Samsung has a new phone coming out this month, the Galaxy Note 7, and alongside that it’s debuting a revamped version of its Gear VR headset with a new paint job, a wider field of view and USB-C hookups.
Gear VR is notably one of the most widely-adopted VR headsets in the world; back in May, Oculus reported that the device had surpassed 1 million active users. The new Gear VR bears the same $99 price tag as its predecessor, but VR game developers may appreciate that Samsung is swapping out the Micro USB port on the bottom of the headset for a USB-C port which can reportedly transfer data — not just power.
As The Verge points out, this could potentially allow Gear VR owners to hook up accessories down the road (think: controllers) and that, in turn, could allow Gear VR devs to create games that make use of those accessories.
The new Gear VR will also feature a modular phone connector, and ship with connectors for both USB Type-C phones (like the new Note 7) and Micro USB phones, rendering it effectively backwards-compatible with older phones (like Samsung’s own Note 5).
The field of view has also been expanded slightly over the original Gear VR, from 96 degress to 101 degrees. Also, the new black paint job is reportedly not just for looks; it’s intended to cut down on light reflected inside the headset.
For a deeper technical rundown of the new hardware, devs should head over to Samsung’s Gear VR website.
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2016