Samsung, Oculus launch first consumer version of Gear VR

South Korean electronics giant Samsung Electronics in collaboration with American virtual reality technology company Oculus on Friday launched at a price of $99 its first consumer Gear VR wearables device that changes 2D content to 3D.

According to Samsung, the latest edition of the Gear VR is compatible with more smartphones, including the Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 edge+, S6 and S6 edge, leveraging each device's super AMOLED display to provide the colour, clarity and performance needed for an amazing virtual reality experience.

"Samsung has been at the forefront of delivering mobile experiences and 'Gear VR Innovator Edition' launched last year was no exception," J.K. Shin, chief executive officer and president of IT & Mobile Division, Samsung Electronics, said in a statement.

"We see virtual reality as the next computing platform, and we are thrilled to partner with Oculus on Gear VR to set the standard for mobile VR and bring this revolutionary product to consumers," he added.

The new gear, which Samsung claims is 22 percent lighter than the previous Gear VR Innovator Edition, has an accelerator, gyrometer, proximity (mount/unmount detection) sensor and is more comfortable to wear. It has a 96-degree field of view and comes in Frost White colour.

The Gear VR's touchpad has been improved, providing greater control while enjoying the robust selection of film, gaming, 360-degree video and experiential content available for Gear VR, the company said.

"Together with Samsung, we've redefined virtual reality and created the best mobile VR experience available today," Brendan Iribe, chief executive of Oculus, said in a statement.

"On Gear VR, people are playing immersive VR games with friends, sharing 360 video experiences, and teleporting around the world with photos and videos -- and it's only the beginning for what's possible with mobile VR," he added.

Samsung said that the Gear VR will start selling this fall but did not give any information about its availability in India.