Sources say tech giant
behind Galaxy phones will announce the device this year and it'll be
less expensive than Oculus Rift or Project Morpheus.
The mobile division of technology giant Samsung is working on a virtual
reality device that will be announced this year, sources with knowledge
of the matter told technology blog Engadget, which also recently revealed the Halo: Master Chief Collection.
The tipsters said that unnamed developers already have prototype versions of the headset, which are reportedly powered by Galaxy devices. The final consumer model, on the other hand, is believed to run on a next-generation Galaxy smartphone and/or tablet.
Samsung's rumored virtual reality device is said to mirror the Oculus Rift or Sony's Project Morpheus
in form factor. It's believed to have an OLED screen that is as good or
better than the latest Oculus Rift development kit. What's unclear,
however, is how the headset will sync up with your phone or tablet, and
if it will require a separate camera to track depth, as both the Oculus
Rift and Project Morpheus do.
According to the Engadget report, Samsung is not only aiming to beat the
Oculus Rift and Project Morpheus headsets to market, but also to sell
their device for less than the competition. What's the purpose of
Samsung's virtual reality device? According to Engadget's sources, it's
being made to support Android games, though a list of titles is not
available.
Samsung said: "Samsung doesn't comment on rumor and speculation."
It's worth noting that Oculus Rift for almost a year now has been talking about its ambition to bring virtual reality support to mobile devices, though it remains unclear how this will work. Facebook purchased Oculus VR, maker of Oculus Rift, earlier this year for $2 billion.
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