{"id":358870,"date":"2017-10-04T06:55:24","date_gmt":"2017-10-04T06:55:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=358870"},"modified":"2017-10-04T06:55:24","modified_gmt":"2017-10-04T06:55:24","slug":"samsung-odyssey-virtual-reality-headset-announced-for-windows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2017\/10\/samsung-odyssey-virtual-reality-headset-announced-for-windows\/","title":{"rendered":"Samsung Odyssey virtual reality headset announced for Windows"},"content":{"rendered":"

Samsung has unveiled a virtual reality rig designed for use with Windows PCs.<\/p>\n

HMD Odyssey joins previously announced VR headsets and hand controllers from Dell, HP, Lenovo, Acer and Asus to form the launch hardware line-up for Microsoft’s new Mixed Reality platform.<\/p>\n

Unlike earlier PC-based VR kit, the new products are able to track their wearers’ movements in a room without requiring additional external sensors.<\/p>\n

But experts have questioned whether the market will support so many brands.<\/p>\n

Until now, HTC’s Vive and Facebook’s Oculus Rift have had most of the market in high-end PC-based VR headsets to themselves.<\/p>\n

But the two firms had only sold a combined total of just over one million headsets by the end of June,\u00a0according to SuperData Research.<\/p>\n

Both have cut their prices in recent months in an attempt to stimulate demand.<\/p>\n

By contrast, Samsung’s more basic Gear VR – which works with some of its smartphones – had sold more than eight million units, according to the same market research.<\/p>\n

“VR is still a very youthful medium,” commented Kevin Joyce, editor-in-chief of the news site VR Focus.<\/p>\n

“There’s a number of significant barriers to entry – price, lack of variety in software collections etc – all of which are slowly being addressed.<\/p>\n

“But in the short term, I do think we’ll see some of the hardware manufacturers in the current race fall before the final hurdle [since some] will want a return on their investment sooner rather than later.”<\/p>\n

Halo VR<\/h2>\n

Microsoft hosted an event in San Francisco<\/a>\u00a0to mark the release of a new version of Windows 10 on 17 October that supports new virtual and augmented reality capabilities.<\/p>\n

Samsung’s headset was pitched as a premium way to experience VR, thanks to it featuring higher-resolution OLED (organic light-emitting diode) displays than the other new kit. It also has a slightly wider field-of-view and integrated headphones.<\/p>\n

However, its $499 (\u00a3425) price makes it more expensive and it will go on sale a month later in November.<\/p>\n

Other announcements included:<\/p>\n