X

Up close with Samsung's $99 Gear VR headset (pictures)

Here's the official way to turn your Samsung smartphone into a virtual reality headset.

Sean Hollister
When his parents denied him a Super NES, he got mad. When they traded a prize Sega Genesis for a 2400 baud modem, he got even. Years of Internet shareware, eBay'd possessions and video game testing jobs after that, he joined Engadget. He helped found The Verge, and later served as Gizmodo's reviews editor. When he's not madly testing laptops, apps, virtual reality experiences, and whatever new gadget will supposedly change the world, he likes to kick back with some games, a good Nerf blaster, and a bottle of Tejava.
Sean Hollister
oculus-connect-gear-vr-00809.jpg
1 of 13 Nate Ralph/CNET

It's a virtual reality headset for your smartphone. Any 2015 Samsung Galaxy smartphone, in fact.

oculus-connect-gear-vr-00771.jpg
2 of 13 Nate Ralph/CNET

It's basically a plastic box with lenses and inertial sensors inside.

oculus-connect-gear-vr-00855.jpg
3 of 13 Nate Ralph/CNET

Think of it like a pair of ski goggles. You strap it to your face, and look through the lenses.

oculus-connect-gear-vr-00843.jpg
4 of 13 Nate Ralph/CNET

You control the virtual reality experiences with a touchpad on the right side, just over your temple. The new version's touchpad has indentations so you can clearly tell which directions are up, down, left and right.

oculus-connect-gear-vr-00829.jpg
5 of 13 Nate Ralph/CNET

The virtual worlds you see through those lenses are actually displayed on the magnified screen of your smartphone -- stretched across your field of vision.

oculus-connect-gear-vr-00851.jpg
6 of 13 Nate Ralph/CNET

Or you can just remove the smartphone if you want the Wall-E look. You know, for Halloween or something.

oculus-connect-gear-vr-00846.jpg
7 of 13 Nate Ralph/CNET

A new addition to the content you can view through a Samsung Gear VR: Netflix! No, the movies aren't converted to virtual reality. They're still flat, but we're guessing you can watch them on a giant screen in a virtual reality theater.

oculus-connect-gear-vr-00803.jpg
8 of 13 Nate Ralph/CNET

The new headset works with four different smartphones: the Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge+ and Note 5.

oculus-connect-gear-vr-00822.jpg
9 of 13 Nate Ralph/CNET

Here's the the retaining clip you need to adjust the headset for different size phones.

oculus-connect-gear-vr-00794.jpg
10 of 13 Nate Ralph/CNET

And here, up top, is the dial you rotate to adjust the focus for your eyes.

oculus-connect-gear-vr-00782.jpg
11 of 13 Nate Ralph/CNET

Another look at the front of the device, minus the smartphone you need to make it complete.

oculus-connect-00627.jpg
12 of 13 Nate Ralph/CNET

Here's the new Gear VR on the Oculus Connect 2 stage, where it was announced.

oculus-connect-00630.jpg
13 of 13 Nate Ralph/CNET

And here's how much you'll pay: $99, this November.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos