Samsung Gear VR Headset Launching Next Month, Starts at $199
For fans of virtual reality, it’s been excruciating waiting for Oculus to release a commercial version of the Rift headset it first displayed as a prototype way back in May of 2012. Given that, it’s a bit amazing that the first version of the Oculus-powered Samsung Gear VR has officially been “slated for early December” after being unveiled just over two months ago.
The “Innovator Edition” of the Gear VR headset will start at $199, Oculus announced this week, or come in a $249 bundle that includes a Bluetooth gamepad. Of course, that price doesn’t include the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, the only mobile phone that works with the device, which runs about $800 unsubsidized and unlocked on its own.
Oculus says that the Innovator Edition is akin to a Rift Developer Kit, intended to give “developers and enthusiasts everything they need to build and experiment with the platform before the hardware and software are ready for consumers.” Samsung seems to be marketing the device more directly as a consumer-facing product, though, with a splashy pre-order page encouraging customers to “see the difference” in an “unparalleled 360° virtual reality viewing experience.”
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