The Gear VR is a brilliant smartphone-based VR headset, which has launched to strong reviews in the UK and abroad. At £80 RRP it’s far cheaper than the Oculus Rift (£530 plus high-end gaming PC), and it only requires a 2015-era Galaxy smartphone to operate. It’s an ideal introduction to virtual reality too, thanks to excellent movement tracking (and hence low nausea), a wide range of polished apps and games, and rapid setup anywhere: just pop your phone in the headset and put it on.
Months after it was released as an ‘Innovator Edition’, the final retail version of the Samsung Gear VR has gone on sale in the UK. It’s an exciting time for VR fans, as it’s the first real retail product from the Oculus team, it’s available at the low price of £80, and best of all it’s the first VR headset to be strongly endorsed by a major tech publication. Engadget published a breathless review late last month with a 96% rating, a rarity for the site and a hopeful indicator for the future of VR in the mainstream. If you own a compatible Samsung smartphone, then this could be the ultimate intro to virtual reality for you, your mom or your grandma.