Samsung Gear VR 2: A Hands-On Review @ the Reel FX Studios
Dan Ferguson
Founder of Groove Jones | Inspiring Next-Gen WebGL/AI/AR/MR/VR/Spatial Computing and Emerging-Tech Solutions for Marketing and Education | Speaker | Awards Judge
We had the Samsung Gear VR team in our office recently and they gave us a hands on look at the new Gear VR 2. Here are some of the notable improvements.
Update: You can now pre-order the Gear VR 2 on Best Buy's website today (April 24) - https://ow.ly/M3JVp
First of all, the headset is lighter and the phone connector is tighter. Apparently it is 15 percent smaller than the original, Innovator version. There is a silent fan that helps keep the lenses fog free.
One thing we noticed and totally appreciate is the USB port on the bottom of the headset, which allows you to charge while the phone is plugged into the unit. We do a lot of events and having a plug on the outside is going to come in handy. (The Innovator version did not have a plug on the outside, you you had to remove the phone to power it.)
The Focus Wheel gives you an extra 10-20% more tuning ability.
For those of you that always had a hard time with the trackpad on the side of the unit, they have added a small tactile bump, which is great for finding the center of the pad. The trackpad feels like it has been indented a little more, making the edges more pronounced.
We got to look at some of our latest work on the Galaxy S6 phone that fits beautifully in the headset. I have to say that it delivered the best picture quality we have ever seen in a VR headset. Pixel density was fantastic, removing the screendoor effect that has plagued headsets for years.
The future looks great.
- Dan Ferguson
Senior Software Engineer at Jetpack Shipping | VR / AR / XR | Fullstack Developer | AI | Emerging technologies enthusiast
9 年I currently develop on and own a GearVR, I'm glad to see the immediate improvements by Samsung. I'm also involved in the alpha phase of developing leap motion apps for mobile vr, so I'm sure the usb port could be used to mount a leap controller similar to how it's done on oculus. While the use of head tracking as a controller forces developers to be creative about input controlling, I feel like the VR experience is more intuitive with the use of hands, and will ultimately be standard in VR and AR. Samsung will surely have to address this on the next iteration. For now, I'll likely get an S6 and GearVR, hack it with leap and continue developing AR/ VR until it's integration becomes standard. I'm excited about the improvements and can't wait to get my hands on one.
Founder of Groove Jones | Inspiring Next-Gen WebGL/AI/AR/MR/VR/Spatial Computing and Emerging-Tech Solutions for Marketing and Education | Speaker | Awards Judge
9 年Quick update - You can now preorder the Gear VR 2 on Best Buy's website today!
very interesting, Dan.
Global GM of Retail Experience at Fisher & Paykel Appliances
9 年Nice review. Short, to the point and not full of personal ego like so many reviewers seem to produce these days!
Ready for next mission ?? xBeast/Meta/Amazon
9 年Thanks for the update Dan - I am excited to try the Gear VR 2 in-person. The future is virtually here.