Yesterday Samsung held its usual Unpacked event to showcase its latest smartphones, announcing both the Galaxy S10 series and the star of the event the Galaxy Fold. Unlike several years ago when Samsung would also save a special mention for its virtual reality (VR) headset Gear VR, of late, the device has rarely appeared, with Samsung barely supporting it anymore. Yet, it seems there’s still life in the mobile headset, with the company confirming that the Galaxy S10 will support the current Gear VR model.
A Samsung spokesman informed The Verge that the current Gear VR (SM-R324NZAAXAR) will work with all four S10 variants using the adaptor that comes with the headset – as well as the other 14 Samsung phone models it already supports.
Even with this support, the Gear VR won’t make complete use of the S10’s screen capabilities. The S10, S10+ and S10 5G feature the following screens sizes: 6.1, 6.4, and 6.7 inches respectively, but they all share the same 3,040 × 1,440 WQHD+ resolution. The Galaxy S10e, on the other hand, has a slightly lower 2,280 × 1,080 display. As the headset was originally designed for a 16:9 aspect ratio this means that not all of the screen will be used when in VR mode.
Even so, this is still good news for the VR headset, even if Samsung isn’t shouting about it as the company still had to make a conscious decision to continue supporting the headset with the S10’s design. The current Gear VR has been out for a while, however, so it’s overdue an upgrade at some point.
And there’s still plenty of content coming out for the device as it shares Oculus’ mobile software platform with the newer Oculus Go. The majority of titles created for one will work on the other, which has certainly helped the Gear VR stay relevant. Plus it’s cheaper than buying an Oculus Go if you already have a Samsung phone.
Should Samsung continue its VR efforts – don’t forget about the Samsung Odyssey – then VRFocus will keep you updated on the latest announcements.