During the ongoing Samsung Developer Conference in San Francisco, Samsung has announced the Gear VR ‘Innovator Edition', which will be available in the US starting early December. Samsung hasn't announced the pricing yet, but from the looks of it, it appears to be a developer edition of some sorts. Currently, the Gear VR Innovator Edition is exclusively compatible with the Galaxy Note 4, and is intended for developers so that they can build virtual reality apps, games, and related content. Once a user mounts the Galaxy Note 4 inside the Gear VR, Samsung says that the Note 4 will automatically install a bundle of apps which are developed by Oculus including Oculus Home, Oculus Store, Oculus Cinema, and Oculus 360 Videos and Photos. Oculus will also release the Oculus Mobile SDK which can be used by developers to create immersive content for the Gear VR.
Apart from the entertainment experience related apps, Samsung says that the Gear VR has great potential for innovative uses in enterprise sector such as realistic training simulation for vehicles or aircrafts, 360 degree views of scans which can be used in healthcare, and interactive educational experiences for the classrooms. The Gear VR Innovator Edition will be available in Frost White along with a GamePad. It features a 96° FoV (Field of View) optical lens, a touchpad, a back button, and a focus adjustment wheel. It is equipped with accelerometer, gyro sensor, proximity sensor, and geomagnetic sensor. It connects to the Galaxy Note 4 through a microUSB port.
Samsung and Oculus have been working with partners to come up with the following apps.
1. As part of the Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron partnership with Samsung, Gear VR users will gain exclusive access to Tony Stark's Lab inside the all new Avengers Tower.
2. Cirque du Soleil Media presents a 360° live-action 3D VR experience, featuring an act from Zarkana filmed by Felix & Paul Studios.
3. DreamWorks VR from DreamWorks Animation allows Samsung Gear VR users to interact and laugh with DreamWorks characters and content in a whole new way like never before.
4. Harmonix Music VR takes your music library and transports you to a fully immersive, musically responsive environment, allowing you to relax in a vibrant soundscape and explore visualizations set to your favorite tracks.
5. M-GO Advanced, a new paradigm for digital video VR applications, offers an unmatched interactive search and discovery experience with Samsung Gear VR.
6. Protocol Zero from DENA enables Samsung Gear VR players to infiltrate enemy grounds undetected in blackout conditions with hi-tech optics including night vision, X-ray vision, and thermal vision.
7. Temple Run VR is the latest edition in Imangi’s Temple Run series, challenging Samsung Gear VR players to run as far as they can through a perilous winter wonderland as they escape the clutches of Arctic Demon Monkeys.
8. Vevo offers more than 100,000 HD music videos, live concert events and original programming that can be enjoyed in an immersive, full-screen theater experience on Samsung Gear VR.
9. WemoLab’s theBluVR allows users to immerse themselves in the dream-like majesty of marine life.
