Huawei has unveiled different versions of Samsung's Gear VR headset called "Huawei VR" as the mobile phone maker enters the world of virtual reality. The mobile VR viewer was introduced at a launch event for the P9 and P9 Plus smartphones in Shanghai.

Huawei VR is very close to Gear VR. A smartphone is inserted into the viewer, fastened with a head strap, and controlled with a touchpad on the side of the headset.  

Like Us on Facebook

Huawei claims that its VR headset is the first VR headset that supports 360-degree "sound field," according to Tech Crunch It is unclear if this is a marketing method or if the virtual reality gadget includes new audio tech.

One big difference is related to the display screens of the Huawei and Samsung handsets. The 1080-pixel screens of the P9 and Mate 8 are less crisp than the QuadHD displays of the Galaxy S7 line.   

Meanwhile, the Huawei VR will launch with a lot of content. That includes 360-degree videos, movies, games, and 3D images and tours.

In fact, Huawei's VR headset includes 4,000 videos and 40 games that are free with the unit. It has not been announced who is developing the content or how headset owners can access content.  

Gear VR and Huawei VR have many of the same features. However, Huawei is targeting the Chinese market while Samsung is aiming at market share in the United States, Europe, and South Korea, according to The Verge.

Huawei did not announce any details about pricing or availability, so it is unclear if the VR viewer will only be available in China. However, none of the compatible phones are scheduled to be released in the United States.

In related news, Roblox's 20 million monthly users across Xbox One, PC, and mobile devices now have access to Roblox VR on Facebook's Oculus Rift. Roblox CEO David Baszucki says the company's vision is for people to imagine 3D places better than Minecraft, then visit there with friends.  

The 3D places are stored in a cloud. Then 6,000 to 10,000 Roblox customers can play across devices including Xbox One, PC, smartphone, and tablet.

Here's Huawei on VR: