VR is a world of great possibilities. True, to get there, you need a headset. For example, virtual reality glasses that can work with smartphones. In particular, the owners of the Samsung Galaxy S7 / S7 edge use the proprietary Samsung Gear VR. Excellent device for android. With excellent performance, beautiful design and controls.

And yet - with two serious drawbacks, which are noted by almost all users. First, this mask can only work with Samsung S7 or S6. This fact, of course, is beneficial for the company, since it works to increase sales. But it imposes restrictions on consumers. After all, “not by Samsung alone ...”, there are a large number of smartphones of other brands on the market. How many owners are willing to change their favorite gadget just to use a good VR helmet? And if the device is taken for a family, where not everyone has a phone of a Korean company?

Secondly, the price. For VR glasses for Samsung Galaxy they ask quite a lot. If they have any advantages over other models, how serious? Are they worth paying more?

Before making a decision on any purchase, the client always evaluates the product according to the ratio "cost - quality". Moreover, the second concept is the complex “functionality + build quality + design”. And then he concludes whether to take "it". Because a thing can turn out to be better than others - and at the same time be so expensive that it makes no sense to give extra money. Especially if you do not plan to use the benefits (and the purchase itself) too often.

Maybe there is an alternative?

There is. These are Homido VR goggles. Yes, yes, everyone understands, you can praise anything. In order not to be unfounded, let's compare Samsung and Homido according to the above indicators.

Design. Everything is simple here. Both models have a modern look with futuristic lines. They look equally good, which one is better - for an amateur. Sold in attractive protective cases.

Build quality. Both "Korean" and "French" look pretty decent. Made soundly, without rough seams, non-soldered areas and cracks. Both of them are durable compact devices, there are no backlashes or poorly fixed parts in the details of plastic cases. Mounts on the head are similar, smartphones are held securely, they do not fall out during sudden movements. From the side of the face - soft lining.

Functionality

Settings. The gadget for S7, like Homido, is adjustable in a wide range of interpupillary distance. That is, both are suitable for the whole family, for adults and children. Lenses both there and there are plastic.

Control. The Koreans have the advantage here. There is an electronic board, a proximity sensor, a touchpad, a Home button, a volume control, a gyroscope and an accelerometer. True, the last two options are in smartphones. And the board quickly drains the battery of mobile phones, but it's not scary, you can buy and connect a charger for the duration of the game. Homido has only an activity button.

Programs. There is equality here. On the one hand, the Oculus store is offered, on the other hand, the Homido Center for Android or iOS. Where there are more toys and applications, it makes no sense to compare, they are constantly updated.

Application. And here already Homido surpasses the competitor. The Korean device for Galaxy only works with "its" smartphones of the sixth or seventh series. Whereas the French model is compatible with any phones that have a screen diagonal of 4.0 to 5.7 inches.

The conclusion is obvious. If a Samsung virtual reality helmet is taken in order to often use cool games on the phone of the same brand, then, perhaps, this is correct. And if the mask will work from time to time (or, as often happens, immediately after the purchase - every day, and after a month - it collects dust in the closet and gets it when the guests come)? Or a phone from another manufacturer who wants to buy VR glasses (option - a helmet is taken for a family and not all Samsungs)? Or will simpler games be installed, or maybe, in general, is this a device for working with application programs? Then you have to think, is it reasonable to pay four times more for Samsung Gear VR than for Homido?

The main advantage of the Samsung Galaxy VR helmet over the same Oculus Rift is accessibility. After all, what is the most expensive thing in a virtual reality helmet? Obviously the screen. In fact, the Oculus Rift (Dev Kit) already uses a screen made by Samsung, moreover, this is not a screen made specifically for a helmet, but a screen from a smartphone. In this case, with Galaxy VR, it is proposed to use the screen that you already have and for which you already paid a lot of money.

Samsung Galaxy VR Glasses Review: The Best Smartphone VR Solution

Another issue is that Samsung's solution is not universal. You must have a Galaxy flagship S6/Note 4 or higher. Any. We were assured that all subsequent flagships will be supported. Anyway, the recently introduced S7 and S7 Edge are supported.

The second point is the hardware. When using a helmet with a PC, you must, firstly, equip the computer with a non-weak video card. Secondly, a large amount of information transmitted in real time ties the helmet to the computer with a wire.

In the case of Gear VR, this problem has also been eliminated - all calculations are performed by the same “screen”. Of course, you will not be able to play the latest Call Of Duty, but purely mobile applications and games are no problem.

Appearance

Samsung did a good job on the ergonomics of the Gear VR. There are problems with many VR glasses - they either press on the nose, or on the head, or outweigh. There is none of that here. Soft, but reliable fastenings, the most compact and light body.

