Samsung virtual glasses how to connect to the phone. What is Samsung Gear VR - Virtual Reality Glasses Review

Samsung Gear VR - glasses virtual reality made in collaboration with Oculus. The equipment gives you access to movies, games and other content that we can “step in” to get a full 360-degree view.

Virtual reality with Samsung Gear VR

The glasses themselves are a fairly simple device. The most important design element is the set of lenses through which we see the phone screen. In our case, it was screen samsung Galaxy S6 since Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition for S6 was tested. Samsung also offers a version designed for Galaxy smartphones Note 4. There are differences in the phone mounting system.

Samsung Gear VR device and connection

The lenses are made of plastic. The parts in contact with the skin are made of soft foam and in some places leatherette. The device has a small touchpad, back button, volume and focus controls. Samsung Gear VR glasses do not have their own battery, so the smartphone battery is used. However, you can connect a charger, there is a micro-USB port for this.

The equipment can also be used with headphones, but they are connected to the jack on the smartphone, although there is no special need for this, the sound from the phone's speakers is quite enough for operation.

The smartphone connects to USB port on glasses and is placed in special mounts. The Gear VR has a sensor that detects when the glasses are in use. After putting the equipment on our head, it automatically launches the Oculus Gear VR app, and we immediately begin to immerse ourselves in virtual reality.

Features of using Samsung Gear VR glasses

Compatibility with diopter glasses was tested immediately. Visually impaired users also have the option to use this device. Unfortunately, there is not much room inside the Samsung Gear VR, which makes it very difficult (if possible) to put the device on top of the glasses, so it is preferable to put on the lenses or move the device further towards the tip of the nose, but this kind of viewing is unlikely to be fully enjoyable.

Virtual reality glasses are very comfortable to use. The foam in contact with the skin is soft and pleasant to the touch. Gear VR has a significant range of adjustment, so the device can easily adapt to your head. More importantly, the device completely restricts the penetration of light from outside, this increases the effect of total immersion in the virtual world.

The Samsung Gear VR is excellent at reading head movements, and during testing it never happened that the glasses misinterpreted the movement. If such problems suddenly appear, you can calibrate the device without removing it from your head. Unfortunately, all the pixels on the screen are visible to the naked eye, which affects the image quality. Even QHD resolution (1440 × 2560 pixels) Samsung Galaxy The S6 can't help here.

Samsung has provided a very interesting option - a built-in pause menu. If you need time to return to the real world, but it is inconvenient to take off your glasses, then there is an opportunity to get an image from the main camera of the smartphone on the screen. As a result, everything that is in front of us is visible.

Samsung hasn't forgotten about notifications. They appear inside the virtual world in the form of small plates suspended in space. These are standard Android notifications that are message previews or incoming call... This allows you to immediately decide whether to leave the virtual world or let things wait.

Watching Videos with Samsung Gear VR

First, it should be emphasized that 360-degree videos are not like 3D videos. 360-degree video is immersion in the image, within which the viewer can look around and rotate. Stereoscopic 3D, in turn, creates a similar spatial impression as when watching 3D movies in a movie theater.

The most important news is that the Samsung Gear VR can play both types of video content, as well as combinations of both, such as 3D movies. What's more, the glasses also allow you to watch captured and uploaded videos. You just need to move the files to the appropriate directory in the smartphone's memory.

Samsung Gear VR has two main video viewing apps - Oculus 360 Videos and Oculus Cinema. The first is used for watching movies. Initially, several examples are immediately available to us, among which there are both 2D and 3D videos. Interestingly, although the demos provided are short, they leave an incredible impression. The application also allows you to watch downloaded films, the database of which on the Internet is already quite extensive.

The second application, Oculus Cinema, is for viewing flat films. The application simulates a virtual cinema, the picture occupies almost the entire field of view. By turning your head, you can even see the scenery of the cinema. An interesting opportunity is to change them to a little more extravagant. The video can be watched, for example, on the lunar surface or from the point of view of an ant on a smartphone left in the forest. The experience is amazing because the environment dynamically reacts to the changes in color and brightness of the film.

In theory, the Oculus Cinema app replaces the cinema. We can go to bed with Samsung Gear VR + headphones on our heads and go to the movies without leaving home. However, such a system will become truly interesting only when the screen resolution of smartphones improves significantly.

