Samsung today announced a new version of their Gear VR headset with a wider field of view. The headset is compatible with both the Note 7’s new USB Type-C connector as well as micro-USB, offering support for all phones from the prior version of the headset.
The new Gear VR (SM-R323) features a 101 degree field of view, a slight improvement over the 96 degree field of view of the prior Gear VR (SM-R322). The new version weighs in at 312 grams, slightly less than the prior version. The company claims “A refined design makes it more ergonomic and comfortable.”
While the new Galaxy Note 7 is sure to be more powerful, and possibly capable of rendering VR views in more detail than its predecessors, its resolution remains the same 2560x1400p as all prior Gear VR-compatible phones.
The ability to connect either the Note 7 with its USB Type-C connection or the microUSB connection of prior Gear VR compatible phones comes through an adapter which will slide in and out of the Gear VR’s hinged connection. It isn’t clear yet if both the Type-C and microUSB adapters will be included in the box, but we’d suspect (and hope) that to be the case.
The release announcing the new Gear VR for Note 7 seems to indicate that there will be an open USB port for connecting accessories, though it’s unclear if it will be a full-sized USB port or something else. The Note 7 also has a microSD card that supports up to 256GB, which means more room for VR games (and everything else of course).
Gear VR and the Galaxy Note 7 will begin pre-orders on August 3rd with a release date of August 19th. There’s a chance we’ll see some bundle options with the phone as Samsung has done in the past, but haven’t heard anything on that front just yet.