November 10, 2015 – Samsung Electronics America, Inc. today announced that the new Samsung Gear VR powered by Oculus is available for pre-order in the U.S. starting today. The new consumer edition of the Gear VR is compatible with Samsung’s 2015 flagship smartphones, the Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge.
Commenting on the new Gear VR, Nick DiCarlo, Vice President, Immersive Products and Virtual Reality at Samsung Electronics America said it is “taking virtual reality out of the early adopter space and into the mainstream.”
The Samsung Gear VR is 19 percent lighter than the previous Gear VR Innovator Edition, and includes new foam cushioning to make the device more comfortable to wear. In addition, the Gear VR’s touchpad has been modified, which Samsung states will provide greater control and easier navigation for users when experiencing film, gaming, 360 degree video and experiential content available for Gear VR.
Max Cohen, Head of Mobile, Oculus said: “People all over the world can now turn their mobile phone into an immersive VR experience with made-for-VR games and thousands of amazing 2D, 3D and 360 degree videos and films.”
Samsung Gear VR users will be able to play new made-for-VR games that are coming to the Oculus platform this year, including CCP’s ‘Gunjack’ and Ustwo Games’ ‘Lands End’. Users can also enjoy content from Samsung Milk VR, the company’s virtual reality content service, as well as watch Netflix, and explore Oculus Video, where viewers can watch videos and films from Lionsgate, 20th Century Fox, Twitch, and Vimeo.
Samsung also stated that an update for the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ and Note5 will be available in time for the Gear VR launch to make the phones compatible with the new headset.
The Gear VR will be available for pre-order as early as November 20 and will retail for USD$99.99 MSRP.
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Image credit: Samsung
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Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.