Samsung Gear VR For Galaxy S6 And S6 Edge Is Problematic

Earlier this week, an article on Inquisitr noted how much Galaxy S6 and S6 edge users were enjoying their new Gear VR virtual reality headset. One enthusiastic user reviewed the product at the Oculus (the makers of the Gear VR) site.

“I just had to write a post to say how amazing this device is. I have not been so excited about a product since the first iPod. This device literally takes you into other worlds that you normally wouldn’t enter. Yeah, the resolution needs improvement and there is still some screen door effect. But if I had to go to a deserted island and was given the rule that I could only take one thing, the Gear VR would be it.”

One week later, the same user isn’t very happy about his virtual reality device.

“After a week with the device, I am taking back what I said. I wish I never gave up the Note 4 and Gear VR 1. The new Gear VR is awful in every way.”

The user goes on to say that the fogging on the lens is worse than the first Gear VR, the FOV (field of view) is way too small, and complains about light reflection. He is right on the money with his analysis — Samsung made a huge mistake with the new Gear VR.

The Gear VR for the S6 series may offer a clearer picture, since the S6 has a 577 ppi screen (compared with the Note 4’s 515 ppi screen), but what good is a clearer picture if the virtual reality experience isn’t immersive? The FOV was already small enough when using the first Gear VR. Unfortunately, the FOV on the new Gear VR is significantly smaller, or at least it appears that way.

It gets even worse if you have the Galaxy S6 Edge instead of the regular S6. The S6 Edge reflects more light due to the open spaces between the edges. This isn’t a deal-breaking problem on an already deal-broken device, but it’s enough for one to question why they bought the S6 Edge instead of the regular S6, knowing they were going to buy the Gear VR.

The fog produced on the lenses, however, is a huge problem, and it’s worse on the new Gear VR than the previous one. The new Gear VR has a fan that is supposed to prevent fogging — by most accounts, it doesn’t even come close to working.

There are too many other issues to get into. It is important to note that the new Gear VR is still considered a developer’s edition, which is supposed to be used by developers and early virtual reality enthusiasts only. The consumer version of the Gear VR is going to be released later this year. But isn’t version 2 of a device, whether it’s a developer’s edition or not, supposed to improve on the first version? The new Samsung Gear VR certainly doesn’t fit that category.

[Photo Credit: Engadget]