gear vr

Today at Samsung Developer Conference 2014, the company has announced that their mobile VR headset, Gear VR, will launch in early December, just in time for the holiday season.

Price and exact date yet to be specified. There’s not much more information available at present, however Samsung has fired up a page where you can sign up to receive updates on the device – so that’s something.

The accompanying press-release confirms much that we already know – but does now solidify the software line up that will join the device at retail or shortly thereafter:

  • 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.
  • Cirque du Soleil Media presents a 360° live-action 3D VR experience, featuring an act from Zarkana filmed by Felix & Paul Studios.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • M-GO Advanced, a new paradigm for digital video VR applications, offers an unmatched interactive search and discovery experience with Samsung Gear VR.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • WemoLab’s theBluVR allows users to immerse themselves in the dream-like majesty of marine life.

And of course Oculus’ own Platform based offerings – the wording of the release is interesting though “Samsung Gear VR is powered by Oculus, and will automatically download special Oculus software to the Note 4 when connected for the first time.” – clearly Oculus have made sure that in return for delivering the new device’s sub 20ms latency, they geta foot in the door with regards to selling content direct to Gear VR. Those Oculus apps again:

  • Oculus Home – Your VR home screen and content discovery center, which includes a Samsung section
  • Oculus Store – An application that lets you browse and download new content from the Oculus platform
  • Oculus Cinema – A VR movie theater and cinema where you can watch your favorite movies in an immersive virtual environment
  • Oculus 360 Videos and Photos – Be immersed in 360° videos and panoramas like never before from within Gear VR

This article is breaking, more info as it comes.

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Ben Lang
Ben is the world's most senior professional analyst solely dedicated to the XR industry, having founded Road to VR in 2011—a year before the Oculus Kickstarter sparked a resurgence that led to the modern XR landscape. He has authored more than 3,000 articles chronicling the evolution of the XR industry over more than a decade. With that unique perspective, Ben has been consistently recognized as one of the most influential voices in XR, giving keynotes and joining panel and podcast discussions at key industry events. He is a self-described "journalist and analyst, not evangelist."