For our editorial arrived Samsung Gear VR or virtual reality glasses developed with the cooperation of the oculus, whose heart is the Samsung Galaxy S6 (Edge). During the fair MWC had the opportunity to test the HTC Vive goggles that have had a great impression on me. How will the Gear VR? Feel free to entry which leans on virtual reality and its incarnation in life by Samsung Gear VR.
A bit of history
The first version of the virtual reality glasses Samsung Gear VR appeared in September 2014. The means with the release of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. demonstrated an unusual approach to technical issues goggles because they put on them mentioned Galaxy Note 4, which acted as the display and at the same time doing all the calculations associated with the generation of the image.
Gear VR Samsung Galaxy Note 4 (2014), the source of the Samsung
So Gear VR in a nutshell, was the holder with the lens on the smartphone which was not an innovation, because a few months earlier, Google presented Google Cardboard.
Google Cardboard (2014), source Google
The idea behind it was to create a low-cost set of glasses with lenses that liaise with the majority of Android phones. Of course, both the design of glasses as he ecosystem of applications would be open, which would fit the “openness” of Android. Although the virtual reality market is in its infancy, the price of the glasses amounting to $ 20-30 certainly was encouraging. In contrast to the $ 200 that was paid for Gear VR.
In March of this year Samsung unveiled to the world its new flagship – the Galaxy S6 – and the version with rounded edges of the screen – Galaxy S6 Edge. You could not miss slightly improved version of the glasses, which full name is Gear VR Innovator Edition for S6 and it is they who will be the main protagonist of this entry. Costs the same as its predecessor or $ 200.
Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition for S6 (2015)
Samsung Gear VR after the second time
What has changed with respect to its predecessor? Internet says that it has been Upgrade active cooling in the form of built-in fan, but I did not hear propellers in action so difficult anything to say about work culture. Reviewers complain about the heating device and the fan seems to be a wise way to solve this problem (especially annoying when Gear VR and Note 4), but what’s interesting Samsung claims that the fan is to prevent fogging of lenses, as well as journalists pointed out (is better but the problem is still not eliminated). I have a problem with the pairing did not notice, but the phone is actually pretty hard to heat up when generating the virtual world. Apparently I was too short sunglasses on her head.
Fog-Free Viewing, source: Samsung
-But how it ?! – We will hear indignant voices. Sunglasses on her head barely started and already want to describe it? Where is the professionalism ?! Well, you can not miss: -It VRLab or PCLab ?! – Follow suit them more.
Glasses on his head had less than an hour and had to stop further tests since appeared at my side effects. I was really surprised by this, because so acquiesced only to any warnings about nausea, dizziness or an epileptic fit and I regarded them as a legal fiction because you have to, because someone will do something and then sue the manufacturer. As a woman in the US, which has washed his coffee and was surprised that the liquid was hot. Sued McDonalds and … won. In my case, there were no burns and seizure, but the nausea and dizziness as most appeared.
However, this does not mean that the total testing time was only an hour. In front of me on the head glasses were two other people from the editors have devoted far more time for fun and no undesirable effects were not. You can see that it heavily depends on individual preferences.
I was even more amazed effects collaterals because (as I mentioned in the introduction) during the fair MWC had the opportunity to test the HTC Vive and even very briefly VR gear for S6 (just go back to this thread), and none of the listed effects did not occur. And only now understood (or at least I am able to imagine) how he felt about this guy:
None of the tested dem I was not so fast and “drastic” and it flew in space and postrzelałem ( Anshar Wars ) and is found at the bottom of the sea and watched the big fish ( Rift Ocean ), and it traveled around the brain and neural fought the source of pain ( InMind – almost as advertised) where taking a trip up and down my labyrinth capitulated and started to freak out. The brain does not coped with contradictory information:
- (physically) sit on a chair and I can rotate
- (virtually) located in the brain, I move my ship through the mountains and valleys watching around synapses and neurons
- (virtually) begin to descend, I get this strange feeling of “lightness” in the chest, which accompanies falling (unless you know what I mean),
- (physical / virtual) Hey, after all, I was still sitting on the chair and nothing can happen to me, it’s all virtual … Aaaaa going down! Spadaaaaam!
It was really weird and a few hours after he went down to him. By the way digression occurred to me that the rate of technology development is much higher than the adaptive capacity of man and his brain (looking at it from the side of evolutionary), but that’s a topic for another entry.
VR now or a little?
The question is, what virtual reality could be useful and whether the current Technical solutions already provide convenient access to it simply had to fall. The second part I can answer without a moment’s thought: no.
First of all, the display resolution is too low. So, was 2560 × 1440 and 575 PPI is simply not enough. Keep in mind that the screen is positioned a few centimeters from the eyes, and also increase the image of the lens (and pixels) to fill the field of view (try to apply 5.1-inch phone as close to the eye, and you will understand what I mean) so still a lot of water in the Vistula elapse before we can enjoy perfectly “smooth” virtual reality. For this purpose the need for screens several times higher density of pixels on target. Even 4K is not enough. I guess none of us would like to see rozpikselowanego the world, right?
Many people themselves do not even matter how massive computational power is needed for a really good cast of virtual reality. I found that out during the tests already mentioned HTC Vive. As far as I remember that one eye should generate an image with a resolution of 1080 x 1200 (which is still not enough to get rid of pikselozy), and the screen was refreshed with a frequency of 80-90 Hz perhaps (I do not remember exactly – no matter) which should provide not less frames / sec.. that our world was smooth. Przemnóżmy now that times the number of eyes in humans is not a Cyclops (or pirate) and overlooks the powerful Core i7 processor, and SLI with GTX 980 was not at all exaggerated set which image had to generate. Needless to say, it was not photo-realistic graphics.
