Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition

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Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition
Samsung gear vr1.jpg
Basic Info
Type Virtual Reality
Subtype Head-mounted Display
Platform Oculus Rift
Developer Samsung, Oculus VR
Manufacturer Samsung
Release Date December 8, 2014
Price $199, $249 with gamepad
Website Samsung Gear VR Website
Versions Samsung Gear VR for Note 4, Samsung Gear VR for S6/S6 Edge
Requires Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge
System
Operating System Android
Storage
Display
Display 5.7 / 5.1 inch Super AMOLED (RGBG PenTile)
Resolution 2560 x 1440, 1280 x 1440 per eye
Pixel Density 518 PPI - 577 PPI
Refresh Rate 60 Hz Low-persistence
Image
Field of View 96° (nominal)
Optics
Tracking
Tracking 3DOF
Rotational Tracking Accelerator, Gyroscope, Magnetometer
Positional Tracking None
Update Rate Rotational: 1000 Hz, high accuracy
Latency Motion to Photon: Less than 20 ms
Audio
Audio 3D Spatial Sound
Camera High Frame Rate Preview (60fps)
Connectivity
Connectivity microUSB to the smartphone
Device
Input Touch Pad, Back Button, Volume Key
Size 198mm x 116mm x 90mm
See also: Samsung Gear VR

Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition is a Virtual Reality head-mounted display developed by Samsung and Oculus VR. Released in December 2014, Gear VR Innovator Edition is Oculus Rift's first mobile device. It was replaced by the consumer version of Samsung Gear VR, released in November 2015. To use Samsung Gear VR, the user needs to mount a Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy 6 or Galaxy 6 Edge inside it. The smartphone serves not only as Gear VR's screen but also as its computer. Even though it requires Galaxy Note 4, Gear VR has Oculus Rift's head-tracking technology built within, allowing it to quickly and accurately track head movements. This technology differentiates Gear VR from the likes of Google Cardboard. The latter relies on smartphone's sensors to track head movements, which are less accurate and has higher latency. Unlike the Oculus Rift, Gear VR is completely mobile. It doesn't need to be connected to a computer.

There are 2 versions of Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition: Samsung Gear VR for Galaxy Note 4 and Samsung Gear VR for Galaxy S6 / Galaxy S6 Edge. Innovator Edition was replaced by the cheaper, lighter Samsung Gear VR that works with all Samsung smartphones 2015 and newer.

Hardware

Constructed from plastic outer on the outside and soft cushion on the inside, Gear VR looks like a pair of bulky laboratory goggles. It requires Galaxy Note 4 as its display and source of computation. The smartphone is clipped to the front of the goggle. A pair of lenses focuses the user's vision similar to that of Google Cardboard. There is a strap that wraps around your head and another that goes on top of your head.

Gear VR utilizes the 5.7 inch low-persistence AMOLED display of Samsung Galaxy Note 4. It has resolution of 2560 x 1440 or 1280 x 1440 per eye. Note that it uses exactly the same display as Oculus Rift Development Kit 2.

Equipped with Oculus VR sensors, Gear VR tracks the user's head movements precisely. Users can interact with the device with a touchpad and a back button on the right of the headset. Additionally it has a wheel that adjusts the focus and another that changes the volume.

Specifications

Head-Mounted Display:

Part Spec
Field of View 96° (nominal)
Dimensions 198mm (width) x 116mm (length) x 90mm (height)
Interpupillary Distance 55-71 mm
Sensors Accelerator, Gyrometer, Geomagnetic, Proximity
Tracking 3 degrees of freedom (rotational)
Update Rate Rotational Tracking: 1000 Hz, high accuracy
Latency Motion to Photon Latency: Less than 20ms
Focal Adjustment Covers Nearsighted / Farsighted Eyes
Input Touch Pad, Back Button, Volume Key
Connectivity microUSB connection to the Smartphone

Galaxy Note 4

Part Spec
Display 5.7 inch Quad HD Super AMOLED
Resolution 2560 × 1440 (1280 x 1440 per eye)
Refresh Rate 60 Hz Low-persistence
Camera High Frame Rate Preview (60fps)
Audio 3D Spatial Sound
  • Specifications are from official website [1]

Galaxy S6 / Galaxy S6 Edge

The main difference is that this version has higher pixel density than the one for Note 4. It is also 15% smaller and introduced a few quality of life improvements such as a USB port on the bottom, 10 to 20 percent additional tuning for the focus wheel and tactile edges and bump near the track pad to make it more identifiable.

Part Spec
Display 5.1 inch Super AMOLED
Resolution 2560 × 1440 (1280 x 1440 per eye), 557 pixels per inch
Refresh Rate
Camera
Audio 3D Spatial Sound

Setup Tutorial

Apps

VR Apps from Oculus Store

Oculus Cinema, Oculus 360 Photos, Oculus 360 Videos and VR Gallery.

TheBluVR, Milk VR

Developer

Oculus Mobile SDK

Oculus Mobile SDK is initially developed for Gear VR.

History

Samsung Gear VR for Galaxy Note 4 was announced on 9/3/2014. It was released on 12/8/2014 for $199.

Samsung Gear VR for Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge was released on 5/8/2015 for $249.

References

  1. http://www.samsung.com/global/microsite/gearvr/gearvr_specs.html