The New Samsung Gear VR Offers a Wider Field of View

The Oculus-powered Samsung Gear VR already has a user base of over a million, and it offers the best mobile VR experience – if you’ve got the right phone.

Samsung have announced that a new Gear VR with better lenses, refined ergonomics and more compatibility will be available from August 19th.

Updated Design

The new Samsung Gear VR comes in an all-new blue-black color. It’s debatable whether it looks better than the white model, and as the headset isn’t exactly a fashion accessory it really doesn’t matter. Aesthetics aside, the new color helps to prevent light reflection, providing an enhanced cinematic VR experience.

Also, a new Home Key has been added to the headset which swiftly directs you to the Oculus Home.

Updated Compatibility and Connectivity

The updated Gear VR is compatible with the new Samsung Galaxy Note7, as well as the Note5, S6, S6 edge, S6 edge+, S7 and S7 edge.

On board is a USB Type-C adaptor which can easily be swapped for the Micro-USB adapter.

For in-use charging and greater connectivity with third-party USB devices – sensors, controllers, 4D tools, and On-The-Go USB memory, an external USB 2.0 port has been added to the headset.

Updated Optical Lenses

The new Gear VR offers a greater field of view (FOV). Its predecessor’s FOV is 96 degrees whereas the new model offers 101 degrees. The diameter of the optical lenses has also been increased to 4.2 cm.

Content Navigation

A greater selection of 2D and 3D content can be easily accessed with the user-friendly Gear VR web browser, with 15 of the top apps being recommended in the “Picks” section.