Oculus announces the Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition

Facebook’s Oculus Rift division announced today that it has created a special developer edition of the virtual reality headset for the Samsung Gear VR virtual reality system. The Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition works with the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 smartphone and deliver high-quality virtual reality experiences for mobile users, said Max Cohen, the head of mobile at Oculus, in an interview with GamesBeat. The device is available for $200, or $250 with a game controller.

Samsung’s virtual reality-producing pair of Galaxy Note 4-powered goggles have gone on sale in the US on the manufacturer’s website. Gear VR Innovator Edition, as the experimental product is actually called, is available for $199.99. Gear VR works similarly to Google Cardboard, with a phone providing the processing power and display needed for the experience. But instead of cheaply assembled paper holding up the handset, Samsung and Oculus have worked together to create something that looks as though it should serve a function on its own. It doesn’t. This $199 accessory requires a Galaxy Note 4 to be of any use, and only a Galaxy Note 4. Any other phones, including Galaxy ones, aren’t compatible (though a variant tailored to the Galaxy S5’s successor is expected next year).