Gear VR amazing but muted response

[Fonejackerjon]

The Samsung Gear VR has been out for about a week-ish in america and hardly anyone is talking about it bar a few videos on youtube.

People that have it, rave about it, and I cant understand why more people havens gone mental on it the fact that you can have a 20 foot cinema screen in your house is ground-breaking just that alone is utterly amazing even if the screen qualiy is shit, that in itself is a game changing momeent but it seems that not many give a crap at the moment, the possibilities of mobile VR is utterly mind blowing.

Just think about it for second....a 20 foot perosnal portable screen that in itself blows my mind.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

I had no idea that this existed nor that it had come out. Were there advertisements for this somewhere? How exactly was I supposed to be made aware of it?

 

[Fonejackerjon]

I had no idea that this existed nor that it had come out. Were there advertisements for this somewhere? How exactly was I supposed to be made aware of it?

Not very well advertised at all which surprises me. They just released it on their website one day and was sort of like 'well..its out go get it' most reviews say its awesome and a total game changer which I can imagine, if what everyone is saying on Youtube bout it is true, you wont want to experience media in any other way, and to a degree It could be true, why spend $1000+ on a large TV when you an have an IMAX screen in your home? granted you cant share the experience which is a downer but I'm sure they will figure out a way to connect them in future.

So why are samsung so scared of it? it doesn't make sense. I know its effectively a 'beta' release but general reception for it is have been very good, why have they capitalised on it? I bought a note 4 just to experience it.

 

[Here Comes Tomorrow]

Didn't know it existed.

Generally people don't like strapping crap to their face to watch a movie. Its not a game changer at all because no one want to sit in a cinema on their own (well, maybe a few people). I don't see a market for it at all except for really hardcore audio/visual types.

The only films I would see a use for would be big blockbusters like Avengers or Lord Of The Rings, and who wants to sit on their own and watch them?

Compared to the Oculous Rift, thats for gaming, which is generally a solo thing anyway. Movie watching is generally a social thing.

 

[duwenbasden]

The Gear VR uses the Note 4 (and only the Note 4, it's not compatible with any other smartphone, Samsung or otherwise)

That's a big enough reason. The middle of the venn diagram is too small for this one. Granted I am getting a Note 4 in the near future, but I am not about to spend $250 in accessories for just the Note 4.

 

[Maximum Bert]

Compared to the Oculous Rift, thats for gaming, which is generally a solo thing anyway. Movie watching is generally a social thing.

Really I dunno I watch most movies by myself just as I listen to most music by myself and read all books by myself. Gaming I also mostly play alone but I certainly play more games with people than watch films with them after all with films you can jut talk about them afterwards regardless of whether you saw it together or not you see the exact same thing which is not necessarily true with games.

As for this device I had not even heard of it. I am waiting for the Oculus rift or Morpheus really get a few more on the market then I can choose which suits me best if any I would use it for films and games from my consoles and PC which this doesnt seem to allow so thats a deal breaker for me. The picture I saw of the advertisement for it shows a guy outside which just seems weird why would you wear this outside on a street just seems like asking for trouble.

 

[lechat]

think this pretty much sums it up
http://www.polygon.com/2014/12/18/7396659/gear-vr-samsung-oculus-hardware

basically a tech demo with limited support and market

 

[NiPah]

If I hold my iphone4s close enough to my face I can make it a 100ft screen.

 

[Maxtro]

$200 for the headset.

$200 for the phone with a 2 year contract.

Yeah, I don't imagine anybody who doesn't already have a Note 4 to buy this thing or even care.

Also from what I've heard the device has lots of limitations.

I'm still waiting for the Rift.

 

[Fonejackerjon]

Probably because you cant connect anything to it. If I could hook it into my PC, console, hell even my DS or Vita, it would be worth a damn, but it cant so its not, even at its low price.

The Note 4 is very powerful though, and a hell of a lot more powerful than the Vita and DS by a country mile, it just lacks the software at the moment that's all, hell it has a higher resolution screen than the Oculus rift and many have actually said its superior to it in many ways, google it.

 

[gsilver]

When comparing to the DK2, losing positional tracking is going to be a tough pill to swallow.
Though "no wires" is pretty huge.


I have a Note 4 and am kind of tempted... but I think that I'll pass.

//Goes back to Oculus Rift enabled Elite: Dangerous.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Yeah mind blowing... hold your phone to your face, bam 20 foot screen, hold it even closer, bam now it's 40 feet.
This is the perfect example of a VR joke, no part of if it is good enough to do shit with, it's just a party toy that "blows minds" and a week later you will not give a damn because it does nothing.

 

[Fonejackerjon]

Yeah mind blowing... hold your phone to your face, bam 20 foot screen, hold it even closer, bam now it's 40 feet.
This is the perfect example of a VR joke, no part of if it is good enough to do shit with, it's just a party toy that "blows minds" and a week later you will not give a damn because it does nothing.

