Samsung’s Gear VR is a virtual reality headset that has blown been blowing people away. Still, Samsung has a long road to travel in order to make the Gear VR, which is used with the Galaxy Note 4 , a mainstream device with consumers. Unfortunately, the new Milk VR service, which offers 360 degree videos, won’t help.
Many Gear VR users have called the videos “unimpressive.” This is due to the fact the videos are over-compressed to the point where they really aren’t immersive. Several Samsung Gear VR users have complained about the new videos. A Reddit user named Feltz summarizes what most people are saying about the new Milk VR service.
“I do like the app itself, it’s easy to navigate, but the content quality suffers…The full 360 spherical videos are comparable to the stock videos on the headset, nothing new really, just more of them. Once the resolution goes up and these videos become clear I could see myself viewing them often. It has potential but it’s just not ready yet.”
Perhaps the worst Samsung Milk VR video is the skydiving one, in which the video is stretched and shaky. The video is supposed to immerse you into a skydiving section, but instead makes you sick to your stomach. Fortunately, Samsung offers some Gear VR videos that are a little bit better on the Milk VR service, including a tour of Hawaii. In this video, you get to follow a helicopter over different parts of Hawaii. You feel immersed, but the video is blurry and compressed. It looks like a VHS video from 1985.
The best Samsung Gear VR video for the new service is called The Recruit: R U In . A gorgeous lady tries to recruit you for some future missions and takes you into different atmospheres. The video is still over-compressed, but the content is fun and immersive. Samsung is expected to add several other 360 degree videos in the next couple of weeks.
The Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition is the first consumer virtual reality headset available for consumers. It costs $200, but can only be used with the Galaxy Note 4. Even if users aren’t impressed with the Milk VR app, other apps, such as Oculus Cinema, have been described as “amazing.” Do you have the Samsung Gear VR? Tell us what you think about it in the comments section.
[Photo Credit: Daryl Deino]