The main application that Samsung Gear VR can be used with is Oculus Gear VR. It starts automatically as soon as the glasses are put on the head. This is a kind of shop with various materials.

Oculus Gear VR provides access to many kinds of content: games, movie apps, 360-degree concerts, or movie trailers adapted for VR headsets. Some content is paid, but the vast majority is freely available. When we open the app without glasses on our head, it uses the most common design. But once the Gear VR is plugged in, it takes the form of a virtual room with menus floating in the air.

In terms of the quality of the footage available, the most impressive are the movie trailers, especially Jurassic World and Avengers: Age of Ultron. The greatest impression was made by the Cirque du Soleil Curios. The choreography, costumes, atmosphere and quality of the sets are of an extremely high standard. There is so much going on on stage that even after repeated views, you still find something new. Another good example- live recordings, including Paul McCartney.

Unfortunately, not all materials are made at such a high level as illustrated in the demo. Most of them are very simple and it is striking. After a few minutes, the initial excitement subsides due to the monotony and lack of any meaning. A Bluetooth controller is required for game content.

Additional Samsung Gear VR apps

Unfortunately, there is a big drawback in compatibility with various applications in VR. As mentioned, as soon as the Gear VR is on the head, the Oculus Gear VR will automatically launch and will not turn off in any way. We cannot use other VR apps that Google play now offers a huge variety. An example is the same Google Cardboard.

The problem with Gear VR is that the Oculus VR application starts automatically when the glasses are on the head. You can, of course, go by roundabout ways. The smartphone can be inserted into the mount without the USB connection built into the glasses. It is physically possible, but the phone is placed with a slight incline and, as a rule, does not hold very confidently in the clasps. This solution works well and allows you to view content, but it has its drawbacks. In this position of the smartphone, we have no way to control the "action" on the screen. If, for example, we want to pause a movie, we have to remove our glasses from our head, take out our smartphone and just press the pause button.

This is somewhat strange, because the ability to watch "spherical" content from YouTube is almost a generally accepted standard. It's a shame the Gear VR doesn't allow for that.

Samsung Gear VR and the maze

Samsung VR glasses have also become a challenge for the maze. Some of these content can cause dizziness and nausea in just a few seconds of viewing. Dynamic games, in which we look at the world through the eyes of a hero, are worst of all. Our eyes see a picture in which we supposedly move quickly, although at this time the body is just on the chair. The brain receives conflicting information and cannot deal with it. We tried to get used to this effect for a long time, but in two weeks it did not succeed.

This unpleasant effect applies exclusively to the labyrinth. In most other materials, we can simply look around from one point. And viewing such materials does not entail any discomfort. Thus, the Samsung Gear VR performs much better in movies than in games.

Outcome

This is the big question: is the Samsung Gear VR worth buying? On the one hand, the device gives something new, and virtual reality is something that you just have to see. I think this is the future of the entertainment industry. The first contact with the VR gearbox is overwhelming and I don't think there is a single person who is not impressed by the device.

On the other hand, the equipment is very limited, and too expensive for the capabilities it provides. Samsung Gear VR costs about $ 250 and needs to be owned Samsung smartphone Galaxy S6. Also, in this generating equipment, not everything is perfect.

The Oculus VR app contains quite a few content, but most of it is for a one-time short-term pleasure enough. Thus, after two weeks of fun, you can get to know literally everything that the equipment has to offer. The salvation will, of course, be your own movies that can be watched in VR.

However, do not forget about Google's offer, which is an interesting addition in the face of all specialized solutions, including VR. I am referring to the universal Google Cardboard glasses, which can be purchased for $ 10. The equipment is much less developed, but it allows you to watch spherical films.

Overall, if you own a Samsung Galaxy S6 or Note 4 and the $ 250 for a few hours of entertainment doesn't scare you, Samsung Gear VR glasses are a great choice.

pros

• Amazing experience, this has never happened before.
• Impeccable reading of head movements.
• A large database of games, videos, and more available on the Oculus Gear VR app.
• The ability to watch videos that you have filmed yourself.
• Convenient touch panel control.
• A lot of thoughtful little things, such as the ability to look into the real world using a smartphone camera without taking off your glasses.

