The Samsung Gear VR virtual reality headset is getting some new features that makes it more appealing to social network dwellers. Oculus, the Facebook-owned virtual reality company, recently announced new social features that are geared towards the Samsung Gear VR.
Reports claim that the new features will allow users to easily search and connect to other users. Oculus added that the virtual reality device will soon allow users to sync their Facebook profiles with their Oculus online account. Oculus Social users can also create rooms along with some of their friends in order to stream contents together.
The main purpose of the update and new features is to increase the social networking capabilities of the Samsung Gear VR. According to Geek Wire, In its effort to combine social networking features and make it appeal to the gaming community, Oculus released virtual reality games like "Social Trivia" and "Herobound: Gladiators."
What separates the Samsung Gear VR from other virtual reality devices is its cost. The virtual reality headset is powered by a Samsung smartphone while other products such as the HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift both requires high-powered gaming desktop computers in order to properly function and deliver a truly immersive virtual reality experience. A decent PC that can handle the requirements of both the Rift and the Vive will cost customers at least $1,500 to build, according to Business Insider.
Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg believes that virtual reality is shaping up to be the next main social media platform. Hence, the integration of Facebook-like features and functionalities into the Samsung Gear VR is just a logical step. Moreover, Facebook also created a dedicated team that focuses on the social aspect of virtual reality in its hopes of strengthening its grip of the platform.
In the past few decades, tech companies have all tried their hands into the virtual reality platform. However, it is only recently that headsets from tech giants like Facebook, Sony and HTC have turned the platform into a concrete platform with mass market potential.
While the virtual reality platform is largely associated with the video game industry, market analysts predict that the platform will have other applications in entertainment as well as advertising.