Samsung working with Oculus on VR headset
New details have emerged regarding the phonemaker's plans to enter the virtual reality space with its own headset.
Exactly a week ago, Engadget broke the news that Samsung was building a headset focused on gaming that would work with its flagship phones and phablets as the ultimate in immersive peripherals. At first, it seemed that Samsung was rushing into the virtual reality world to head off competition from the now Facebook-owned Oculus VR and its Oculus Rift headset and a similar device being developed by Sony -- Project Morpheus.
However, rather than competing, Samsung is reportedly working in partnership with Oculus on the device, which is still on track to be revealed later this year.
According to sources from both companies that have spoken with Engadget, Samsung wants Oculus's software platform for its headset and in turn Oculus needs Samsung's excellent OLED screens for its own product and so have reached an understanding.
The screens that Samsung will provide as part of the agreement boast a better than 1080p HD resolution so they're going to be excellent for gaming.
As for the headset that Samsung is creating, rather than feature a built-in screen of its own, the wearer will slot his or her Galaxy 5S directly into it.
Engadget's sources claim that as well as offering new levels of interactive gaming thanks to the Oculus software, the headset will double as a media player, so sticking it on and selecting a video could be akin to heading down to the multiplex.
Using the handset as the display also means that its rear-facing camera can be activated to turn virtual reality into augmented reality. The lens can give users an HD view of what's happening around them, so that they won't walk into a wall while wearing the headset.
It also means that, like Google Glass, it will be able to overlay contextual information on the image, such as navigation, alerts or information about the local area.
