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Samsung, Facebook's Oculus Plan November Launch For $99 Gear VR Headset

Posted by samzenpus on from the coming-soon dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Samsung has unveiled a new version of its virtual reality headset, the Gear VR, that it plans to sell starting in November for $99. The headset will be compatible with all of Samsung's flagship smartphones. "With mobile VR, you only need a great mobile game device and a smartphone," said Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe, speaking at the company's developer conference.

56 comments

  1. does it work with iphones? by Spy+Handler · · Score: 1

    TFA says: "The headset, called the Gear VR, will cost $99 and work with mobile devices, including Samsung's lineup of phones from this year"

    Not exactly stellar reporting there by Cnet.

    1. Re:does it work with iphones? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It works with Cows, that's for sure. MOOOOOOOOOOOO! YOU COW!!!

    2. Re:does it work with iphones? by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 1

      Not exactly stellar reporting there by Cnet.

      I remember when Cnet was good.

      Oh, wait, no I don't. Cnet was never good. It was always the go-to place for viruses and malware, conveniently bundled with their craptastic "downloader" program.

      --
      Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    3. Re:does it work with iphones? by narcc · · Score: 2

      You must be new. It didn't always have that craptastic downloader.

      --
      Required reading for internet skeptics
    4. Re:does it work with iphones? by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 1

      You must be new. It didn't always have that craptastic downloader.

      No, not new, but Cnet was never very good. I remember John Dvorak and his paragraphs of pompous pontificating, riddled with random blobs of bold text that never seemed to make much sense.

      --
      Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    5. Re:does it work with iphones? by Katatsumuri · · Score: 1

      Ars Technica article says:

      The consumer version of the Gear VR will support "every 2015 Samsung handset," Koo said, including the Galaxy Note 5, S6, S6 Edge, and S6 Edge+.

      Don't know if the earlier phones are too slow, incompatible geometrically, or lack some special feature. I would guess if older Samsung phones are not supported, then the chances for other vendors are even slimmer.

    6. Re:does it work with iphones? by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      To be fair, his keyboard was quite cool and he wrote the Hovis theme tune.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    7. Re:does it work with iphones? by Coren22 · · Score: 1

      Are you sure that wasn't a nom de plume for Alexander Peter Kowalski (APK)?

      --
      APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
    8. Re:does it work with iphones? by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 1

      Are you sure that wasn't a nom de plume for Alexander Peter Kowalski (APK)?

      That's an interesting theory, and I can't disprove it.

      --
      Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    9. Re:does it work with iphones? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Apk sure got a piece of you didn't he Coren22? Yes he did http://tech.slashdot.org/comme... making you look like the blowhard bigmouth fool that had to 'eat his words' that you clearly are. Hahahahaha we're all laughing at you. You're butthurt so badly you're out talking behind his back like the little gossipy old lady that you are. Too bad we catch you in the act and let you shit all over yourself, hahahahaha.

    10. Re:does it work with iphones? by Coren22 · · Score: 1

      You really like being proven wrong so badly while clinging to the belief that you are right don't you?

      How does Hosts block DNSBL:
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

      How is a normal user supposed to know that your hosts file isn't causing them a MiTM attack on their banking site? How is a normal user on a corporate computer supposed to use your hosts file? How is anyone absolutely sure that an update you push out to your hosts file isn't going to compromise their machine?

      --
      APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
  2. Zuckerberg in VF by phantomfive · · Score: 1

    He's also pushing it in Vanity Fair, like the true geek he is.

    --
    "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
  3. How much? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Okay if you have a suitable smartphone, otherwise how much does it cost? Anyone got a better estimate than $700 and up?

    1. Re:How much? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And $99 is still too expensive for a plastic box with an accelerometer.

    2. Re:How much? by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 1

      Actually it's a plastic box with an accelerometer and pretty decent lenses (that are actually glass, unlike what's in Cardboard...) that are adjustable so you don't have to have your glasses on while you're wearing it.

      --

      "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

    3. Re:How much? by gl4ss · · Score: 1

      dunno, but I hope it works with my note edge.

      no wait, what I actually want is just a display for my pc, I don't want to play games from 10 years ago on it and certainly don't need it to be portable more than my laptop.

      walking around VR for home is a big failure, it's disappointing that they're putting so much research into it, when it should just be a display replacement.

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
    4. Re:How much? by NotDrWho · · Score: 2

      70" HDTV Home Entertainment System on sale now for only $200!!!!!!! *

      * HDTV not included

      --
      SJW's don't eliminate discrimination. They just expropriate it for themselves.
    5. Re:How much? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That still doesn't make it worth $99. $25-30 maybe.

