The power of Virtual Reality in the palm of your hand... If you have a Samsung Phone
- Nov 28, 2015
- 2 min read
The race to consumer adoption of virtual reality (VR) has finally begun, and the first entry is Samsungs Gear VR. While the headset might look similar to a device I previously mentioned, the Oculus Rift, it is different in a few important ways.
The main difference between the Oculus Rift and Gear VR is in the hardware they use to power their virtual reality experiences. The Oculus gets connected to a computer where the processing and rendering is done and then sent to the Oculus headset to display it, the Oculus provides motion tracking information to the program on the computer being used.
Gear VR uses a compatible Samsung phone as both the screen and the computer for the device. Both headsets use software developed in part by Oculus, so while Gear VR might have come out before the Rift it is still a success for Oculus to being getting consumer acquainted with VR.
I had previously thought that the Oculus Rift would be the leader in VR headsets, but recent developments have changed the playing field. In an interview in March of 2014 Palmer Luck, CEO of Oculus, had stated in an interview with Eurogamer that they were aiming for a price range of $200-400, while rumoured to be on the lower end of that spectrum it would lend itself to be more approachable as a monitor or TV replacement.
Recent reports have had Palmer Lucky saying that it is likely that the Rift will cost upwards of $400, making people question how much mainstream acceptance can be got from a $500 device. There is also another potential problem with the Oculus Rift reaching mainstream success, it requires a computer, and not just any computer but a beefy one. PCworld wrote an article breaking down the parts needed to meet the minimum requirements of the Rift, while the details can be read on their website the important number is that they estimate it will cost around $1200 to build an Oculus Rift capable computer.
This is where Gear VR gets a big advantage, it only cost $99 and can use four of Samsung's more popular phones, such as the Galaxy S6. This means that for those who already have a Samsung phone the entry price of Gear VR is very low and doesn't even require a computer.
Only time will tell of how successful the Oculus Rift or Gear VR will be. I personally find the Oculus Rift more appealing, though I already have a gaming computer ready to go, I can see how Gear VR has the potential to gain popularity with its lower entry price. One can only wonder how many more Samsung might sell if they adapted Gear VR to work with Apple's iPhones, possibly an idea for Apple to consider if Gear VR finds success in the VR headset market.
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