Samsung has decided to get to ahead of the Virtual Reality tech race by launching its ridiculously low priced VR headset before Oculus, HTC, and Sony could even enter the market.
Yes, Google Cardboard is already in existence, but Cardboard, for all its innovativeness, isn’t really a true headset. It doesn’t really offer the best immersive experience. Yes, it’s awesome and interesting, but it won’t really stand up to Samsung Gear VR. Here is what Samsung VR users say about the goggles.
First Impressions
Samsung’s Gear VR is a very comfortable headset. It’s very light, weighing in under 8 ounces without your phone mounted on it. For just $99.00, there’s a lot to offer.
The headset covers your entire vision, which ensures that you have a full immersive experience. There are accelerometers and gyroscopes inside Gear VR, so it can sense the movements of your heart and respond accordingly.
You also get a Bluetooth controller that allows you to control what you’re seeing and hearing for ease of use. You are able control the UI and the apps with your eyes and the touchpads on the headset.
This takes some getting used to, but once you’re accustomed to it, you can utilize the apps and the UI easily.
The Samsung Gear Experience
As we mentioned earlier, the Gear is very comfortable. It’s designed to accommodate people with larger heads and people who wear glasses as well. So, if you’re a big guy with glasses, you can see, own and wear this awesome little gadget without discomfort.
The touchpad has been redesigned for better accessibility and maneuverability. You have more space to move your fingers about than you did before.
One slight down side is because of the size changes, there’s a chance that people with smaller head sizes would see light slipping in. The Gear is also white on the inside, which can disrupt the entire immersive experience.
As far as picture quality is concerned, you can see the difference between Gear, Oculus and Vive. The last two are far superior. The number of pixels is very limited in the Samsung and the picture is of low-resolution. Having to use a smart phone screens loses some quality because the technology is not designed for VR. It does not measure up when you watch videos and play games at such a close distance.
Overall Opinion of the Samsung Gear VR Headset
Despite the negatives, the Gear VR is a great immersive experience for all. Unless you are a hard core gamer it is unlikely that you will be disappointed with this purchase. It is easy to use, interfaces with smartphones and you really are transported to a different world. Yes, Oculus and Vive might be better, but the price difference is so enormous that there’s no competition. Samsung Gear is an affordable purchase with a great user experience. We give it 4 stars!