    6. Re:How much? by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 1

      Actually if you saw the difference the sensors, touchpad, and the glass make compared to the ~$20ish Cardboard you'd feel differently.

      --

      "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

    7. Re:How much? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It had better be with the added requirement of a $600 Samsung phone.

    8. Re:How much? by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 1

      In that case the $25-$30 price you suggested is too much as well, right?

      --

      "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

    9. Re:How much? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, the $25-30 price would be fair for what it is.

  4. Did you know? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That Facebook was developed in a college dorm room by two naked chicks? ;)

  5. So three things? by Sez+Zero · · Score: 2

    With mobile VR, you only need a great mobile game device and a smartphone

    So a mobile game device and a high-end smartphone and the headset? Sure, piece of cake!

    1. Re:So three things? by U2xhc2hkb3QgU3Vja3M · · Score: 4, Funny

      Great, now we need four things: mobile gaming device, high-end smartphone, headset and a piece of cake.

    2. Re:So three things? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'll come in again.

  6. It makes me think of VR Troopers. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    All this talk of VR headsets reminds me of a TV show my kids would watch back in the 1990s when they were young. It was called VR Troopers and it had a most peculiar theme song. It went something like "We Are VR Troopers! Virtual Reality! Hoo Hah!" and repeated that over and over.

    It was such a corny theme song, and such a corny show, that I still remember it two decades later. I'm glad my kids outgrew those Japanese shows soon enough.

  7. you could have had a V8! by turkeydance · · Score: 2

    but only got this crappy VR.

  8. Re:Grease that YODA DOLL up! Shove it in your ASS! by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 1

    Instructions unclear, please elaborate.

    --
    Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
  9. Woohoo by binarylarry · · Score: 2

    Can't wait to buy an $800 phone to use this $99 vr screen.

    --
    Mod me down, my New Earth Global Warmingist friends!
    1. Re:Woohoo by chispito · · Score: 1

      Can't wait to buy an $800 phone to use this $99 vr screen.

      I get your point. Still, the phone is the screen.

      --
      The Daddy casts sleep on the Baby. The Baby resists!
    2. Re:Woohoo by ArsonSmith · · Score: 1

      You can also use the phone.

      --
      Paying taxes to buy civilization is like paying a hooker to buy love.
    3. Re:Woohoo by Katatsumuri · · Score: 1

      Samsung Galaxy S6 is $540 on Amazon. There might be better deals. And it also has other uses.

      I agree with your general point though. I am quite happy with my $170 Motorola smartphone. I would consider this VR attachment if I already had a compatible phone. As it stands, I will probably wait for Oculus Rift V2. Facebook intends to price them competitively, and there's a chance that second consumer version will be usable without too much headache.

    4. Re:Woohoo by Slashdot+Parent · · Score: 1

      The target market for the Gear VR is people who already own a Samsung smartphone. I.e. you'd buy the $99 device and plug in the phone that you already have.

      If you don't already have a Samsung smartphone, you'd probably be more interested in a dedicated VR headset like the Oculus Rift that's coming out next year.

      --
      They don't grade fathers, but if your daughter's a stripper, you fucked up. --Chris Rock
  10. Re:Grease that YODA DOLL up! Shove it in your ASS! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I don't know how you can type so much absurd text and not include a single joke in there. Do you just have an aversion to comedy?

  11. Great a 99 dolllar accessory by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So a 99 dollar accessory for an 800+ dollar phone?

    1. Re: Great a 99 dolllar accessory by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You sound poor. That must suck.

  12. A better Second Life? by aNonnyMouseCowered · · Score: 1

    Since FB is a social networking site, I see the Rift's most obvious FBooky application a souped-up version of Second Life. FB's real names policy appears not to cover profile photos, so by extrapolation users could adopt catgirl or Spock avatars so long as they have an ID or tag of some sort identifying who they really are.

    1. Re:A better Second Life? by Zobeid · · Score: 2

      Keep in mind that Linden Labs are working on "Sansar", which is supposed to be a successor to Second Life optimized for VR.

      As for Facebook World? I tried to imagine FB doing something like SL, and then I laughed. . . and laughed. There would be massive culture shock, that's for sure. Just imagine Facebook trying to deal with Militant Nudists, Goreans, Voreans, Fatfur Pokemorphs, etc.

      SL is what the word "counter-culture" should have really been coined for.

    2. Re:A better Second Life? by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      Keep in mind that Linden Labs are working on "Sansar", which is supposed to be a successor to Second Life optimized for VR.

