The Samsung Unpacked event earlier this month for the new Galaxy Note 9 was noticeably absent of one technology, virtual reality (VR). Previous Unpacked events have usually featured the Gear VR in someway yet there was nothing for the Note9. This doesn’t mean owners of the new device have to worry about incompatibility as the Note9 will still fit the very latest headset version, they just need a special adapter which Samsung is supplying for free.
Spotted by Engadget, in a Samsung troubleshooting guide it notes: “Due to the increased size of the Note9, a new Type-C adapter is required to attach the phone with the Gear VR with Controller.” If you happen to own the latest version (model number SM-R325) all you need to do is contact Samsung at 1-800-Samsung to order a new adapter.
The the SM-R325 Gear VR model originally came with a USB Type-C adapter in the box, for use with the Note8, S8 and S9 models. Those after a new connector may have to be patient however as reports indicate it could take up to two weeks to arrive.
While it’s good to see Samsung still supporting the Gear VR with its latest flagship devices the company’s interest in the VR headset does seemed to have waned. It’s understandable that as the Note9 fitted there was no reason to update the current Gear VR version, but the device has tended to feature less and less in promotional material.
Over the last few years the Gear VR has been the headset to beat thanks to Samsung’s aggressive promotion policy that saw the headset feature in smartphone bundles, or in various discounted deals.
Samsung might be putting more of its efforts into the new Odyssey+ Windows Mixed Reality headset, details of which recently surfaced.
Yet there’s still life in the Gear VR. Content is still being released and most notably Google’s YouTube VR now supports the platform. And VRFocus will continue its coverage of Gear VR for the foreseeable future.
via Mint VR