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Samsung Gear VR now available for $200

The Oculus-designed smartphone virtual reality system finally launches

Samsung Gear VR now available for $200

After no small amount of speculation about a December launch for the virtual reality system designed in co-operation between Samsung and Oculus, the Gear VR - in the shape of its Gear VR Innovator Edition - can now be ordered from Samsung's online US store, priced at $199.99.

Its launch comes hot on the heels of a rumour that 8 December would mark the long-awaited hardware's release, after an Indiana-based early adopter saw a delivery date on his receipt.

The VR game begins

The Samsung Gear VR is rapidly becoming the linchpin upon which the virtual reality gaming boom is focused, with a lot of developers prepping their Oculus Rift titles for the smartphone-driven head mounted display (HMD) while they wait for the full system to be launched.

Until today, no one really knew just when these games would be available; even the developers were unable to give expectant players a date when they could delve into their virtual reality titles.

That said, Samsung's store doesn't give any precise details on a delivery schedule, but at least the headset is up for purchase at long last.

 

Ready for wrapping

But, of course, it's not just the Gear VR that gamers will need.

The headset is a passive holder for the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, so anyone wanting to get in on the virtual reality gaming ground floor needs to be equipped with the right handset to accompany their new face case.

UK retailers have also priced the Gear VR at around £160, or £190 with Samsung's Bluetooth controller, although they're still showing as being a pre-order so we'll have to continue guessing about a global launch for a short while yet.

Yes. Spanner's his real name. And, yes, he's heard that joke before.