#3D MOVIES GEAR VR SOFTWARE#

There is no 'screen' - Gear VR uses your Note 4 screen, which is of the 5.7-inch, Quad HD (2,560 x 1,440) Super AMOLED variety. That is both a benefit and a curse with current technology. While Sony tackles depth tracking with its PlayStation 4 camera and Oculus handles it with a camera peripheral of its own, Gear VR is dependent on the hardware in the phone and headset. No wires means better immersion, which is crucial for delivering the promise of 'presence.' No wires also means no dedicated video feed from an autonomous device (like a PlayStation 4 or a PC, for instance). This duality is at the heart of Gear VR, but it applies to all mobile VR at the moment. When you turn your body all the way around and look behind where you're sitting (in the real world), and there are no wires stopping you from looking wherever you want, that is magical. That means it only tracks where you're looking and not depth if you move your head forward or backward in the real world, that movement isn't reflected in the virtual one. Let's get the unexciting stuff out of the way right now: Gear VR has an accelerometer and a gyrometer for tracking head movement.

Samsung's PR for the device describes the first Gear VR in a similarly couched way: 'Designed for innovative consumers, specifically VR enthusiasts, developers, mobile experts and professionals, and early technology adopters.' While the headset is certainly a play for the mainstream, Samsung is keenly aware that it's got improvements to make in the next model - if there is a next model, of course. Samsung product manager Joo Namkung told me his team named the first Gear VR the 'Innovator Edition' specifically because of these rough edges. It feels like trying to jam a phone into a micro-USB port at an awkward angle, and that's not a great first experience. A slight jingle plays when it connects, which is a nice touch, but I'd also like a more secure docking area. These are prototype devices and not the final product that'll ship to consumers later this year, but there's some roughness to how the phone is physically paired. A few times, Samsung reps had to outright reset the Note 4 and start from scratch because it froze. Notably, I encountered a few issues while removing and placing the phone: If you accidentally open up an application on the phone while placing it, for instance, that might break the pairing. And when you've finally got it secure on your noggin, an adjustable dial on the top of the headset allows for focusing your view (that means no changing out lenses for nearsighted and farsighted folks - just adjust the distance as needed). Or not! If you want to adjust the straps so it stays snug to your head, that's another option. If you want to slot the cover back on the Gear VR, you can. The parallel area has a latch where the top of the phone nestles in, and that's it: The Note 4 is paired with the Gear VR headset.

I plugged the Note 4 into the Gear VR headset by removing the headset's front cover and slotting the phone into a micro-USB dock.

But is it capable of providing a great virtual reality experience, regardless of those handicaps? I believe it is. Are the graphics less impressive on Gear VR than on, say, Sony's Project Morpheus or Oculus VR's latest dev kit? Absolutely. In our time with it, video looked sharp there was no perceptible lag between turning my head and what I saw on screen and navigating the UI was a snap. While there are major technological limitations with mobile VR - horsepower, among many other issues - Samsung's Note 4 is a shockingly capable device for virtual reality experiences. But is it too early?ДЇirst things first, let's answer that question: No, it's not too early. Unlike Sony's, Oculus' and Google's VR projects, though, Samsung's delivering a consumer product this year with Gear VR.

#3D MOVIES GEAR VR SOFTWARE#

The company behind the re-birth of virtual reality is partnering with Samsung on Gear VR: Samsung handles the hardware Oculus offers up its software prowess. And what's the first thing you'll see when you strap on Gear VR? Oculus VR's handiwork. Paired with adjustable lenses built into the headset and a comfy strap, Gear VR turns Samsung's next Note into a virtual reality machine.

Gear VR is a virtual reality headset with a removable front cover where Samsung's newly announced Note 4 slips in, acting as the screen. And now Samsung's getting in on the virtual reality action, announcing Gear VR at IFA 2014 today in Berlin, Germany. Sony's PlayStation is creating Project Morpheus. Facebook's Oculus VR is creating the Rift.

3d movies gear vr