Samsung is preparing a new virtual reality headset. This time, however, it’s not just another version of the Gear VR, but a fully autonomous helmet that should be called the Odyssey and will come to compete with the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.
If Samsung launched its first headset in virtual reality too early in 2014 with the Galaxy Note 4, the Gear VR remains a screenless or processorless accessory designed above all to work with the brand’s latest smartphones. It has nothing to do with what competitors like Oculus or HTC. However, the Korean plans to catch up with his next helmet, the Samsung Odyssey.
Samsung has already confirmed that it is working on a standalone, wireless virtual reality headset in late April. Today we discovered that the company has registered the product’s brand name and logo with the letters “VR” on it in South Korea. The product description confirms that this is indeed a virtual reality headset.
It is not yet clear when this new helmet will be announced, but at this level it looks like we already have a small idea. The Galaxy Note 7, which will likely be accompanied by a new Gear VR headset, will arrive in August, while IFA in Berlin will open its doors on September 2. An annual event that seems quite fitting to present such a product.
- Also read: Which VR headset offers the best gaming experience?
With this new helmet, Samsung is clearly aiming to make virtual reality an activity independent of smartphones. It’s a risky bet, but one that could yield big payoffs as sales of VR headsets could be good Outperformed smartphone sales In four years, according to HTC.
