Samsung announces Gear VR, powered by Oculus

Uses Galaxy Note 4’s innards and screen

Stick a phone on your face for instant VR!

We’ve heard that Samsung and Oculus were working together, and today we finally get to see what they’ve been working on. It’s a virtual reality headset that uses the Galaxy Note 4, called Gear VR Innovator Edition. Specifically, the 5.7-inch Quad HD AMOLED display (1440p) of the Galaxy Note 4 provides the image,  the phone’s CPU and GPU handle the processing, and Oculus’ tech holds down the rest. The phone connects to the headset.

The unit itself is built with soft cushioning and lightweight materials, so it’s supposed to be easy to wear.

The idea is to consume mobile content in VR. Samsung touts full 360 degree 3D video and surround gaming. It launches with four Oculus-made experiences: Oculus Home for VR content; Oculus Cinema for virtual theater move watching; and 360 video and photo viewers.

This Innovatr Edition is an early-access beta version of the device, and not a final product.