Samsung Gear VR 2016 Review | 89 Data compared

The 2016 Samsung Gear VR cements its status as the gold standard for mobile virtual reality by introducing minor but meaningful design enhancements. Developed as a joint venture with Oculus, this blue-black headset improves upon previous models with a slightly wider 101-degree field of view, a larger, smoother side trackpad, and a dedicated physical Home button for easier menu navigation. It provides a highly affordable, portable, and low-maintenance option for quick VR sessions, boasting a vast, growing ecosystem of hundreds of apps and streaming video experiences. This model primarily addresses hardware evolution by adding native USB-C support for the Galaxy Note 7, while maintaining backwards compatibility with older Micro-USB Galaxy devices via an included modular adapter. Despite its strengths, the headset's reliance on phone hardware highlights the stark limitations of mobile VR when compared to high-end PC setups. The primary drawback is its strict compatibility, functioning exclusively with a small collection of flagship Samsung devices. Furthermore, it lacks positional tracking—meaning the system cannot detect when a user leans or bends down—and the limited inputs from a headset trackpad or paired...

The 2016 Samsung Gear VR offers an affordable, comfortable, and easy-to-use entry into virtual reality, utilizing a USB-C connector to accommodate the Galaxy Note 7 while maintaining backward compatibility for older, micro-USB devices. Despite these features, the headset lacks the visual power and fluidity of dedicated PC-based systems, and it ships without an included charging cable, according to the review. While effective for owners of compatible Galaxy smartphones, the 2016 model does not offer enough significant improvements to warrant an upgrade for those already possessing the previous consumer version. PCMag concludes that it serves primarily as a refined, more compatible option for new users.

The Samsung Gear VR (2016) is a mobile virtual reality headset built in partnership with Oculus. It provides a fantastic and affordable entryway into the expanding world of VR. This updated model features notable pros, including a lighter and comfier design with larger, darker foam padding. It adds a convenient dedicated physical Home button and a wider touchpad on the right side for much easier menu navigation. The field of view also slightly expanded from 96 degrees to 101 degrees. Furthermore, its top highlight is cross-compatibility, using modular USB-C and Micro-USB adapters to support both new and older Galaxy phones. However, the headset does come with a few notable cons. Its biggest limitation is that it strictly works only with compatible Samsung smartphones, leaving users of other brands completely left out. The custom swappable port adapters can also be quite easy to misplace. While the broader field of view is a welcome technical upgrade, it does not offer a vastly noticeable visual leap from the previous version. Additionally, it remains less powerful than tethered, high-end PC virtual reality platforms. Despite...

2016 Samsung Gear VR Review Summary The 2016 Samsung Gear VR is a minor, incremental update designed primarily to support the USB-C port of the Galaxy Note 7, though it includes a micro-USB adapter to maintain backwards compatibility with older Samsung flagships like the S7, S6, and Note 5. The most significant upgrade is its redesigned, roomier facial mask layout with added ventilation openings. This structural change introduces a major pro: it successfully eliminates the persistent lens fogging issues that plagued all previous mobile and tethered Oculus headsets. Additional minor benefits include a slightly larger, more comfortable side trackpad and the implementation of a dedicated home hardware button to streamline app navigation. At a budget-friendly price point of $99, it remains a highly accessible, consumer-friendly gateway into virtual reality due to its simple plug-and-play setup and extensive Oculus software library. However, the headset is held back by notable cons, particularly when compared to higher-end, PC-tethered contemporaries like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. It is vastly less powerful, lacks positional tracking—meaning users cannot lean into or move around within virtual...

The 2016 Engadget review highlights Samsung's redesigned Gear VR headset, which was launched alongside the Galaxy Note 7 to accommodate its new USB Type-C port. A major pro of this updated model is its improved comfort, featuring thicker, more supple face padding and a longer head strap. It transitions to a handsome, bluish-black finish, a deliberate design choice that successfully stops internal light reflections. Functionally, the headset introduces great backward compatibility via an interchangeable modular connector that lets users swap the USB Type-C adapter for an included micro-USB connector to support older Samsung phones. Control navigation is also streamlined with a new dedicated Home button and an un-etched, wider touchpad that offers more physical freedom for finger movements. However, the review points out a few cons and trade-offs to keep in mind. While the engineers expanded the field of view from 96 degrees to 101 degrees to increase immersion, the reviewer notes that this optical improvement feels quite modest during actual use. Additionally, users transitioning from the third-generation Gear VR will experience a learning curve, as the flat touchpad design...

The 2016 Samsung Gear VR is a refined, affordable mobile headset featuring a 101-degree field of view, improved ventilation to eliminate lens fogging, and increased comfort for glasses wearers. Its extensive library of apps and superior design for the price point make it a top choice for mobile VR. However, the review highlights that the headset lacks positional tracking for full-body movement and faced testing limitations due to the Galaxy Note 7 recall. The reviewer also advises potential buyers to consider the emerging competition from Google Daydream View before purchasing.