Samsung Galaxy VR Virtual Reality Headset

The smartphone is securely attached to the glasses with two latches on the sides. One of the latches is equipped with a USB port - and for good reason. Gear VR "understands" when a smartphone is inserted into it. By the way, if you are worried about the rapid discharge of the battery, you can already connect a micro-USB charger to the helmet itself. But you may not connect.

Male micro USB port

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus securely mounted in Gear VR

The glasses themselves also have a proximity sensor. They record when the user put them on and when they took them off.

Governing bodies

On the right temple are the controls. A touch surface with a cross and a central button (and this and that is exactly touch, you don’t need to press it), a physical “back” button, and closer to the far (from the user) edge is a volume rocker. Comfortable.

Focus setting

To adjust the focus (for different diopters) there is a regulator on top. Bespectacled people will be able to use Gear VR without any problems. True, we won’t tell you about the diopter adjustment range - it’s better to test the helmet in a store before buying it, if you have, say, -7.

Differences from Google Cardboard and Fibrum

All the virtual reality glasses for smartphones that we have seen so far have been quite inconvenient to use. You must first launch the application, only then insert the smartphone into the helmet, and you have to center it manually. If in the process of enjoying virtual reality you want to change the program, you need to remove the glasses from the helmet, close the application, open another one, and re-insert them into the helmet and re-center.

Not so with Gear VR. You simply insert your Galaxy smartphone into the helmet - it centers automatically (the helmet has a setting for "large" Galaxy like Note or Edge Plus and for "small" ones like regular S6/S7). The shell for VR also starts automatically, in fact - this is a special application from Oculus.

To clarify, it is a full-fledged shell - it has a launcher for launching already downloaded VR applications, access to the VR application store and its own settings panel.

But there is a fly in the ointment here. Applications are quite expensive, not less than 3 dollars. Many more or less high-quality games cost $ 10, and free content is a minimum.

True, it is precisely because of the high price of applications that the restriction on flagships can be considered logical. It's no secret that the average owner of an Android smartphone, who bought a Chinese nickname for a maximum of 10 thousand rubles, is extremely reluctant to pay money, and in addition to this, he litters the store with comments like “The developers are freaks, they dare to take money for their applications - as much as 100 rubles, absolutely pissed off." (As you understand, in reality, the comments are far from being so censorship).

In addition, the vast majority of apps on Oculus are really good. That is, there is something to pay for. It's just unusual to buy so many expensive smartphone apps at once. But considering that the Gear VR helmet will be used by default by those who have found a lot of money for the Korean flagship, the problem of buying a quality application even for $ 10 (more than 700 rubles at the current exchange rate) should not be so acute.

Compatible with Google Cardboard and Fibrum

Since Gear VR was developed specifically for Galaxy smartphones, it is not officially compatible with other smartphones (purely physically - not every smartphone can be inserted into Gear VR). With Google Cardboard and other VR apps that are not part of the Oculus store, it is also not officially compatible, but this problem is solved.

All you need to do is disable the Oculus process that starts automatically when you put your smartphone in the helmet. This is done using the paid application Package Disabler Pro (Samsung), which can be downloaded from Google Play. The price of the application is 76 rubles, not so expensive.

We launch the Package Disabler, disable three Oculus services, that's all - our Gear VR turns into a regular Google Cardboard, with all the inconveniences inherent in the latter with launching applications. But you can use any VR content, which is a dime a dozen on Google Play (and often it's free). Then you can turn everything back on - i.e. nothing is permanently broken.

Control

Another difference between the Gear VR and the competition is that it's not just a convenient smartphone holder with lenses, like the regular version of Fibrum. This includes touch controls on the helmet itself (on the right temple) and the “back” button and volume buttons and focus control (Fibrum does not have one) and a proximity sensor that “knows” when the user is wearing a helmet and when not.

Plus, in the Oculus app itself, you can control head tilts with the cursor - believe me, this is very convenient, we would even say intuitively. Wherever you look, there is a cursor. By the way, there is one non-obvious advantage of a helmet over watching a regular TV or smartphone - the neck does not freeze in one position, there is less harm to health.

In addition, you can connect any Bluetooth gamepad to your smartphone. Samsung sells its own, branded, but it can be replaced with absolutely any gamepad that supports Android. There are no artificial restrictions here (hello, gamepad support on Apple TV).

Applications and games

There is not a lot of content for Gear VR, but there is plenty to choose from. We liked, for example, looking at panoramic photos from different parts of the world. This is really impressive, although you need to remember that the panoramic photos themselves are not 3D.

