting the wireless connectivity of the unit and not needing to be tethered to other equipment in order to enjoy the experience.
Developing… We’ll have more on the Gear VR as Samsung publishes more details.