Virtual reality is a concept that we encounter more and more often. In fact, the initiative of large companies such as Samsung or Sony, which have already presented their VR devices and give us the opportunity to enter another dimension, can also be blamed for this. We at Samsung Magazine got the chance to try virtual reality, which the South Korean giant collaborated with Oculus on. The new virtual reality has a lot in common with him, not only in the technology that Samsung Gear VR uses, but also in the content, because it is built directly on the Oculus VR system. Should I continue the introduction further? Probably not, let's just enter the new world.
Design
Virtual reality has its own design, which resembles something between a helmet and binoculars. At the front there is a large dock for inserting the phone. It is connected inside with the help of the USB connector on the right side. For fastening, there is also a handle on the left side, which you can flip up to disconnect the mobile phone from virtual reality. The USB connector plays an important role here. It's not just about the mobile knowing that you've connected it to the glasses, but you can put the entire VR device into operation with it. The device has a touchpad on its right side, which you use both to confirm options and to control certain games, such as Temple Run. There is also a Back button to return to the previous menu or to return to the basic screen. And of course there are the volume buttons, although I personally had trouble feeling them and so I used the Gear VR mostly at one volume level. On the upper side, there is a wheel with which you can adjust the distance of the lenses from your eyes, which is very useful and you can ensure the best experience of virtual "life". A microUSB port is hidden at the bottom, which is used to connect an additional controller for games. Inside the VR, there is a sensor that monitors whether you put the device on your head and when this happens, it automatically lights up the screen. It actually serves to save the battery in the mobile phone.
Drums
Now that I've started that battery, let's take a look at it. Everything is powered directly from the mobile, which is either Galaxy S6 or S6 edge. The phone also has to render everything twice and that can take a toll on it as well. As a result, this means that on one charge you will spend about 2 hours in virtual reality at 70% brightness, which is standard. It's not very long, but on the other hand, it's good to take breaks if you want to save your eyesight. In addition, some games and content can strain the phone so much that after a while, about half an hour, the VR pauses with a warning that the phone is overheated and needs to cool down. But there's nothing to be surprised about, it only happened to me personally when playing Temple Run. Which, by the way, is controlled terribly with the help of the touchpad. But that's because this game was built designed for a controller.
Image quality
But what is far from terrible is the image quality. One might fear that the first VR devices may not be of very high quality, but that is not entirely true. It's very high, although you can still make out the pixels here. However, this is due to the fact that you are looking through a magnifying glass at a display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. But unless you're one of those people who look for every single pixel, you don't realize it. You'll notice it more with some low-quality videos or when you look at the world around you with the camera. Adjusting the distance of the mobile phone from the eyes also helps. With the right setting everything is beautifully sharp, with the wrong setting it's… well, you know, blurry. We should have some technical aspects and now let's enter directly into virtual reality.
Environment, content
After putting on the Gear VR, you will find yourself in a really luxurious house and feel very comfortable. Feeling like Robert Geiss is really nice and for at least the first 10 minutes you will enjoy the spacious interior with a glass ceiling through which you can see the stars. A menu flies in front of you, which looks strikingly similar to the Xbox 360 menu, except that it is all blue. It consists of three main categories – Home, Shop, Library. In the first section, you can see the most recently used and most recently downloaded applications, so you have quick access to them. You also have shortcuts to the shop here. In it you will find a surprisingly comprehensive selection of software. I'd estimate around 150-200 apps with most of them being free but you can also download some paid content like Slender Man if you're into horror and want to experience it for yourself (literally) .
Photos: TechWalls.comI think adding new content is very important with the Gear VR because you will be looking for new content yourself over time. Because virtual reality is almost like TV - you can meet new things regularly, but when they show a rerun of your favorite movie/series, you don't despise it. Unless you're looking for new apps in the virtual world, you have a few that you always use and love. Personally, I really liked BluVR and Ocean Rift, which are two underwater programs. While BluVR is a documentary that teaches you about Arctic waters and whales, Ocean Rift is a kind of game where you're either in a cage watching sharks from safety, or swimming with dolphins or other fish. This also includes high-quality stereo sound, which is a big plus. A 3D image is a matter of course, which makes you want to touch the things you see in front of you and try it more than once. Next, I watched a nature documentary series here, got a little closer to the dinosaurs in Jurassic World, and finally entered virtual reality in Divergence. Yes, it's like Inception - you enter reality into virtual reality to enter virtual reality. She also looks pretty realistic, and the first time you let someone else try it, you'll be quite amused to see that person spit or make derogatory gestures in Jeanine's face.
In terms of content, I think that a great potential will be shown in documentary films and cycles, which will acquire a completely new dimension and allow you to transform yourself directly into the area that these documentaries follow. You will also encounter a certain form of advertising here, in the form of some VR applications that allow you to get into a movie that is currently in theaters for a while - which applies to Divergence and Avengers. And finally, there are the games. While some would be better played with a gamepad, others can get by with a touchpad to the right of your temple, though they require some dexterity. What I experienced with those demos of a shooter and a space game where I flew in space with my ship and destroyed aliens among asteroids. In its case, one has to move ideally with the whole body, because that way you control the direction in which your ship will go. The most problematic control was in the case of Temple Run. It is practically impossible to play it with a touchpad, because you have to use gestures that you are not used to and especially you cannot see where you are putting your hands. Therefore, it simply happens that you restart your escape from the temple 7 times before you finally manage to get out of it. And once you succeed, you will most likely not jump over the next chasm.
Sound
The sound is an important aspect and it is very high quality. The Gear VR uses its own speaker for playback, but users can plug in headphones, which some apps say creates a more intimate experience. You can connect the headphones to a mobile phone, because the 3,5 mm jack is accessible and the mechanism for attaching the mobile phone does not cover it in any way. Stereo is still present, but inside VR it feels like it's spatial. The volume is high, but in terms of reproduction quality, don't expect heavy bass. In this case, I could compare the sound quality to a MacBook or other laptops with high-quality speakers.
Summary
If I'm being honest, this was one of the fastest written reviews I've ever written. It's not that I'm in a hurry, it's that I have a new experience and I want to share it with you. Samsung Gear VR virtual reality is a completely new world that once you enter, you want to spend time in it and look forward to charging your mobile again and entering the depths of the ocean, a roller coaster or watching videos on a big screen on the moon. Everything here has realistic dimensions and you are right in the center of the diania, so it is a completely different feeling than if you were just watching it on a TV. You will definitely enjoy the documentaries that you can download and watch here and I think virtual reality has a really big future. I'll admit that it's highly contagious and not only will you enjoy it, but you'll also want to show it to your friends and family who, coincidentally, will have the same reaction as you - they'll spend a lot of time there and fulfill some of their most secret desires, like is, for example, swimming with dolphins in the ocean, becoming Iron Man or seeing what planet Earth looks like from the moon. And it doesn't matter if they are users Androidu or iPhone, you will get positive reactions everywhere. It only has its limitations and the Samsung Gear VR is only compatible with Galaxy S6 to Galaxy S6 edge.
Bonus: Phones also have their own camera, and if you want to see what is happening around you, or if you want to move from your chair, you can pause the activity and you can turn on the camera, thanks to which you can see what is in front of you. But it looks pretty weird, and at night with it out you can see practically nothing but lamps, and even those look like you've ingested a favorite Dutch export. That's why I used this option only occasionally and rather as a joke, with which I wanted to prove that even through virtual reality you can still see what is in reality.