Minuses

• Individual pixels are visible.
• Inability to exit the main application.
• The absence of its own headphone jack.
• Contradictory gaming experience.
• Only a specific smartphone can be connected.

REPOST

In the wake of the popularity of Google Cardboard - a virtual reality helmet for the phone, Samsung also decided to try her luck in virtual reality technology. It was decided not to reinvent the wheel, but to create their own version of the VR headset for the phone together with Oculus VR - the company responsible for the release of one of the most anticipated virtual reality headsets of 2016 - Oculus Rift. V this moment there are already two versions of Samsung's VR headset - and.

The first version of the device was announced on September 3, 2014 and hit the markets shortly thereafter. Weighing 318 grams, the dimensions of the device are 93 * 202 * 116 mm. The first version of the helmet is intended for phones. Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6, S6 Edge and S6 Edge +... Unfortunately, other models are not suitable. Since the helmet is designed to work in conjunction with flagships from Samsung, it uses the phone's built-in sensors, but also uses its own, such as a head tilt sensor, for example. The quality and accuracy of positioning and movement tracking is much higher than that of.
On the body of the helmet there are controls - a volume rocker, a return button and a touch panel. The latter is used to navigate the menu of the shell from Oculus and to control in virtual reality games. In the process of work, the phone gets very hot, but the manufacturer reassures me with the normality of this phenomenon - suggesting to wait a while when making calls, so as not to burn the ear. However, in fact, everything is not so critical, according to personal feelings - you have to try to earn a burn.

The difference between Samsung Gear VR and Google Cardboard

A distinctive feature of Samsung VR Gear from virtual reality helmets to phones, like, is a necessity direct connection of the smartphone to the helmet... A smartphone connected via a mini-usb connector can be controlled through the above control keys, as well as connect the phone to a charger.

When you connect your smartphone to the helmet, it starts Oculus Rift interactive shell... After registering an account and installing the proposed basic set of applications, there will be an opportunity to view 360 photos and videos, a 3D cinema and an application store. It should be noted that almost all applications in the store paid, with a price tag ranging from $ 4 to $ 15. By the way, it was from the OculusVR company that the application purchased in their store could be used both in a VR headset for the phone and in the future itself.

Glasses are not available, the manufacturer recommends wearing contact lenses. However, there is a possibility to adjust the focal length. Personally, I, having a vision of about 0.7, but never wearing glasses, could not properly adjust the focal length - I do not observe ideal clarity. The phone is inserted into special clamps and closed with a lid.

Launching Google Cardboard Apps on Samsung Gear VR

There is no out-of-the-box support from third-party developers not listed in the Oculus Store. But, . You cannot connect the helmet to the computer, but this does Impossible to stream games from PC to phone via cable... Only via WiFi, which does not provide a high-quality game - when WiFi router stands at arm's length from the helmet - a delay of about 0.5-1 seconds.

Samsung Gear VR price

As of January 2016, the price is 99$ US dollars. You can buy it in Russia freely through the official Samsung store. It is recommended to use with a helmet wireless joystick from Samsung - Samsung Gamepad, but I could not find it on sale.

The site will keep you updated with the latest Gear VR news and game releases. Subscribe to blog, Twitter and RSS. Join the Vkontakte group.

VRChat is a so-called social VR space, where users are given the opportunity not only to communicate in voice or text chat and share files, but also play with toys, paint together, sculpt and generally have fun.

But for all this fun in VRChat, the user needs a good computer and a modern VR headset for it (glasses, that is) (WMR), or .

So, this pleasure is not initially cheap. However, there is at least one way to make it a little cheaper.

A computer, of course, will also be needed (besides, not anyhow, see the system requirements below), but an expensive computer VR headset can be replaced with a smartphone and a more democratic mobile Samsung in terms of cost. ... And now we will tell you how this can be done so that everything will eventually work. So,..

how to play VRChat in Gear VR

This means that in the case of Gear VR, before installing VRidge / Riftcat, you must first install Steam clients ( link ), SteamVR ( link ) and, in fact, VRChat itself ( link ). Perhaps you already have all this, since, as you know, VRChat is normally displayed on the most ordinary 2D-monitor (although it does not look so interesting). But if not yet, then download and install (links are given to official sites).