The 2016 edition of the Samsung Gear VR updates the smartphone-based virtual reality headset by introducing a sleek, all-dark blueish-black design aimed at minimizing distracting internal light reflections. Prompted by the Galaxy Note 7's transition to USB Type-C, this model features a swappable modular connector that retains backward micro-USB compatibility for older Galaxy flagships. The headset boasts a widened 101-degree field of view for enhanced immersion, longer head straps to better accommodate different head shapes, and a reconfigured right-side control layout that adds a dedicated "home" hardware button alongside a flattened capacitive touchpad. Priced at $100, the device serves as a solid middle-ground platform that relies on the host phone's hardware to run 360-degree videos and interactive apps via the accessible Oculus user interface. The headset earns notable praise for delivering a well-integrated user interface and an experience vastly superior to budget Google Cardboard viewers. It features built-in focus adjustment for users with corrective lenses and remains generally comfortable to wear. However, the review highlights several prominent drawbacks, including noticeable screen-door effects from the PenTile subpixel layout of Samsung displays,...

The 2016 Samsung Gear VRGo to product viewer dialogue for this item. is identified in the 360 Rumors review as the premier mobile VR option, featuring a redesigned black interior to minimize glare, larger 42mm lenses for improved immersion, and a more comfortable face cushion. The device offers a premium feel with modular USB Type-C/Micro USB connectors for broader phone compatibility, alongside a dedicated home button and an external OTG USB port. 360 Conversely, the review notes that the field of view is physically unchanged from previous models, leaving borders visible, and highlights the lack of compatibility with the Google Daydream ecosystem. Additionally, the revised, narrower facial padding may not suit all users, and as a mobile-only device, it lacks the advanced tracking and graphics capability of PC-based VR systems. 360

The 2016 Samsung Gear VR headset provides a refined virtual reality experience compared to its 2015 predecessor, offering thoughtful backwards compatibility for older Samsung devices alongside its new USB-C integration. On the positive side, the headset features wider lenses that expand the field of view from 96 degrees up to a noticeably better 101 degrees. Furthermore, Samsung replaced the distracting white interior around the lenses with a solid black backing, effectively reducing peripheral light reflections and increasing overall immersion. It also boasts high versatility via swappable USB-C and MicroUSB modules, making it a well-priced $100 accessory compatible with a broad range of smartphones including the Galaxy Note 5, S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge+, S7, S7 Edge, and Note 7. However, the updated headset still carries notable design omissions that limit user customization and comfort. The reviewer highlights that the 2016 model still lacks an interpupillary distance (IPD) adjustment mechanism to modify the spacing between the lenses. Additionally, it misses out on a lens-to-eye depth adjustment, which prevents users from maximizing their exact field of view and leaves the headset cramped...

The 2016 Samsung Gear VR improves on its predecessor by introducing design tweaks that enhance immersion and user comfort. Key advancements include an expanded 101-degree field of view (a 6-degree increase), improved prevention of light leakage, and additional vents that reduce lens fogging and overheating issues. The updated model features a physical Home button, a larger touchpad, a focus dial, and dual compatibility with both USB-C and Micro USB devices via included adapters. While high-end PC headsets offer superior graphics and head tracking, this unit is praised for being affordable, easy to use, highly portable, and supported by a robust library of games like Minecraft VR and Gunjack. Despite these positive updates, the device carries notable drawbacks. It is strictly limited to specific Samsung ecosystem hardware, meaning it will not work with other smartphone brands. The visual quality is entirely dependent on the resolution of the connected phone, so older devices yield less sharp imagery. Additionally, the headset is highly power-hungry and drains the smartphone battery relatively fast. It is also slightly heavier than the original model, and some available...

The Samsung Gear VR 2016 review highlights several hardware and visual improvements over the original model, making it a highly compelling, polished, and low-cost gateway to virtual reality. On the positive side (pros), the updated headset features a lighter, more comfortable build that can be securely worn using just one strap, with the second being completely optional. Visually, the experience is enhanced by a wider field of view and superior lens clarity, making immersive 360-degree content like climbing Mount Everest or streaming Netflix highly engaging. Additionally, the redesigned software allows for a case-less, easy phone connection that seamlessly leverages apps like Samsung Internet and Samsung Gallery to view 360 videos and user-generated media. However, the reviewer also points out a few notable limitations (cons). A major drawback is the strict device exclusivity; the headset is entirely restricted to compatible Samsung flagship phones like the S7 Edge or Note 7, making it a useless accessory for iPhone users or owners of other smartphone brands unless they choose to switch phones entirely. The setup process can also be slightly tedious on the...

The 2016 Samsung Gear VR is a well-built, accessible, and affordable virtual reality headset designed for users who already own a compatible Samsung Galaxy smartphone. Shifting from its predecessor's white design to a near-black midnight blue finish, this iteration introduces a modular docking connector that supports the USB-C port of the Galaxy Note 7 while remaining backwards-compatible with older micro-USB Galaxy phones like the S6 and S7 series. The headset offers an easy setup process, a highly comfortable and secure strap system, and an improved, larger touchpad on the right side for fluid app navigation. While it successfully delivers enjoyable casual gaming and immersive video experiences through the Oculus-powered app store, it lacks standalone "must-try" software applications. Despite its high-resolution display, the Gear VR is technically limited compared to premium, PC-based tethered options. It suffers from a lower 60Hz refresh rate and a total lack of external motion-tracking sensors, which can cause noticeable resolution and motion issues during fast-paced content. Additionally, Samsung fails to include a dedicated charging cable in the box, providing only a small micro-USB-to-USB-C adapter that is...