The first time I tried Samsung’s virtual reality headset, I was beyond skeptical. Here was Samsung yet again trying to jump on any trend it possibly could by quickly churning out an ill-conceived competitor. I sat down, listened to a Samsung spokesperson run through his short, prewritten spiel, and lifted the Gear VR over my head.
No one was filming me so I can’t be certain, but I think my jaw hung wide open the entire time I tried it.
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The Gear VR is good. Shockingly good. It uses Samsung’s quad HD Galaxy Note 4 phablet as the brains and the display for the headset, and a pair of special lenses transforms the phone into a virtual reality device. The head-tracking is incredibly responsive and there are controls right on the side of the Gear VR headset, though you can also link a Bluetooth video game controller to the device.
In short, it’s awesome. And now you can finally get one from Best Buy.
Samsung’s Gear VR hasn’t yet made it to store shelves, but it’s finally available from Best Buy online for $199.99. If you have a Galaxy Note 4, I really cannot recommend it enough. The device’s main shortcoming is that VR content is still a bit scarce, but Samsung is actively working on that and the situation is improving every day.
A link to Best Buy’s Gear VR page can be found below in our source section.