install VRidge on your computer

This software is necessary so that a mobile headset can be connected to a computer (which, recall, was originally designed to work with smartphones). The computer must meet certain requirements, namely (screen from the Riftcat website):

• let's go to the Riftcat website (if necessary, scroll the screen to the very bottom and select the Russian language in the basement of the site);
• click "Download" ( boot file weighs 8 MB);
• after the download is complete, launch the installation (double click on the RiftCatInstaller file, and then - "Run"): agree to the terms of use (Accept) and click Install;
• after the installation is complete, launch Riftcat, once again agree to the terms and conditions, and then go to the smartphone.

install VRidge on a smartphone

It's even easier with this: download VRidge 2.0 with Google Play site , install and run. Upon the first start-up, the VRidge application will automatically request a connection to the computer. We check that both the computer and the smartphone are in the same WiFi network (but it is highly desirable that this is) and we connect them together (it is possible via USB-C, if WiFi for some reason did not work out).

how to stream VRChat on Gear VR

After installing the VRidge application on the computer and on the smartphone and the successful pairing of both devices, we install the Gear VR headset into the smartphone and then click on the " Play»(SteamVR should start itself).

VRChat can be opened either directly from your computer or through the SteamVR interface, which is now displayed in your Gear VR. It is recommended to use a game controller for control, but you can get by with a mouse and keyboard.

Note also that VRidge is free only at first, then you will have to pay extra for it (emnip, 15 bucks).

What to do if VRChat is clearly slowing down

As a rule, this happens when content between devices is broadcast over a WiFi network. Therefore, it is better to switch to 5 GHz mode (both a router and a computer), this At first. Secondly, if in this way the problem was not resolved, but you use , then you can connect your smartphone to your computer via and adapter USB-C-to-Ethernet - the solution is not as convenient as WiFi, but it should work better. Something like this…

The first commercial product on the Oculus platform

In September 2014, at the IFA in Berlin, Samsung, along with traditional mobile innovations, presented something completely unexpected: the Samsung Gear VR virtual reality helmet. The word Gear in the name means that the device belongs to the line of Samsung wearable gadgets (Gear Fit, Gear S, Gear 2), and the abbreviation VR stands for virtual reality.

The device went on sale at the end of the year, although so far it is not distributed in all countries. In particular, Gear VR is not yet on sale in Russia. However, this did not prevent us from getting acquainted with the new product and getting an idea of ​​its prospects. But first, let's look at the background of the appearance of this product, so as not to get confused in the future.

Backstory: Oculus Rift

In 2012, fans of new technologies were thrilled by the Oculus Rift project, which involved the creation of a virtual reality helmet. Fundraising on Kickstarter brought the authors of the project $ 2.4 million, and most importantly - the attention of investors from all over the world, who in total gave another $ 91 million. This made it possible in the summer of 2013 to release the first kit for developers (a test version of the helmet).

It was bulky, not particularly aesthetic in appearance, the screen resolution was only 1280 × 800 (640 × 800 for each eye). However, this turned out to be enough for the IT industry to fall in love with Oculus, and Mark Zuckerberg himself decided to buy the project, and even for a fabulous $ 2 billion. that is, we can say that two billion were laid out for a classic startup.

The reasons why the creator and CEO of Facebook needed a company to create a VR headset is still not entirely clear. If a game studio or some major player in the Entertainment market (like Sony) stood behind the investor, then this could still be explained. But what's the connection between social network and the Oculus project? Mystery. However, it is already clear that from the point of view of the expediency of investments, Zuckerberg did not lose: it is likely that today the capitalization of Oculus is already higher than the amount paid to him.

Having hit a big jackpot, the guys from Oculus did not relax, but, on the contrary, began to storm new heights. In the summer of 2014, the second version of the developer kit appeared: Oculus Rift DK2.

The picture resolution has grown to 1920 × 1080 (960 × 1080 for each eye), the body has become more compact. It is claimed that a commercial version is due out soon, and it will be based on DK2.

What's inside the Oculus Rift DK2? The craftsmen from iFixit disassembled the device and that it uses the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 display as a screen.

The illustration clearly shows that even the Samsung logo and the cut for the branded button remained intact.

