Oculus And Samsung Announce Gear VR Headset Crests 1 Million Unit Sales Milestone
Much of the hype and attention in the virtual space is currently focused on the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, and understandably so—those two headsets are the big dogs in VR right now. However, they're not the only solutions. Remember Samsung's Gear VR headset? It's powered by Oculus and it's doing pretty well.
According to Oculus, more than 1 million people donned a Gear VR last month. Yes, Gear VR has been on the market for longer than the Rift or Vive, but passing the 1 million user milestone is largely the result of its comparatively low price and growing library of content. Consumers who might have been hesitant about diving into VR are able to see now that it's more than a passing fad.
The caveat with Gear VR is that it's only compatible with a handful of smartphones, those being the Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy Note5, Galaxy Note S6, and Galaxy Note S6 Edge. Luckily for Samsung, its handsets are some of the most popular in the world. Those who own a compatible phone can purchase a Gear VR for just $100 and start experiencing VR.
Compare that with the cost of a Rift ($599) or Vive ($799), both of which require a relatively powerful PC with no less than a GeForce GTX 970 or Radeon R9 290 graphics card. Gear VR is a much smaller investment.
As for content, Oculus says developers have created more than 250 apps for Gear VR. There's a variety of VR experiences available, everything from games like Minecraft and End Space to live events like March Madness. Interestingly, 7 out of 10 of the most used apps on Gear VR are video. While gaming has stolen the limelight, that little nugget suggests there's a much wider audience out there interested in VR.
According to Oculus, more than 1 million people donned a Gear VR last month. Yes, Gear VR has been on the market for longer than the Rift or Vive, but passing the 1 million user milestone is largely the result of its comparatively low price and growing library of content. Consumers who might have been hesitant about diving into VR are able to see now that it's more than a passing fad.
The caveat with Gear VR is that it's only compatible with a handful of smartphones, those being the Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy Note5, Galaxy Note S6, and Galaxy Note S6 Edge. Luckily for Samsung, its handsets are some of the most popular in the world. Those who own a compatible phone can purchase a Gear VR for just $100 and start experiencing VR.
Compare that with the cost of a Rift ($599) or Vive ($799), both of which require a relatively powerful PC with no less than a GeForce GTX 970 or Radeon R9 290 graphics card. Gear VR is a much smaller investment.
As for content, Oculus says developers have created more than 250 apps for Gear VR. There's a variety of VR experiences available, everything from games like Minecraft and End Space to live events like March Madness. Interestingly, 7 out of 10 of the most used apps on Gear VR are video. While gaming has stolen the limelight, that little nugget suggests there's a much wider audience out there interested in VR.