      As for Facebook World? I tried to imagine FB doing something like SL, and then I laughed. . . and laughed. There would be massive culture shock, that's for sure. Just imagine Facebook trying to deal with Militant Nudists, Goreans, Voreans, Fatfur Pokemorphs, etc.

      SL is what the word "counter-culture" should have really been coined for.

      You sound like you're one of the dozen people who ever used SL more than once.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  13. Re: Grease that YODA DOLL up! Shove it in your ASS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What's a "yoda"?

  14. and yet.. by SuperDre · · Score: 1

    still not pricing, availability or pre-order date for the actual consumer Oculus Rift...

  15. Glorified Cardboard by iTrawl · · Score: 1

    I wanted one when I read the price and the Oculus label, but after researching a bit more it looks like I can't have one. I needs a Galaxy thingy to stick in it (just like with Cardboard, but Samsung-only), and I am not willing to give Samsung any money. I'm with LG now and I'm very happy. My second choice of brand is HTC. Samsung is somewhere near the bottom due to quality concerns (they're cutting corners(tm) and such).

    --
    "Everybody's naked underneath" -- The Doctor
  16. How is this better than Google CardBoard? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Google Cardboard cost $2 worth of parts to make. How is this $99 heap of plastic any better?

  17. Simple: I avoid all DNS blocking by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See subject: Using hosts I avoid dns & it's security issues & slowness!

    Thus, I'm not subject to anything it blocks PLUS I get there faster & more reliably vs. remote DNS (due to it being downed or redirect poisoned, both of which occur a LOT).

    "Domain Name System Blocking, or DNS Blocking is a strategy for making it difficult for users to locate specific domains or web sites on the Internet" -> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

    See wikipedia above? Read it - Pretty simple.

    APK

    P.S.=> What is it about THAT you don't understand?

    You also HUGELY fucked up on using administrative privelege WHICH YOU ADMITTED USING TOO Hypocrite http://slashdot.org/comments.p...

    Oh, it got even BETTER (for me, not for you):

    When a REAL security expert in Aryeh Goretsky of NOD32/ESET put your bs away easily SAYING HOSTS ARE A GREAT MEASURE OF DEFENSE HE AGREES WITH USING http://slashdot.org/comments.p... there

    AND

    What REALLY took the cake from you? Answering "NO" to this when the answer IS YES -> http://slashdot.org/comments.p...

    You're a fool man... you brought that ALL on yourself, trolling me - live with it!

    ... apk

    1. Re:Simple: I avoid all DNS blocking by Coren22 · · Score: 1

      If you can show how DNS Blocking is the same thing as a DNSBL, that would make your statement fact.

      Until you can resolve the issue of DNSBL being on the destination system, not the source, your hosts file will do nothing to resolve the issue.

      You posted an inaccurate statement, just correct it and stop being so stupidly stubborn.

      --
      APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
    2. Re:Simple: I avoid all DNS blocking by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Coren22 why did you answer his question incorrectly saying no here http://slashdot.org/comments.p... ? He's right about that you know.

    3. Re:Simple: I avoid all DNS blocking by Coren22 · · Score: 1

      APK, your schizophrenia is showing again, you might want to put that away. I answered correctly no, because he is wrong. No matter how much deflection being put on the issue, DNSBL will never be the same thing as DNS Blocking. DNSBL is used by mail servers to provide a list of spammers (like APK) that will have all mail dropped by the mail server. No matter how much twisting of the truth you do APK, it will never change this fact. You will never get an email to flow to a server using a DNSBL if you are on that list. It doesn't matter how many hosts files you use. You would have to edit the hosts file on the destination mail server, which by definition isn't your mail server.

      READ and LEARN:

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

      --
      APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
  18. Coren22 desperately reaching for straws by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "How is a normal user on a corporate computer supposed to use your hosts file?" - by Coren22 (1625475) on Friday September 25, 2015 @01:36PM (#50598819)

    Hosts files are EASILY network-wide migratable by domain admins & scripts for 1 method!

    Another would be to install my program but the user'd have to have local machine admin rights (then, THEY set shortcut run as admin, knowing FULL why why - to secure & speed themselves up + be connected more reliably & a bit more anonymous).

    ---

    "How is anyone absolutely sure that an update you push out to your hosts file isn't going to compromise their machine?" - by Coren22 (1625475) on Friday September 25, 2015 @01:36PM (#50598819)

    First WFP/SFP protects hosts. My program, while resident, does above & BEYOND that (nothing can write thru its protection in usermode, lol, I've TRIED to & couldn't - nicest part, it's NOT an "exclusive lock" i use either (pure genius, pats self on back)).

    THEN?