Well, since Oculus still uses the smartphone display, why not use the entire smartphone entirely, in addition to finding use for its electronic filling and sensors? Apparently, this is how Samsung and Oculus reasoned. Already in June 2014, Samsung and Oculus were jointly developing a virtual reality helmet that works in conjunction with a smartphone. And in September at IFA 2014 it became clear that these rumors were not unfounded. True, it turned out that Final version does not work on the Galaxy S5, as was supposed, but on an even newer device: Samsung Galaxy Note 4. And this gave an unattainable picture quality, since the Note 4 screen has a resolution of 2560 × 1440.

Thus, the helmet in this case acts as something like an accessory for the smartphone - unlike the Oculus Rift, this is not an independent device. But its cost is significantly lower than it could be in the case of a full-fledged device: on the official Samsung website, the helmet costs only 199 dollars, so for owners of Samsung Galaxy Note 4 it turns out to be an affordable option.

Our video review will help you get your first impression of the Samsung Gear VR:

Now let's take a look at the characteristics of the new item.

Samsung Gear VR Specifications

• Optical Lenses: Field of View 96 °
• Sensors: accelerometer, gyroscope, geomagnetic sensor, proximity sensor
• Compatibility: Samsung Galaxy Note 4
• Connection: Micro-USB
• Dimensions: 198 x 116 x 90mm
• Weight: 379 g

Such a short list of characteristics is simply explained: all other components necessary for operation are used from a smartphone (its detailed specifications you can find it in our review).

Well, now let's take a closer look at the device.

Equipment

The Samsung Gear VR virtual reality helmet came to us in an unusual box with rounded shapes.

There is a zipper in the middle along the entire body. Thus, when the zipper is completely unzipped, the box opens in two halves.

Inside the box is the helmet itself, as well as a cloth for cleaning the lenses of the helmet and the smartphone screen. In our case, a smartphone was also included in the box, but it is obvious that there will be no smartphone in a commercial copy worth $ 199, it must be purchased separately. But there will be a microSD memory card that you need to insert into your smartphone to download the contents of applications to it.

Noteworthy is the absence of any chargers and control units. But the helmet itself does not need to be recharged, it is powered by a smartphone, and the helmet control issue is solved using the case. How exactly - we will tell about it now.

Design

The helmet is a massive plastic construction, which is fixed on the head with the help of two straps so that the main unit is right in front of your eyes.

On the inside (i.e., adjacent to the user's face) side of the helmet, there are foam pads glued to a flexible silicone substrate. Thus, the helmet will fit snugly and comfortably to the face, regardless of the shape of the nose, the size of the eyes, etc. However, of course, the straps will have to be slightly adjusted so that the whole structure is firmly attached to the head and does not slide out.

When you put on the helmet, two lenses appear right in front of your eyes, which are open on both your side and the opposite.

This is where the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 smartphone is placed - so that its screen is facing the lenses.

Fastening is as follows: using the Micro-USB connector, the smartphone is inserted into the corresponding plug on the plastic protruding part on the left.

And on the right, the smartphone is fixed until it clicks with a plastic mount. If the smartphone needs to be removed from the helmet, then it is necessary to press the ribbed button.

After the smartphone is fixed in the helmet, a cover made of translucent dark plastic is put on from the outer front side of the helmet (where we see the back of the smartphone). Again, until you click.

Now for the fun part: the controls. There are three elements on the body of the helmet: first, the touchpad on the right; second, the physical back button (located just above the square touchpad). Everything is clear with the button, but as for the touch panel, it recognizes horizontal swipes (they work like swiping - for example, when navigating through the menu) and single touches (taps), which work as a selection of the object that the cursor is hovering over. However, you do not need a touch panel directly inside the applications - all control is carried out simply by turning your head.

The third element is a ribbed wheel on the top. It is needed in order to adjust the optimal position of the smartphone - a little closer or a little further from the eyes. For example, this can be very important for people who wear glasses (obviously, you cannot use a helmet while wearing glasses).

It is quite difficult to evaluate the design of a helmet as a whole, because there is simply nothing to compare it with. Yes and the question appearance, which usually gets up in connection with wearable devices, is irrelevant here: the last thing a person in a helmet will think about is how he looks from the outside. If we talk specifically about the functional side of the issue, then, perhaps, the main complaint is the lack of headphones (the sound is reproduced only using the built-in speakers of the smartphone), as well as the absence of the Home button, which would be very useful.