As I said Gear VR is the heart of the Galaxy S6 (Edge), which drives the Exynos 7420th It is not difficult to guess that his But computing power is less than two GTX 980 (one of the rest too), and the screen will probably not provide a faster refresh rate than 60 Hz. Internet says that 60 frames / sec. Is the upper limit of the Android and the kind you can get around this if necessary, but we do not think that, for the VR Gear was done (to revise that it would be extremely difficult even with our intentions and access to equipment) .
Another problem which is related to the VR control. HTC Vive was delighted because my movements in niewirtualnej fact they were cast in this virtual and although the system which it asserted would be impractical (or even impossible to use) in a normal apartment, it was a fun front. I associate that Oculus already copes with a hand motion recognition (or even your fingers) without special controllers and the latest version of Crescent Bay received even a set of LEDs that let you track your location.
When I had Gear brief contact with VR at MWC in addition to wireless glasses also received rains, which served as an input device. Game of Anshar Wars that is guided trips in space using head movement and shooting different types of missiles was carried out using the rains. Along with the test we have not received a copy of raining so I had to deal with this, what they offer the same glasses. On the right side is a touch plate (4×4 cm), the mechanical “back” button and a bidirectional arrow button for navigating.
Playing without rains were not too comfortable. I had to keep one hand hold up, to be able to give the shots. In addition, a lot of games I could even turn because the pad was necessary to play. And this approach is the most appropriate since we have opportunities to interact with the world through movement only his head? The inMind is solved quite well. Stop the viewfinder (which is displayed in most games and applications at the center of the image) for a long time in one place resulted in putting the shot and healing neuron which also was the goal of the game.
When asked what glasses can be used well correspond to the categories in the store with applications co-form by Oculus: games , apps and experiences . Games are known, applications can display photos, videos or panorama in 360 degrees, and experience it all kinds of technological demos showing more potential VR than being useful every day (if you can say that every day any application of virtual reality glasses is useful ).
In my opinion VR development path there are two: entertainment and augmented reality. With built-in camera in the phone which excels where the “look” cries out for tapping this potential and Samsung just pretends it does. We have an application that displays an image captured by the camera, but … that’s it. I know a better way to admire the world around us: with the eyes.
Virtual quo vadis
Virtual Reality growing very rapidly and Gear VR can at best be regarded as quite advanced (and expensive) add-on gadget to your phone, and if you expected the best virtual experience please consult the competing solutions such as the Oculus Rift in the latest version of Crescent Bay, which definitely closer to simulate the world that could try to compete with the real. Of course, competition is more: HTC Vive / SteamVR, Microsoft HoloLens (which looks very tasty!) Or Project Morpheus.
Very It hurts me that Samsung’s solution (in cooperation with Oculus) is closed. This means that you can only use the software available in the official store and attempt to run applications that use the potential of VR downloaded from Play Store does not succeed, because the phone is inserted into the glasses automatically starts the official program of managing a library. It is very important that users Gear VR, they are left at the mercy of Samsung. Do you want to watch videos from YouTube VR? Forget – do not give to this application. You know how to program and you want to create your own application using the potential of glasses? There is no option. I really do not understand what Samsung be guided by closing the environment with applications for VR Gear. I believe that virtual reality is too young invention that every man for himself kneecap scratching and even if cooperation is even tacit approval for the use of work effects of competition is highly desirable.
Even during testing felt that belong to the “inferior” category of users, and I just wanted to watch the video prepared for the VR. The shop did not find any application that would coped with a special video material VR! Do you understand that? There were only two regular-Player, one of which was a picture viewer with an option to play back movies. I was quite surprised, and I had this really long time to comb the internet to arrive at what is going on. First, I found information that the application coping with these films is called Milk VR and should be available in the store. Unfortunately, she was not there. The official website of Samsung and Milk VR did not help me so I had to save themselves and forums, among others, XDA. It turned out that … the application is available only in selected countries. I do not know why, I do not even know it. I was angry and I had to continue to seek a solution. Internet suggested change of location for the United States. Quick
To make full use of VR need a controller and a touch pad on the side of glasses with buttons certainly they are insufficient. Wireless pad, which is optionally available significantly simplifies the matter though as shown Oculus Rift movement can be read straight from the hands (or fingers) which is, in my opinion, desirable direction of development.
Note that virtual reality is a very big challenge hardware. First of all, in the field of screens and computing power. Galaxy S6 screen with a resolution of 2560 × 1440 and 575 PPI is insufficient and that the world was not rozpikselizowany need for even better solutions. 4K screens in smartphones, in this context will have a big sense although it will still be too little to get rid of the visible pixels.
Extended reality is a relatively new invention, so there’s still so many programs that use with its potential as one might have expected. VR gear can not cope even with the concept of augmented reality and I hope that competitive or future developments will put more emphasis on it.
Taking out a review Gear VR podpytać members of the editorial board decided what they expect terms of virtual reality, as the VR goggles can be used, whether a product is no longer in their opinion, adequate or simply discuss the direction which the industry should take. I heard quite similar opinions that coincide well with my set forth in this text and which can be summed up in the words: fun, being taken for VR, but the technique is still too young and look forward to an extended (and not only virtual!) Reality.
An interesting digression shared Matthew, who compared the VR to the boom in 3D displays. Although the technique has not won popularity, the players can now enjoy screens 120 Hz and 144 Hz which was kind of side effect. And I hope that the VR even if you do not burn in its current form, it will be a cornerstone in something really cool. I subscribe to these words, his arms and legs, and I look forward to what the future holds. Maybe the virtual world is closer than we think?
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