Oculus: Netflix now available on Samsung Gear VR; Vimeo, Hulu, Twitch to follow suit

Samsung Electronics, in partnership with Oculus, announced its first consumer-focused Gear VR device last week. Priced at $99, the new Gear VR is compatible with Smartphones including the Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 edge+, S6 and S6 edge, “leveraging each device’s super AMOLED display to provide the color, clarity and performance needed for an amazing virtual reality experience”. It is expected to launch in November this year “starting in the United States, with more than 40 additional countries coming shortly after.”

Facebook-owned Oculus VR is one of the pioneers of the virtual reality revolution that “wants to make it possible to experience anything, anywhere, through the power of virtual reality.”

Last week at the Oculus Connect Conference, CEO Brendan Iribe announced that Samsung’s Gear VR will get a major boost to its media capabilities with Netflix, Hulu and Twitch announcing that they will be releasing apps for the platform, The Verge reported.

Anthony Park, VP of Engineering at Netflix, said, “We've been working with Oculus to develop a Netflix app for Samsung Gear VR. The app includes a Netflix Living Room, allowing members to get the Netflix experience from the comfort of a virtual couch, wherever they bring their Gear VR headset.  It's available to Oculus users today.”

In a press release, Hulu announced last week a new virtual reality application that will be available this fall. The Hulu VR application will feature immersive 3D environments that will allow subscribers to stream Hulu’s 2D library of content as well as original virtual reality short-form. Hulu subscribers will be able to log directly into the Hulu app through their virtual reality device.

This seems like just a start for Gear VR. With its launch expected in November, gadget lovers are eagerly waiting for many such apps to be incorporated into it.

Samsung says “Samsung Gear VR Innovator's Edition comes with applications for viewing virtual reality content, and additional applications can be downloaded from the Oculus Store.”