Hands on Samsung Gear VR review
Update: Announced during the Samsung Developer's Conference, Gear VR will release an Innovator's Edition in early December.
Oculus has released a mobile SDK v0.4.0 which developers can download from the Oculus Developer Center. The Oculus Mobile SDK was designed in collaboration with Samsung specifically for Samsung Gear VR.
A few of the key features supported by the Oculus Mobile SDK include: asynchronous timewarp, direct front buffer rendering, clock frequency locking, GPU context priorities, real-time, fine grained GPU context switching, real-time CPU threading and direct warped content.
The SDK includes the full-source code for Oculus Cinema, Oculus 360 Photos and Oculus 360 Videos under an open license.
A new 3D, 360-degree camera called Project Beyond will also work in tandem with Gear VR to stream videos. Beyond promises high-speed connectivity, ultra wide-angle optics, adaptive stitching and stereoscopic depth. Multiple Gear VRs can be used to connect to Project Beyond at any time, and it has been stated that there will be "no lag whatsoever."
Hands on review continued below ...
Oculus Rift wasn't the only virtual reality headset being shown off at Oculus Connect 2014, Oculus VR's first annual developer conference. Samsung also brought along the Gear VR to show off to devs and press, and TechRadar had another chance to play around with the Galaxy Note 4-reliant VR facewear shell and see what the fuss is about.
As we noted previously (read our initial hands-on impressions below), the Gear VR will inevitably suffer from its reliance on smartphone hardware, even if it does improve in tandem with Samsung's phones.
Many of the games being shown off on the headset currently feel forgettable and unmistakably "mobile."
But on the other hand Samsung's Gear VR also has plenty of potential for difference use cases than Oculus Rift, including greater mobility and portability, not to mention the surprisingly awesome ability to turn full circles in a swivel chair without getting tangled up in cords and cables.
Since the Gear VR doesn't need to be tethered to a PC - it uses the Note 4 for all its processing needs - one could even hypothetically stand up and walk around with it on, though Oculus wouldn't recommend it.
The simple things
One of the funny things about VR is that once you're immersed in it you very quickly forget about how uncomfortable the headsets actually are, even if the Gear VR's straps keep digging into the tops of your ears.
The headset has plenty of room for adjustment, including the focus wheel we mentioned before, but having the phone inside it also makes it heavy, and some users will no doubt find wearing it irksome.
But I discovered at Oculus Connect that even a virtual reality experience that is undeniably inferior to the Oculus Rift's - the Gear VR lacks the positional tracking that is crucial to the Rift experience - can provide delights both large and small.
One of the biggest surprises came as I sat on a virtual beach (my butt still planted firmly in a swivel chair at the conference) watching a floating trailer for Dreamworks' upcoming animated film Penguins of Madagascar.
Bored brainless, I looked around at the penguins seated near me, and as my gaze hit them each in turn they individually swiveled around to acknowledge my presence in their little paradisiacal world. Shockingly this only got old after several minutes.
Another standout moment came during a trial of Imangi's custom first-person perspective virtual reality version of the popular mobile game Temple Run. It's no mere port, but a specially created version that lets you glance worriedly behind you to glimpse your pursuer, a scary-looking giant gorilla.
That alone is something otherworldly, and turning your gaze down as your hurdle over gaps and chasms is equally thrilling.
A unique Marvel app provided yet another moderate thrill, as it let me take a peek inside the Avengers' workshop. Iron Man's Jarvis AI spoke in my ears, urging me to stare at artifacts like Loki's staff and Captain America's shield, which he then described in greater detail. A TV in the virtual room showed footage from The Avengers.
Early verdict
Other Gear VR experiences included a small demo for Lucky's Playground, which appears to be a spin-off of the Lucky's Tale game that Oculus showed off at E3 2014.
This demo and others, including a high-flying turret shooting game and a first-person mystery explorer called Dead Secret, played smoothly with Samsung's official GamePad, which is "lucky" (ha, ha) since the Gear VR has few native control options.
Using the touchpad and "back" button mounted on the headset's right side to navigate around menus is fine, and swiping around the Gear VR's (most likely temporary) multi-page interface felt good enough.
Of course, the input problem isn't exactly unique to Samsung's Gear, and other than that and a few other minor hiccups (like the smartphone getting too hot and exiting VR mode in the middle of use) the Gear VR is shaping up surprisingly well.
Oculus Rift may be the flagship for VR currently, but the Gear VR is definitely one to watch.
Hands on coverage from IFA 2014 below …
VR hasn't quite hit the mainstream but with Facebook now owning the Oculus Rift and Sony busy refining Project Morpheus, the foundations are being set to make virtual reality a reality for all.
There were rumours that Samsung wanted to create its own headset and I must admit I was skeptical. With no real history in this area, creating something from scratch would bound to have caused problems.
Thankfully Samsung hasn't gone down this route.
Instead it has enlisted the help of Oculus (now part of the Facebook family) to create the Samsung Gear VR.
The Samsung Gear VR is not a standalone device. It does not come with its own screen, but is a headset shell that is packed with the stereoscopic lens goodness needed to make the VR work.
The key ingredient in unleashing the VR is the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. There is a compartment at the front of the device that the handset slips into.
Design
It was pretty simple to connect the Note 4. I had to unclip the clear plastic 'goggle' on the front, then clip the Note 4 into place. In all it took around 30 seconds and was sturdy too. I didn't feel like the Note 4 would fall out of its little compartment, even with a little shake to make sure.
Once in, I clipped the clear screen over the Galaxy Note 4 and the device was ready for action.
There is a stretch clasp over the top of the device to hold the Gear VR into place and the whole thing is cushioned for comfort.
I did find it a little tight but you can slacken it slightly if you need to. You do want it to be strapped firmly to your head though. The joy of VR means you can look completely around yourself so it needs to take that sort of face movement.
Once on, it was very simple to use. The right hand side of Gear VR is where the magic happens. There is a touch-sensitive panel that you use to control the VR. If you want to control volume, then that is on the left-hand side. The only other control was on the top.
There is a rocker that will increase or decrease the focus of the lenses. This is for people who wear glasses. Take the glasses off, fiddle with the rocker and you should get the right 'look'.
Movies and games
I was take through two demos with the Gear VR and was on the whole impressed with what I saw. The first was a clip from Cirque De Soleil. Here I watched a scene packed with acrobats come to life.
I looked to my left and some of the cast were sitting watching the scene with me. It was filmed as if being on stage and you could really immerse yourself in the action.
A quick look behind and I saw an empty auditorium, a look back in front and acrobats were doing their thing. The action was clear, thanks to the clarity of the Note 4's QuadHD screen.
Next up things got a little more muddled. I played a game where I was in space and had to shoot a bunch of spaceships. To shoot you tapped the touch panel on the right-hand side of the screen. It was fun but forgettable. The game had a "built for mobile" feel, so don't expect this powered by Oculus device to match Morpheus in terms of processing grunt.
But that's also a plus point for the Gear VR. It is a VR device that is only tethered to a phone and not a console or PC. While this will inevitably mean the games won't be the greatest out there, it does have portability potential to its advantage.
Early verdict
The Samsung Gear VR is better than I had expected it to be. We have used phone-based VR in the past but this feels superior and built better. This isn't a gimmick like Google Cardboard, it's a fun add on for the Note 4.
Hands on Samsung Gear VR gallery
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