    I get my data from 10 reputable reliable security community sources for PROTECTIVE hosts file data vs. myriad types of threats online...

    Something adblockers DON'T do (I can easily rattle off 15 more things they can't do hosts can, & funniest part is, HOSTS DO MORE FOR LESS vs. intentionally CRIPPLED BY DEFAULT sold-out to advertiser browser addons that are less capable & FAR less efficient too!).

    APK

    P.S.=>

    "How is a normal user supposed to know that your hosts file isn't causing them a MiTM attack on their banking site?" - by Coren22 (1625475) on Friday September 25, 2015 @01:36PM (#50598819)

    WTF? How would it cause that?? This I HAVE to hear, lol!

    See - I answer YOUR questions - you AVOID mine!

    Fair question too -> http://slashdot.org/comments.p...

    OR

    You answer them ERRONEOUSLY since you know I have your ass in it easily as I always do vs. your NOOB rookie self... lol!

    ... apk

    1. Re:Coren22 desperately reaching for straws by Coren22 · · Score: 1

      Hosts files are EASILY network-wide migratable by domain admins & scripts for 1 method!

      So, how does that help the normal user who isn't a domain admin and has no access to edit the hosts file? I still don't see this happening unless you have admin privs, in which case, it is FAR better to use your domain's DNS server to host the list rather than deploying a hosts file all over your domain.

      --
      APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
  19. WoW - you really have to ask? Please... lol! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Domain admins handle it as I said - feedback from users does the rest, & it takes seconds to update again.

    * Pretty simple. I did that EXACT thing for years for a Fortune 500 while I was a COMBINED software engineer & network-wide admin (yes, you have BOTH roles when you develop enterprise class software as I did from 1994-2009 professionally on the job...)

    Nicest part? I never had a malware infestation - it works (along with patching & security hardening DOWN TO THE ENDPOINTS like pc workstations & printers etc. as well as in webserver software + DB's they used).

    (You sure you know computers? I don't see it! Neither does anyone else...)

    APK

    P.S.=> No matter what you do or say? I'm always 10 steps/moves ahead of you boy... apk

    1. Re:WoW - you really have to ask? Please... lol! by Coren22 · · Score: 1

      So what about when you don't work in corporate IT? Not every admin approves of your garbage software, so those who might like it in an org that don't have admin rights have no way to get your crap onto the machines. I guess it is a self solving problem after all, nevermind. :)

      --
      APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
    2. Re:WoW - you really have to ask? Please... lol! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You've written a better securityware? No. You're all noob amateur talk. A pros in security agrees apk's right http://it.slashdot.org/comment... on hosts being a good line of defense rookie noob that got smoked by apk. Apk even made NOD32\ESET pull a false positive on his ware. Have you gotten the better of people of that calibre? Again no. What have you got like usual? Nothing.

    3. Re:WoW - you really have to ask? Please... lol! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Like he said to another troll 'opinions vary' and they're far more valued opinions than yours from pros http://tech.slashdot.org/comme... and what have you done better mr. I am a security pro? You've written a better ware for security that even bigtime pros seconded apk on and recommend and host his program too? Let's see it big talker. You're all talk. A rookie little noob amateur that got smacked the fuck down by his better.

  20. Coren22 "eats his words" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "So, have you figured out why privilege escalation is a bad thing yet?" - by Coren22 on Tuesday September 22, 2015 @05:15PM (#50577809)

    Tell us another one, hypocrite - You admitted using admin priv yourself & how else could I programmatically update hosts minus it inside Windows, hmmm?

    ANSWER:

    I have to do it that way, to protect AND speed up users plus make their connections online more reliable!

    (The latter of which also functions to make users faster than adblocking alone, by resolving host-domain names to IP address from hosts cached in RAM locally - far faster than calling out to remote DNS & less complex + less overheads ridden vs. locally installed DNS (less power, & FAR LESS if done on a separate machine)).

    ---

    Aha! What's this Coren22 admits?

    "Of course it requires elevation to write to the hosts file" - by Coren22 (1625475) on Wednesday September 23, 2015 @05:35PM (#50585879)

    See subject & BOTH quotes from you contradicting yourself!

    (& a REAL security pro, Aryeh Goretsky of NOD32/ESET agrees hosts = good security -> http://it.slashdot.org/comment... ).

    APK

    P.S.=> LMAO - "EAT YOUR WORDS" you hypocritical STUPID little technically incompetent troll wannabe security guru, lol - you're constantly trolling me, your post history shows it - NOW, you're getting a DOSE OF YOUR OWN MEDICINE (How's it taste? Better than how "eating your words" does I bet!)

    ... apk