Apart from the Galaxy Tab S3 and the Galaxy Book, Samsung also unveiled a new Gear VR today. The company's new virtual reality headset now comes with a wireless controller that has been designed in collaboration with Oculus. The controller offers consumers more convenience while using the Gear VR. Since the new Gear VR with Controller supports both micro USB and USB Type-C ports, it is compatible with the Galaxy S7, S7 edge, Note 5, S6, S6 edge, and S6 edge+.
Samsung claims that the new Gear VR offers “convenient one-hand control and better motion interaction with minimized movement.” The wireless controller has a clickable touchpad, navigation buttons, volume keys, and a trigger button. The touchpad makes it easier to navigate through the UI and interact with VR apps and games. It supports various forms of motion such as pointing, dragging and dropping, tilting, shooting, and more. The trigger will be quite useful while playing VR games.
The controller's wire strap will make sure that the controller stays in your hand even during the most active and exciting gaming movements, thanks to the secure grip it offers. It is powered by a AAA battery (1000 mAh) that can last up to 40 days if you use it daily for 2 hours on an average. Similar to previous generation mobile VR headsets from Samsung, the new Gear VR offers 42mm lenses with 101-degree Field of View and distortion correction technology.
The new Gear VR with Controller will be available sometime in Q2 2017 and will be priced at €99.99. The wireless controller can be purchased for €39.99, and it is possible that it would be compatible with older generation Gear VR headsets since it's the smartphone that powers the Gear VR.
“At Samsung, we are focused on setting and exceeding the standard for VR experiences, making them even more accessible and delivering the highest in quality. The Gear VR with Controller expands our VR ecosystem to help consumers get more engaged and immersed in VR content – whether it’s games or videos,” said YH Lee, Executive Vice President of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics.
