Virtual reality specialist Oculus is trying to dazzle consumers by
adding more entertainment and educational options to the
Samsung Gear
headset in hopes of transforming the technological curiosity into a
cultural phenomenon.
The new selections announced Wednesday include
"Nomads," a three-dimensional video series from Felix & Paul Studios
that examines wayfaring lifestyles in remote parts of the world.
There's also an upcoming video game called "Tactera" that requires
players to plot a battlefield strategy on a holographic tabletop, and
another 360-degree video called "6X9" providing a grim look of what it's
like to be stuck in a prison's solitary confinement cell.
They
join a menu of more than 250 apps designed for the Gear VR since its
consumer model was released nearly six months ago. That's a meager
amount compared to the millions of apps available for the iPhone and
devices running on the Android operating system.
Devices that
build an arsenal of compelling apps usually are easier to sell to
consumers. Programmers, though, put a lower priority on designing apps
for devices until they have amassed a large audience.
(Also see: VR is Confusing, Isolating, and Incredibly Fun)
That hasn't
happened yet with the Gear, though Oculus says it is winning over fans
faster than it anticipated when the headset hit the market just before
last year's holiday shopping season. About 1 million people used the
Gear VR last month for an average of 25 minutes per day, according to
Oculus. About 80 percent of that time was spent watching video.
Samsung
designed the Gear for its most recent smartphones with the help of
Oculus, a little-known startup until online social networking leader
Facebook bought it for $2 billion two years ago to help introduce
virtual reality to the masses.
"Oculus can help people experience
anything, anywhere," boasted Max Cohen, the company's head of mobile.
"We think this (technology) can actually change people's lives."
The
concept of virtual reality, a technology that immerses people in an
artificial world, has been around for years, but has never taken off.
Facebook
CEO Mark Zuckerberg is convinced it is destined to become technology's
next big breakthrough, and other influential trendsetters Google and
Apple are now scrambling to catch up in the still-nascent field. Google
is widely expected to unveil a virtual-reality device next week at its
annual developers conference in the next step beyond its rudimentary
product called "Cardboard" that works with smartphones.
The Gear
was a forerunner to a more advanced virtual-reality headset called the
Rift that costs $600 and requires a connection to a high-powered
computer. The Rift began shipping nearly two months ago, although many
buyers still haven't received the headset yet because of delays that
Oculus has blamed on parts shortages.
In contrast, users of the
Gear only need a set of headphones and one of these Samsung phones: the
Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge Plus or Note 5. As part of its attempt to
make it easier to find stuff to watch and play on the Gear, Oculus plans
to release a new version of its app for the device next month.
The
Gear VR is turning into an assembly line of apps for the Rift. More
than 20 of the games originally designed for the Gear are also
compatible with the Rift.
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