Panoramic photos in Gear VR

Three-dimensional panoramas, however, we also found for Gear VR, but those were fantasy worlds, invented by the authors in 3D rendering. But still - impressive, because it is also in volume.

Games are also available - they are, in the main, and cost 10 dollars. That's why we couldn't see many - it's a little expensive, and there are demo versions only for a couple. Unfortunately, there are very few races (in fact - one, and that one is karting), although it is the races that you want to see in VR in the first place. There is also something like a space simulator - also in the subject, but not enough, I want more.

We were particularly surprised by the presence of a special version of Temple Run (free!) for VR. It has all the controls - a gamepad (well, or a touch surface on Gear VR), and turning your head you can look around. Beautiful, impressive, but there is one problem, which is typical, however, for almost all games where you need to walk, and not made specifically for VR - the vestibular apparatus refuses to accept such a fast “walking”. And in Temple Run, the player, after all, rushes forward at a fairly decent speed - 40 km / h, no less. So after a few seconds it starts to feel nauseous.

There is also a VR version of Smash Hit. The problems are the same as Temple Run, but in VR the game looks very cool.

Horror Dreadhalls

Indeed, VR glasses are more suitable for games where the main character sits almost motionless in a certain limited space - racing, space sims, etc. Well, horror movies are still in the subject - there is no need to go fast. By the way, there are a couple of horror films for Gear VR - we recommend Dreadhalls, for example.

Oculus Arcade

We also really liked the Oculus Arcade game. In fact, this is a set of classic arcade games from different studios (Sega, Namco and others). You seem to be walking around the hall with slot machines and playing the selected game. Despite the fact that all arcade games are two-dimensional, there is a complete feeling of a slot machine - after all, in front of you you see not the usual picture of the game, but as if it were shown by a convex tube TV. Real old school! True, here a Bluetooth gamepad is already needed (you can buy it for 1,500 rubles).

Total

Samsung Gear VR is one of the most promising VR projects. Actually, in our opinion, this is one of the three viable VR projects. The other two are PS VR for PlayStation 4 and, in fact, Google Cardboard (Fibrum there too). Others - Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, are likely to be doomed to oblivion due to the high price, exorbitant system requirements, and unrealistic room requirements (HTC Vive) coupled with inaccurate control sensors.

Gear VR has only one drawback - it can only be used with Samsung Galaxy flagships. It's not that we don't like Galaxy flagships - these are great smartphones, you can't help but admire them - just that the smartphone market is not limited to Galaxy alone. Of course, Samsung cannot be blamed for making a device that is only suitable for their smartphone - then Apple would have to be blamed for similar crimes, although, as we know, this approach provides the most positive user experience.

On the other hand, Gear VR is a good enough argument to switch to Samsung smartphones (we'll be more specific - it's flagships, Gear VR compatibility has not even been announced with the Galaxy A line). In fact, the Gear VR is the best VR solution for smartphones today, while not being expensive at all. Different stores sell this helmet for 6-7 thousand rubles, which is even cheaper than the Pro version of Fibrum, which still has fewer functions.

The only thing I want to wish Samsung - tie with PenTile. If the “mesh” is very difficult to see with the naked eye, and it does not interfere, then in VR glasses it directly hurts the eye. If you can’t move away from AMOLED in favor of IPS (Samsung, after all, has PLS - a sort of “own” IPS), then at least you should change the placement of subpixels. This is real - for example, in Note 2 it was.

- October 3, 2014

I bought it for Note 3 to watch who is calling and answer on the headset. In order not to climb into your pocket for such a shovel. Completely useless when used this way. I have under 2 thousand contacts and, for example, Alexandrov, about twenty. It does not display by last name, only the first name and half of the patronymic are visible. It is not advisable to manually rewrite a bunch of contacts. On the smartphone, all settings are by last name. Who is calling you is not clear.
In general, so, raw toy.

Advantages:

Manufacturing quality is good

Flaws:

There is no setting for sorting contacts by last name, by default they are displayed by first name. Rigid construction, they sit ridiculously on the hand, rearing up. The hand sweats under them, because. hard plastic. The strap is quite short, you need to check.

Period of use:

a few months

81 26

Alexander Ivanov

- March 7, 2015

I took it in a company store, with a Konk discount for 5k, it's even cheaper than SSW2 9 which I tried and yes) I'm happy with the device like an elephant, rolled up Null_23, got an android on my wrist, any programs go only on the way, the root is attached. I took it to run interval timers in training, which Android Wear, without a phone, is not able to do! and carrying the Note 3 around the gym is not very convenient. working time 2 and a half days, if you upgrade to Tizen, then 5 days the watch lives (much more than any device on Wear) the camera shoots surprisingly well, you can answer calls using the watch as a headset, interchangeable dials through Watchstyler, and indeed any android applications at your service. Screen 1.6 with a resolution of 320x320 is now installed only in the latest models, and the first gears are already more than a year old!

