Samsung's new virtual reality headset works with the Galaxy S6
The original Gear VR headset actually made a little headway, even getting picked up by Best Buy. Its main barrier to entry, aside from its $199 price point, is limited device compatibility: If you don't have a Galaxy Note 4, you can't use the Gear VR. With Samsung today launching not one, but two flagship smartphones, the number of VR-compatible smartphones from Samsung has just tripled. Presenting the aptly named Gear VR Innovator Edition for Galaxy S6 and S6 edge.
Samsung says the new headset is 15 percent smaller than the original (most likely due to the reduction in the phones' screen size -- the S6 has a 5.1-inch display, while the Note 4 has a 5.7-inch unit). It's also claiming improved graphical performance because of the phones' newer, more powerful chips, and improved fidelity thanks to the S6's insanely dense display. Incidental upgrades aside, the new Gear VR does have a couple of additions over its predecessor: Samsung's redesigned the straps, apparently giving it "better weight balance," and has also introduced mechanical ventilation to make it more comfortable to use the Gear VR for longer periods.
The final upgrade is the introduction of a USB port, which lets you charge your S6 while it's inside the headset. While that's a welcome change for anyone sitting around at home watching movies on their Gear VR, it does highlight that you won't get as much playtime from the headset as the original. That's because the S6 has a far smaller (2,600mAh versus 3,220mAh) battery, making charging a necessity for longer sessions, and somewhat negating one of the Gear VR's main benefits over the competition -- the fact that it's untethered.
There are no major content announcements to go along with the updated Gear VR. You'll still have access to choice content from Samsung, Oculus and their partners, including 360-degree movies, VR games and other apps. That means there's still a distinct lack of content -- the current selection basically consists of free demos and experiences -- but hopefully we'll hear something from Oculus on its plans for the Oculus Store soon. As denoted by the "Innovator Edition" tagline, this is very much a work in progress from Samsung and Oculus, with few upgrades over the Note 4 version. There's no word on price or availability, but logic dictates that it'll come in somewhere around the $200 mark and will hopefully be available close to the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge's April launch date.
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