When Samsung announced the Galaxy S6, it also showed us a new version of the Gear VR virtual reality headset that will play nicely with the GS6 and GS6 edge. At the time, no pricing or release info was announced, but now Samsung has filled us in.
The Galaxy S6-compatible version of the Gear VR will be available to order from Samsung's and Best Buy's respective websites starting on May 8. Best Buy is already taking pre-orders today.
Samsung tells us that the headset will retail for US$199, but Best Buy appears to not have gotten that memo, as its pre-orders currently cost $250 a pop. Best Buy is also listing a May 14 delivery date, contrary to Samsung's May 8 launch date. It looks like either some wires got crossed, or Best Buy is simply charging more and shipping late.
The original Oculus-powered Gear VR, which uses a Galaxy Note 4 for display and processing, is our pick for the best virtual reality headset you can buy today. The new version is largely the same deal, but it does add the ability to charge while using, so the phone's battery doesn't conk out as quickly.
We'll also be keeping an eye on whether the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge handle temperature management better than the Note 4 does. Unless you play with the phone's battery cover removed and a fan pointing at your head, it's hard to game for longer than half an hour in the Note 4 edition.
The new Gear VR is still targeted at developers and early adopters (hence its "Innovator Edition" sub-branding), but there's a decent collection of mobile VR content, including some games produced by Oculus VR and a regularly-updated selection of 360-degree videos in Samsung's Milk VR hub.
For more, you can revisit Gizmag's Gear VR review (Note 4 edition).