Advantages:

android 4.2, camera, large, high-quality screen, speaker, two microphones with noise reduction, BT 4, powerful processor that can be unlocked

Period of use:

a few months

22 9

Annan Kofi

- 18 August 2015

I bought a watch in the hope of using a smart gadget, but I was disappointed. I ordered a black watch in the online store, they brought gray. They don't look very good. Refused. Then I found out that there was no black in any store, so everyone tried to just sell the colors that were available, although I placed an order for black. As a result, I decided to take green ones in Ozone. After the purchase, the watch did not turn on and did not charge, I had to exchange it for the same ones. The second one is the same story. I had to issue a refund. I found it with difficulty on the Internet and ordered a black watch. They brought it in an open box, without protective films on the watch, it was clear that they had been tried on more than once. Agreed to accept them only because of the black color. And then there is a surprise that is not in the description or in the reviews of the owners: the watch only works with Samsung phones and only series not lower than Galaxy 3 !!! I tried connecting to Nokia lumia 730, Nokia S7-00, Samsung (model with NFC for 5 thousand), iPhone 4, 5, Sony xperia. They do not connect even if the Samsung Gear program is available. In the authorized Samsung center, the seller suggested that the watch only works with certain models of phones and only Samsung brands !!! I had to buy the cheapest available Galaxy 3 phone for 11 thousand rubles. Everything was up and running quickly. As a result, the cost of the gadget exceeded 17,500 rubles. and this was not planned in any way! And is it worth it? Yes, everything is beautiful, everything works, a new watch and a new phone, but there was an unpleasant aftertaste that such a large company is already divorcing customers!7 0

Price:

5900 rub. Samsung products for Galaxy Note5, S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge+, S7 and S7 Edge smartphones. Buy in one click Add to Basket 6900 rub. Latest version from Samsung. Even more perfect! Buy in one click Add to Basket Hit 7900 rub. The world of virtual reality will be completely different with Samsung GearVR glasses. They open up many possibilities for the user. And thanks to the interactive joystick, he will be able to take an active part in what is happening, and not just watch from the sidelines. Buy in one click Add to Basket

Samsung GearVR Virtual Reality Glasses

Samsung GearVR virtual reality glasses were developed in partnership with Oculus. Now their price is not too high and many can afford such a purchase. With Samsung's fully immersive experience, the customer enjoys a comfortable 360-degree view to watch movies, play their favorite PC apps or games, work on projects, and more.

The most important detail of such glasses is the structure of the lens through which the user sees the screen of a smartphone or monitor. Now the innovative Innovator Edition model is presented, which was created specifically to work with the Samsung Galaxy S6. You can also choose a device that will function with the Galaxy Note 4 or other devices. When buying, choose the right holder for your smartphone. At almost the same cost, the methods of fastening a smartphone for these models are different.

Specifications of Samsung GearVR

The Samsung GearVR glasses use plastic lenses, and the skin-to-skin parts are made from high-quality leather substitutes. The device is equipped with a touch panel with a back button, volume and focus controls. Virtual glasses do not have their own battery, so they are connected for charging to devices via a micro-USB connector or connected to the smartphone with which they are used.

Samsung notes that Gear VR can be used with a headset and needs to be connected to the jack on the phone. But Samsung smartphones are equipped with excellent speakers that reproduce loud and surround sound, so there is no need to use headphones.

To directly connect the immersive glasses to your mobile gadget, use a cable that connects via the USB port to both devices and place your smartphone in a special holder. The Gear VR has a built-in sensor that indicates the readiness of the device to work. As soon as the user puts the device on his head for complete immersion in another reality, the Gear VR glasses turn on and the other world surrounds the person once.

What is special about Gear VR?

When these glasses were first developed, experts set themselves the goal of making them accessible for use by people with poor eyesight. But there are some negative nuances. For example, putting on a virtual helmet over ordinary glasses is inconvenient, because there is not enough space inside. Of course, you can move the device for the effect of full presence on the tip of the nose, but this position will not allow you to enjoy all the effects of virtual reality to the fullest. Although, if contact lenses are used instead of glasses, then the user will not feel any discomfort at all.