Using a helmet and preinstalled apps

Well, we put on the helmet and start using it. The very first seconds of being in the helmet are impressive: in front of us is an amazingly three-dimensional image! We are shown information about precautionary measures (and already at this stage the user gets an amazed "wow!"), And then we get to the main menu.

It is, of course, three-dimensional: before us are huge (the size of movie posters in a cinema) tiles with the names of applications. So, the starter kit includes: Oculus 360 Photos, Oculus 360 Videos, Tutorial, Cirque du Soleil’s Zarkana, Oculus Cinema, VR Introduction, VR Gallery. Let's comment on each of these applications.

• Tutorial - a guide that allows you to learn how to operate a helmet, the first acquaintance with it;
• VR Introduction - 360 ° promotional video showing the capabilities of the helmet
• Oculus 360 Photos - Lots of 360 ° photos (nature, famous landmarks, space, etc.)
• Oculus 360 Videos - Eight 360 ° Videos
• Oculus Cinema - virtual cinema with seven 3D trailers and two multiscreen trailers
• Cirque du Soleil's Zarkana - 360 ° circus show commercial
• VR Gallery is a virtual viewer of photos and videos that you have on your smartphone.

Readers, of course, have a question: what is “360 °” in this case? The easiest way to understand this is simply by wearing a helmet. But we will try to explain it with a real life example. When you are in real space, the picture you see (or potentially see) is not just three-dimensional, as in a 3D movie, but surrounds you from all sides. You can turn to the right and see one thing, to the left - another, back - a third ... Moreover, all these are not separate images (as in a multiscreen cinema), but that a single space.

This is exactly what the 360-degree image is in Samsung Gear VR. For example, in Oculus 360 Photos, we can open a photo of the great Gaudí's Casa Mila building in Barcelona - and feel like we are on its roof. We see objects not only in front of us, but from all sides, including under our feet and above our head. Moreover, in order for them to come into view, it is enough just to turn to them - just like in the real world.

There are three differences from the real world: firstly, you cannot see yourself (your arms, legs, body) - as if you had become an invisible person; secondly, you cannot move (that is, even if you take a real step, the image in front of your eyes will not change); and thirdly, you cannot touch objects or interact with them in any way.

However, even so, the immersive effect is many times stronger than even in the best IMAX cinema. In fact, you are deceiving your brain: it has no evidence of your presence here, and not in the space you see (except for indirect signs of the unreality of this space). Sitting in a movie theater or playing video games, you can look the other way or at your feet - and see the real world. In a helmet, nothing but virtual space enters your field of vision. And this is amazing. You are in the Matrix :)

The Oculus Cinema app has been made very curiously. It imitates a cinema, that is, to the right and left of you - chairs, you sit approximately in the center of the hall, in front - big screen... On it you can watch one of seven 3D trailers: "Interstellar", "Transformers 4", "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies", etc. Feelings are almost the same as in a real cinema. It seems to you that the screen on which the video is shown is really huge. By the way, if you get tired of the "regular" cinema, you can "move" to a more intimate home theater and even a cinema on the moon. The same seven trailers will be available there, only the screen will stand directly on the lunar surface, to your right you will see a chair with a projector, and in the distance above - the Earth. Seemingly self-indulgence! But incredibly impressive!

Alas, there is not a single full movie here, and in general, the pre-installed set of applications resembles, rather, a kind of advertising set: trailers, commercials ... Unless Oculus 360 Photos and Oculus 360 Videos can keep you occupied for a long time. And for additional content, you need to go to the virtual store, accessible both from the helmet (of course, if you have an active Internet connection on your smartphone), and from your smartphone.

Smartphone applications

To comfortably install additional applications or uninstall existing ones, you need the Oculus app. It was already installed on our copy of the smartphone.

If we go into the application itself and click on the menu on the left, we will see four items: Featured, Games, Apps and Experiences. The few Gear VR apps currently available are sorted into these categories. There are a total of 18 of them (including those already installed on the helmet).

Yes, yes, there are no thousands or at least hundreds of applications. Yes, and among what is, there are no real hits or things that could settle in your helmet for a long time. On the other hand, the purpose of these applications is an experiment: to understand how and in what area the helmet can be used. Therefore, the developers did not pursue the quality and volume of content, but rather relied on the idea. For example, what if you put the user on stage next to a real rock band? This is exactly the idea behind NextVR, allowing you to be behind Coldplay's Chris Martin performing A Sky Full of Stars.

