The Samsung introduces a new Gear VR over at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017, and it now arrives on the scene with a handheld motion controller. Oculus powers the controller for the virtual reality headset.
Oculus announces in a post that they have been working closely with the South Korean tech manufacturer to improve the mobile virtual reality platform. With the use of the new controller, users will be able to point, tilt, shoot, drag, drop quickly, and more.
As for the headset itself, it is allegedly identical to the version that was created solely for the controversial Galaxy Note 7. It will still have a 101-degree field of view, and it will still be compatible with both Micro USB and USB-C Samsung devices.
Therefore, the primary focus of the announcement is clearly that of the headset's controller. The design is clearly made for one-hand use.
Two AAA batteries will power it, and it will allegedly provide up to 40 days of battery life with about two hours of use every day. The new Gear VR now has a strap to hold the controller, and it appears this is the only difference from the original virtual reality headset.
According to the post mentioned above, Oculus states that there are already over 70 titles in development to be optimized for use with the new Gear VR controller. Furthermore, it is reported that all other existing content should work fine since the peripheral works pretty much like a touchpad.
Also in the same post, Oculus announces that the Controller's SDK will be available to all developers in the coming weeks.
In other news, Chris Welch, editor of The Verge, stated in a post that a physical controller for the new Samsung Gear VR would improve the overall user experience. He also states that "anything that makes VR feel less awkward is a welcome addition."