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Samsung announces Gear VR, a virtual reality headset for the new Galaxy Note 4

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Samsung announces Gear VR, a virtual reality headset for the new Galaxy Note 4
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Samsung unveiled its Gear VR alongside the announcement of the new Galaxy Note 4 'phablet' at the IFA tech show in Berlin today.

The Gear VR is powered by - and only by - the Galaxy Note 4. You snap it into the headset and the front dual-lenses provide the 3D effect when you strap it to your head.

Samsung said that the Gear VR will be released this autumn but didn't specific a price.

To navigate inside a game, you use head movements, as well as a trackpad and a back button on the right side of the headset.

It will also be compatible with Bluetooth gaming controllers but there are none available for it yet.

Samsung demoed a Coldplay concert, an Avengers game, and a space shooter in which you control a spaceship with your head movements for the Gear VR.

Samsung Gear VR

The Gear VR was made in collaboration with recent Facebook acquisition Oculus VR, whose Rift virtual reality headset leads considered the best at the moment.

Interestingly, iFixit recently took the new second iteration of the Oculus Rift apart. Inside was found the entire front panel of a Galaxy Note 3 being used as a display, with the Samsung logo still attached.

Clearly, Oculus VR and Samsung are working together to push each other's virtual reality headsets as much as possible.

Important to note is that the Oculus Rift is for PCs only at the moment, while the Gear VR is among the first fully-developed headsets for mobile.

The Verge
Chris Priestman
Chris Priestman
Anything eccentric, macabre, or just plain weird, is what Chris is all about. He turns the spotlight on the games that fly under the radar.