But of course, games look especially interesting here. For example, Vanguard V. Imagine: you are flying in space, and you need to dodge oncoming asteroids, simultaneously shooting down various space objects with a laser. For a shot, it is enough to turn your head towards the object so that the sight hits it. Well, in order to successfully fly around a stone block that is rapidly approaching you, sometimes you have to bend down, and jump, and twitch to the side ...

So far, all these are very simple toys, but just the thought that one day it will be possible to play Call of Duty or Assassin's Creed in the same way is breathtaking!

Impressions and conclusions

Samsung Gear VR, as well as its progenitor Oculus Rift, is still an experimental project for enthusiasts. Practical use device is limited by the paucity of content. And the image quality is still imperfect: the picture is too grainy, and it is striking, so we are waiting for when we will be able to increase the resolution even more (so that's why you need ultra-high resolution in smartphones!). There is also a problem with eye fatigue: being in a helmet, you get tired pretty quickly.

In general, the problems can be enumerated for a long time. This is both the lack of headphones (because of this, the helmet user cannot be with other people in the same room, as it interferes with them), and the short duration autonomous work(the smartphone in the helmet is discharged rapidly). There is room for improvement in terms of interaction with a smartphone. For example, if a call arrives on a smartphone inserted into a helmet, then you cannot answer without removing the helmet - the phone must be pulled out (it's good at least that you can pick up the call without removing the helmet). Also surprising is the impossibility of using the smartphone's camera to create augmented reality (although, it would seem, there are no technical obstacles for this - the smartphone is turned in the right direction).

But you have to understand that this is the first step, and it is really impressive. During testing, I let my colleagues and relatives wear the helmet. Everyone had the strongest impressions, almost no one remained indifferent. Because this is really something completely new, not comparable in wow-effect either to 3D in all forms, or even to smart glasses. Google glass... Now we can safely say: virtual reality is no longer just words!

it innovative device undoubtedly deserves our Original Design editorial award.

After a huge wave of popularity that the first ones gathered, the firm also created its own device. She decided not to reinvent the wheel, and followed in the footsteps of those already passed. Together with my own version of the virtual reality helmet, which I named. Although many users don't know how to use the Gear VR, it's not difficult at all.

The first versions of the device appeared back in 2014. The gadget weighs about 300 grams. Due to the fact that the Samsung Gear 360 is intended for use with Samsung's flagships, virtual reality glasses use built-in sensors of smartphones, but they also have their own "gadgets", for example, a head rotation and tilt sensor.

This is easy to do. If this is the first time you use Gear VR with virtual reality glasses, then after the first connection, which will occur through the mini-USB input, a notification will be displayed on the smartphone. It will ask you to disconnect it from your Oculus Samsung Gear Vr to download special program Oculus and start setting up your account.

This cannot be done through the interface of the virtual reality helmet itself, but there is good news, this setting and calibration will have to be done only once.

As you know, virtual reality glasses Gear VR were developed specifically for the line Galaxy phones, and they are simply not compatible with smartphones from other manufacturers. At least physically, because not all phones can be inserted into glasses.

However, many users who set up and run Samsung Gear VR note that they want to access other virtual reality applications such as others, but they can't. This is not strange, because they are not included in the product. But this problem is solved as follows:

1. Disables the Oculus process, which starts automatically when the phone is inserted into the helmet. This can be done using paid apps, for example Package Disable Pro.
2. The program starts, and Oculus services are turned off (there are three in total).
3. Gear VR turns into an ordinary Google Cardboard, which uses all the content for virtual reality glasses located in the Play Market.

If the user wants to switch back to Samsung mode Gear VR, nothing will stop it - just resume the previous processes.

How to play games with Samsung glasses?

There isn't much for a Gear VR headset at the moment, but you can still choose something that suits your liking. ... You can even learn new skills in them, albeit in the virtual world.

In order to run any game, you must:

• Install a special glasses market program called Oculus on your smartphone;
• Next, you need to connect the headphones to the virtual reality glasses and install a smartphone in them;
• Put on glasses and download / run a 3D game.

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