Last summer, Samsung launched the accessory device Gear VR for its Galaxy mobile phone. Different from the simple structure of Google CardBoard at that time, the overall design and workmanship of Gear VR should be of a higher level. The adjustable focus, input buttons and side touch panels all show Samsung's goal of entering the high-end market. In the second half of the year, with the arrival of the new Note7, it was even improved and updated once. However, due to the recall of the Note7 explosion, the new Gear VR also declined.
Google officially released the Daystream VR platform at the IO Conference. Although it does not have the advantage of Gear VR in hardware, it attached a controller to make up for it. Now, with the arrival of Samsung's new flagship Galaxy S8, the new Gear VR has also added controllers to catch up with Daystream. What is the actual performance of the new Gear VR in 2017?
Hardware device
As for the new Gear VR device itself, there is no difference in styling design from the original version, so I will not spend much time here to introduce it. To be honest, Gear VR has left a deep impression on people. At the same time, thanks to its more sophisticated VR experience than Google CardBoard, some complaints about it are nothing more than a few points: insufficient comfort of sponge cushion for cushioning, expensive supporting apps and occasional performance bottlenecks, In addition, Gear VR does try to create an almost real virtual world.
After Note7 was recalled, the popularity of Gear VR has not decreased, thanks to the USB Type-C to microUSB adapter, which enables earlier Galaxy devices to work together. The new Gear VR is more comfortable to wear. It is not clear whether this is because the sponge filled has been improved or whether everyone has already adapted to it.
Performance
New generation smart phones tend to improve computing and image performance in hardware. When Galaxy S8 is used together with Gear VR, the overall smoothness is improved a lot. It seems that the new 10nm processor can meet the needs of VR applications. However, a good VR experience is not only dependent on the speed of the system, but also a screen with excellent quality is very important: although the resolution of the Galaxy S8 is up to 2960 × 1440, the S8 is also the largest screen on the Galaxy S model so far, and screen enlargement is certainly an advantage for VR.
Fortunately, the PPI of the S8 has reached 572, which is very close to the 577 PPI of the 5.1 inch Galaxy S7. Although Samsung has not made any innovation in the screen pixel density, the image display has at least maintained the same level as last year, that is, the larger S8+is used, and its 529 PPI is also little different from the 534 PPI of the S7 edge. No matter which S8 consumers choose, they believe that they can get a better VR experience.
Wireless controller
An important part of the new Gear VR is the attached wireless controller, which is equipped with a touch pad and buttons for operation. Compared with the controller of Google Daydream, the controller of Gear VR has an additional trigger button. The area of the touch panel of this controller is larger than that of Daystream. On the one hand, the thumb can be comfortably placed on it when holding, but it is difficult to touch to the edge; On the other hand, due to its large size, the Daystream controller can not directly hold it horizontally for partial operations, and there is basically only one control mode.
Samsung and Google have both provided relevant shortcuts to help calibrate the controller. When using Daystream, the controller will have a bad tendency to drift, and needs to be calibrated more frequently. Samsung's is slightly better, and the operation and speed experience during recalibration are both very good. It is frustrating only to occasionally encounter a complete loss of connection with the controller, Gear VR also reserves a position for the controller. Finally, it should be noted that the Gear VR uses a pair of No. 7 batteries to supply power, which is somewhat backward compared with Daystream's, but it instantly revives in situ after replacing the batteries.
Software support
Samsung's control interface is similar to Google's: not only can you see the analog display of the controller in the virtual 3D space, but also let the UI flash a light to indicate the direction of the controller for the user. As for the applications supporting this controller, it can be said that there are not many. Say "not many", there are 25 apps that support, but only 7 are free, and the other prices are between $3-10. If you compare this aspect, Samsung is at a disadvantage compared with Google. Even if the Gear VR application library has been established, this controller is also the first time on the scene, and developers need more time to adapt. The advantage is that even without an adapter controller, you can barely operate it through the touchpad and buttons, so you don't have to worry about being useless.
tail
Samsung wisely bundled the Gear VR with the controller for sale, with a price tag of $130; If you already have Gear VR, you can choose to purchase a controller for $40 separately. If you are purchasing Gear VR for the first time, please do not hesitate to choose the bundled package directly. However, if you want to upgrade Gear VR because of the wireless controller, you may need to think again.
The wireless controller has great potential, but the software part of Gear VR has not been fully utilized. I believe that it can become better and better. In the near future, people will upgrade because of the wireless controller. However, the actual situation is not as good as expected. It is inevitable to feel a little disappointed when picking up the game, so it will be better to keep looking forward to it. Samsung and other manufacturers are investing in this VR field. With the arrival of new hardware and software, the experience of Gear VR will reach a higher level. We will wait for more applications to catch up with this wave for the time being.
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