How ignorant. Watch some of the reaction videos on youtube, this truly is something different, have you even tried it yet?

 

[sanquin]

I'm not about to pay 200 euro for a device that basically consists of 2 lenses and an external controller for your phone. It's a very expensive 3D View Master for your phone. Not to mention needing one specific phone from one specific brand to use it. I mean, it looks amazing to play with it. Imagine watching a movie on a huge (probably kinda pixelated) screen while laying in bed, for instance. But not for 200 euro on a phone, and another 200 on that device.

 

[Rayce Archer]

Don't get me wrong, this is a cool idea and it's neat to achieve it by bolting the appropriate optics to a regular phone. But for about the same price you can just hook your damn phone to a portable projector and enjoy it with friends, so this really only solves the need to see a huge display on the bus- and no way in hell would i board public transit wearing a device that blinds me while prominently displaying my 200 dollar phone.

 

[Fonejackerjon]

I'm not about to pay 200 euro for a device that basically consists of 2 lenses and an external controller for your phone. It's a very expensive 3D View Master for your phone. Not to mention needing one specific phone from one specific brand to use it. I mean, it looks amazing to play with it. Imagine watching a movie on a huge (probably kinda pixelated) screen while laying in bed, for instance. But not for 200 euro on a phone, and another 200 on that device.

Well.. you only need watch some of the reaction videos to know its slightly better than a gloried 'view finder,' it is proper VR and is extremely immersive. thinking your not seeing the bigger picture here, The fact that this is even slightly possible is amazing, Imagine when we have 4k or 8k phones in the very near future, mobile VR is going to be epic.

 

[sanquin]

Well.. you only need watch some of the reaction videos to know its slightly better than a gloried 'view finder,' it is proper VR and is extremely immersive. thinking your not seeing the bigger picture here, The fact that this is even slightly possible is amazing, Imagine when we have 4k or 8k phones in the very near future, mobile VR is going to be epic.

Even if it is that amazing, that still leaves the price, the narrow market (users of one specific phone), and the lack of games backing it.

 

[MysticSlayer]

I think I'll just stick with Google Cardboard.

Probably because you cant connect anything to it. If I could hook it into my PC, console, hell even my DS or Vita, it would be worth a damn, but it cant so its not, even at its low price.

The Note 4 is very powerful though, and a hell of a lot more powerful than the Vita and DS by a country mile, it just lacks the software at the moment that's all, hell it has a higher resolution screen than the Oculus rift and many have actually said its superior to it in many ways, google it.

Personally, I don't care how powerful the Note 4 is. In the end, it costs over $750, and the Gear VR costs over $200. That's getting close to a $1000 for a phablet that I doubt would replace my Nexus 5 and really only allows me to do stuff I'd rather do with other people. I might consider Google Cardboard, as it is less than $10 and is compatible with practically any Android phone I get, including my wonderful Nexus 5. It may be a poor man's VR, but I may actually get my money's worth out of that. I doubt I'd come close to getting the use out of Gear VR to justify buying it and getting a Note 4 on top of that.

And honestly, I'd imagine that a lot of other people are in a similar position. It just isn't worth the money (especially if you don't already have the Note 4), no matter how impressive the hardware may be.

 

[Recusant]

I'm not about to pay 200 euro for a device that basically consists of 2 lenses and an external controller for your phone. It's a very expensive 3D View Master for your phone. Not to mention needing one specific phone from one specific brand to use it. I mean, it looks amazing to play with it. Imagine watching a movie on a huge (probably kinda pixelated) screen while laying in bed, for instance. But not for 200 euro on a phone, and another 200 on that device.

Well.. you only need watch some of the reaction videos to know its slightly better than a gloried 'view finder,' it is proper VR and is extremely immersive. thinking your not seeing the bigger picture here, The fact that this is even slightly possible is amazing, Imagine when we have 4k or 8k phones in the very near future, mobile VR is going to be epic.

Come now; all reaction videos do is show how people react; and they're tailored to show off the most impressive reactions. From everything I have read, actual VR would be impressive indeed; but that isn't what this is. It's just a very up-close, very (from the viewer's perspective) video display. Calling it a 'very expensive 3D View Master' may seem a bit harsh, but that's all it is- I got a heckuva lot closer to virtual reality with my 16" by 12" Mistsubishi monitor and Sidewinder Force Feedback 2 than this thing promises, and that was more than ten years ago. A neat visual display is a neat visual display, but by itself, it's hardly more than that.

 

[gsilver]

Personally, I don't care how powerful the Note 4 is. In the end, it costs over $750, and the Gear VR costs over $200

...But in all honesty, who buys phones without a contract discount?

I got my Note 4 for effectively $100 (got the phone and a $200 gift certificate for $300)