Samsung's Swanky Gear VR Headset Goes On Sale For $199

Have you been waiting to try out a virtual reality headset yourself? Good news -- Samsung today announced that its Gear VR Innovator Edition powered by Oculus is now available in the U.S. The Gear VR, as you might recall, requires a Galaxy Note 4 to drive the immersive experience. If you own one, you can slip it into the Gear VR and enjoy a full 360-degree environment.

"With Gear VR Innovator Edition, Samsung is putting the device in the hands of creators to craft amazing experiences, as we define this new mobile category together," said Justin Denison, vice president, Product Strategy and Marketing, Samsung Telecommunications America. "This is a great opportunity for the enthusiast community, developers and Samsung to get feedback and continue to innovate in this exciting new space."

The Gear VR boasts an optical lens with a 96-degree Field of View (FOV). It also has numerous sensors -- accelerator, gyrometer, geomagnetic, and proximity -- along with a built-in touch pad, back button, and volume key.

As a lightweight chassis for the Galaxy Note 4, viewers are treated to a 5.7-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display with a 2560x1440 resolution, turning the phablet into a virtual reality device. The Galaxy Note 4 connects to the Gear VR via microUSB to generate both the content and provide battery life.

At launch, the Gear VR Innovator Edition includes sample gaming and experiential content like HeroBound, a whimsical dungeon exploration adventure, Anshar Wars, and multiplayer space shooter, and theBlu, an exploration of undersea life, plus a number of other titles and demos, Samsung says. There will also be 3D 360-degree video content available.

You can grab the Gear VR now direct from Samsung for $199.99 or through AT&T for $199.