Oculus Removes Galaxy Note 7 Support From Gear VR To Avoid Turning Gamers Into Ghost Rider
Let the housekeeping begin. Now that Samsung has officially thrown in the towel and given up trying to fix its fire-prone Galaxy Note 7 device, all that's left is to get remaining models (including replacement handsets) off the street and call for an industry quarantine. With regards to the latter, Oculus got the ball rolling by stating in no uncertain terms that it no longer supports the Galaxy Note 7 on its platform and the Gear VR.
"Oculus is removing support for all Note 7 devices on the Oculus platform. Until further notice, Note 7 devices will not be compatible with the Gear VR," reads a new disclaimer on the Gear VR's product page.
If you're wondering why Oculus has a dog in this fight, it's because the company's technology is what powers Samsung's Gear VR headset. Out of an abundance of caution, it appears Oculus is forcing an update that stops the Gear VR from functioning when a Galaxy Note 7 is paired with it. A reddit forum member posted a screenshot of the error message that Gear VR owners will see when attempting to pair their headset with a Galaxy Note 7.
There's a still a tiny chance that the Galaxy Note 7 will return to action, though that seems more unlikely by the day. Samsung did right by its customers when it issued a global recall of the Galaxy Note 7 and swapped out the battery, which it thought was the culprit causing the phone to overheat and catch fire in some instances.
However, with replacement handsets using supposedly unaffected batteries in the wild, reports have started to come in that those handsets are prone to overheating as well. In one instance, a grounded Southwest Airlines plane had to be evacuated after a replacement Galaxy Note 7 started billowing smoke. Another incident resulted in a Kentucky man being rushed to the emergency room to be treated for smoke inhalation resulting from a replacement Galaxy Note 7.
At this point, it's probably best for Samsung to chalk the Galaxy Note 7 up as a loss and move on. The good news for Samsung is that its display and semiconductor businesses are doing well—the company still expects to report a third-quarter operating profit that takes into account its initial Galaxy Note 7 recall.
Where Samsung goes from here is the million dollar question. While it will almost certainly move on from the Galaxy Note 7, it's not known if it will release a Galaxy Note 8 or if it will leave the Galaxy name behind it, as well.
"Oculus is removing support for all Note 7 devices on the Oculus platform. Until further notice, Note 7 devices will not be compatible with the Gear VR," reads a new disclaimer on the Gear VR's product page.
If you're wondering why Oculus has a dog in this fight, it's because the company's technology is what powers Samsung's Gear VR headset. Out of an abundance of caution, it appears Oculus is forcing an update that stops the Gear VR from functioning when a Galaxy Note 7 is paired with it. A reddit forum member posted a screenshot of the error message that Gear VR owners will see when attempting to pair their headset with a Galaxy Note 7.
There's a still a tiny chance that the Galaxy Note 7 will return to action, though that seems more unlikely by the day. Samsung did right by its customers when it issued a global recall of the Galaxy Note 7 and swapped out the battery, which it thought was the culprit causing the phone to overheat and catch fire in some instances.
However, with replacement handsets using supposedly unaffected batteries in the wild, reports have started to come in that those handsets are prone to overheating as well. In one instance, a grounded Southwest Airlines plane had to be evacuated after a replacement Galaxy Note 7 started billowing smoke. Another incident resulted in a Kentucky man being rushed to the emergency room to be treated for smoke inhalation resulting from a replacement Galaxy Note 7.
At this point, it's probably best for Samsung to chalk the Galaxy Note 7 up as a loss and move on. The good news for Samsung is that its display and semiconductor businesses are doing well—the company still expects to report a third-quarter operating profit that takes into account its initial Galaxy Note 7 recall.
Where Samsung goes from here is the million dollar question. While it will almost certainly move on from the Galaxy Note 7, it's not known if it will release a Galaxy Note 8 or if it will leave the Galaxy name behind it, as well.
