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Ars: Samsung Gear VR Is Today's Best Virtual Reality

Posted by Soulskill on from the jury-still-out-on-today's-best-actual-reality dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Samsung took a distinctly different tack from Oculus VR in developing virtual reality tech. Whereas Oculus has a dedicated device, Samsung simply has a high-tech piece of headgear that you strap a Galaxy Note 4 phone into. A review popped up at Ars Technica after a month using the device, and they say it works surprisingly well. Quoting: "Though the weight of the two units is comparable, the Gear VR benefits from a strap system that distributes that weight on the upper forehead and the back of the skull rather than through an elastic death grip around the eye area."

They still say a purchase is hard to justify, simply because the content selection is lacking. But as that improves, the price tag will become worth it. "Simple, minimally interactive virtual reality experiences like The Deep, BluVR, and Titans of Space have become go-to apps when passing the Gear VR around a party for friends to check out. It's incredible just sitting in place and following along with your gaze as sea life or entire planets fly by in sharp, well-rendered, 360-degree glory."

5 of 74 comments (clear)

  1. Cheaper option, Google Cardboard by MrDoh! · · Score: 3, Informative

    Heck, can even order a 'nice' version from Amazon for 20 bucks, drop in your phone, done, you've got a VR headset. Pretty amazing how well it actually works.

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  2. Re:I don't want VR entertainment by mwvdlee · · Score: 4, Funny

    Not jump like a fucking monkey, not wave hands in the air like a cheerleader, etc.

    You're not alone; none of us want to bring our work home.

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  3. Dizziness by Camembert · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Out of curiosity I bought the Stooksy VR set for my iphone 6+. It is a Google cardboard variant from plastic foam, and despite its crude appearance it has some good features: ability to adapt for the distance between your eyes, a focus ability and very useful for me: big enough to accommodate my glasses.
    In practice it is really impressive (considering that there are not that many great apps on the ios store that can handle google cardboard), the first time I tried Hiroshi Jump and the Zeiss cinema app I was grinning like an idiot.
    But I soon found that I was quickly getting dizzy when using the more interactive apps or rollercoaster side by side movies,as the difference between what you see and feel is so big. Think about playing Doom for the first time, but in my case an even stronger dizziness. How do others experience this?

    1. Re:Dizziness by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      This is probably related to the delay between the sensors in the iphone detecting movement, and that movement being reflected in what is rendered on screen. Also the accuracy (or lack of) in the iphone's sensors may be an issue.

      One of the achievements of Oculus' technology (which is used in the GearVR) is to use dedicated sensors with high accuracy and to work hard on reducing what they call "motion to photon latency".

      The Oculus DK2 kit goes further by having a separate camera which tracks LEDs in the headset, further improving the positional accuracy. This isn't part of the GearVR solution though, since it is designed to be a mobile product.

      I can use my DK2 for long periods with no dizziness even in applications with lots of movement, such as roller-coaster simulations.

  4. Re:I don't want VR entertainment by Noxal · · Score: 4, Informative

    My Oculus Rift DK2 does ALL of this already. And it's not even the consumer version. We aren't decades away. It's here. Literally. Right now.