I would like to note that the inserts made of leather substitute are very pleasant to the touch and soft, and the helmet sits very comfortably on the head. Thanks to the adjustment tools, each person can adjust the position of the glasses on the head for themselves personally. They are designed in such a way that they fit very tightly to the head and light does not penetrate inside them, which creates the effect of complete immersion in another reality.

Samsung's Gear VR is highly sensitive to head movements. When conducting pre-sale tests, he reacted to any gesture, and there was not a single case that he did not work correctly. But if it suddenly happens that the glasses will incorrectly respond to nods and turns of the head, it is possible, without removing or turning it off, to quickly and accurately calibrate them. I would like to note the excellent quality and high definition of the image, where you can see even the smallest details. Even with a high-resolution screen (1440×2560) in the Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone, the glasses can show every pixel.

The developers have come up with another useful option. Let's say the user needs to see the screen of a mobile device, while not removing the virtual helmet from his head. It is enough to activate a special function and everything that is located in front will become available to the eye.

Samsung GearVR virtual glasses will receive notifications for the client, the same as on a regular smartphone about calls, SMS and important events. They will be activated at the moment when in the game the user is hanging in the air and is at rest. This feature is implemented so that without leaving the game, the gamer is always aware of important events taking place in the real world.

Watching videos and movies in Samsung GearVR

Virtual glasses are very different from 3D glasses because they have a 360-degree view. With Gear VR, you can fully immerse yourself in the video stream and rotate within it, and not just look around, as when watching 3D stereoscopic video. The total immersion device presents the image in two types of virtual format and successfully combines them. With the help of these glasses, it became possible to watch videos from a smartphone, both downloaded from third-party resources and filmed independently. To do this, you need to move the video file to a special section of the smartphone.

Purpose-built Oculus 360 Videos and Oculus Cinema apps for watching videos with Gear VR. One of them is used to watch special format films that can be found on the Internet.

With the second application in the Samsung GearVR helmet, you can watch ordinary flat movies. However, the picture there resembles a screen in a movie theater and is stretched over almost the entire visibility zone. However, when you turn your head, you can see the interior of the cinema itself along the edges, which can be changed if desired. An interesting feature of this application is that here you can choose where to watch the movie from. For example, you can watch a movie while sitting on the surface of the moon. The novelty of the experience is amazing and magnificent, and the virtual environment instantly reacts to the change in color and brightness on the cinema screen.

With the Oculus Cinema app, instead of going to the cinema, you can watch a movie with glasses, lying on your bed at home with headphones on your head. The only thing I would like to improve is the screen resolution so that the picture in Gear VR is more believable.

The main Oculus Gear VR app, built for the Gear VR headset, launches from the moment you put the glasses on your head.

Through this program, the user gets access to various content, which includes games, applications, videos, films and concerts in a panoramic format.

In the Gear VR menu, users will find free and paid content. An interesting detail is that in an open application without glasses connected, the menu has an ordinary flat design. But, if you connect a virtual helmet to a smartphone, the menu becomes a kind of room in which icons and application names float in the air.

The films “Jurassic World” and “Avengers: Age of Ultron” make the biggest impression on users. Even on the Internet, performances of the circus du Soleil Curios are often watched. Shown in a 360-degree format, the choreography, plasticity, scenery and the magnificent atmosphere of the performance are simply captivating. And even after watching the performance of circus performers several times, the action does not let go of the viewer's attention until the very end. It is very exciting to watch music concerts. But, unfortunately, good recording quality is available only in demo versions, and full versions of materials are hard to find.

To play using Samsung GearVR, you need to connect a Bluetooth controller.

There are some downsides to Samsung's Gear VR as well. One of them is the automatic launch of Oculus when putting on a virtual helmet and the inability to turn it off. Because of this, the client cannot use similar applications, although their choice is quite large.

However, there are loopholes. For example, a smartphone can simply be inserted into the holder without being connected to the USB port built into the glasses. Although this is quite feasible, the device will not hold well and may fall out, and the video can only be watched without performing any actions. For example, to stop the video, you need to remove the glasses from your head, remove the gadget from the holder and press pause on the screen. And it seems quite unnatural even compared to the available spherical videos on Youtube.

labyrinth

When playing the maze using the Samsung GearVR virtual glasses, you may experience some bad problems such as dizziness and nausea. Because of this, their use becomes uncomfortable and even painful. It is even more difficult to use a game with dynamic movement, where the user sees the image as if through the eyes of the protagonist. And although the player is sitting still, there is a rapid movement in his brain due to the incoming information, and this can be quite problematic for human perception. Indeed, in other applications, the user looks around while standing still and such contemplation is much clearer for the brain. Therefore, the conclusion suggests itself that it is better to watch movies in virtual glasses than to play.