Virtual reality headsets have been a hot topic this year, and have turned the heads of many that have had the chance to try one out. For those who are looking to get their hands on one, you might be in luck, but be prepared to stand in line!
This Friday, March 27th, Samsung is making their Samsung Gear VR headset available at Best Buy. I know many of you might be thinking this is not that big of a deal, as Samsung sold the Samsung Gear VR headset through Best Buy online earlier this year. Yes, that is true; however, this time the VR headset will be sold at Best Buy’s retail stores. The VR headset will be available at more than 100 locations, many of which will have a VR demo station, so you can experience the greatness before you buy it. If you have been wanting to play around with the Samsung Gear VR, you don’t have to wait until Friday to test the headset out. Some locations have had the VR demo station available for just over a month now.
The VR headset that Best Buy will be selling is the Gear VR Innovator Edition. This VR headset is powered by the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, and is the only supported device. According Samsung’s website:
Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition is powered by the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and is not compatible with other smartphones or devices. All carrier Note 4 software updates required for VR compatibility are now available to download over W-Fi.
So if you are looking to get the headset, be sure you own a Note 4 or be willing to fork out the extra cash for one.
Selling the Samsung Gear VR headset at brick and mortar may not seem like a big deal, but in the virtual reality space, it is. Up to this point VR headset have been sold only online. Knowing that the headset is available in-store puts the product in front of those who may not feel comfortable purchasing a product online or those who have never been exposed to the technology. I would also imagine there are a number of people that have tested out the headset at a demo stations at events, however by the time they get home they lose the desire to justify the purchase. Selling the headset at the same place users are demoing the product provides a greater opportunity to clinch the sale.
The headset has already blown a few minds, check out some of the reactions of people testing out the product for the first time:
If you don’t already have a Note 4, it’s going to be hard to justify the purchase of Samsung’s VR headset. While it does appear Samsung will be making the VR headset compatible with he Samsung Galaxy S6, this still limits the number of people able to purchasing the headset. Do you agree? Do you see people purchasing the headset and the Note 4 to experience virtual reality first hand? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.