Samsung’s VR Headset Proves Marvelous Competitor To Oculus Rift

When it comes to high-end virtual reality products that are within reach of the mass market, the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive have proven to be the most technologically powerful. Now, Samsung is joining the fray with its Samsung HMD Odyssey. Nearly identical to the Rift in terms of performance, it also comes with a similar price tag.

The new VR headset is actually a result of a joint effort between Microsoft and Samsung, which is why it was unveiled during the Microsoft event in San Francisco. It’s basically part of Microsoft’s Windows Mixed Reality platform, The Verge reports, but under the Samsung brand.

During the event, reviewers and attendees were given the opportunity to try out the Odyssey with the app based on the Halo video game universe called Halo Recruit. Priced at $499, the device is on the level of the Rift right now after price cuts and the performance is apparently so close in comparison that only those looking for differences can even tell that they exist. The headset even comes with its own controllers, similar to those of the Oculus Touch.

Now, it’s no secret that Oculus has the mass VR market in a tight grip thanks to an existing consumer base and a huge library of titles. However, the Odyssey comes with the advantage of accessibility. That is to say, it doesn’t come with cumbersome cables that every other high-end VR product has. This is due to what Microsoft calls “inside out positional tracking,” which allows the PC to keep track of the user.

As to the specifications of the device, it comes with two 3.5-inch AMOLED displays, Engadget reports, along with 1,440 x 1,600 resolution and up to 90hz refresh rate. These aspects and more results in apparently stunning visuals that makes the Odyssey a worthy competitor to the Rift.