• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechBest Companies

Facebook’s Oculus Spruced Up the Samsung Gear VR Headset

By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 29, 2017, 4:22 PM ET

Facebook’s Oculus virtual reality unit has revamped the software powering the Samsung Gear VR headset.

Oculus overhauled its Oculus Home screen for the Gear VR headset, which requires an Android-powered phone to operate. Facebook and Samsung are partners for the Gear VR headset. Samsung builds the hardware while Oculus provides the software.

Oculus said on Wednesday that the upgraded landing page will no longer take as long to load various VR apps. Additionally, the software overhaul has improved the homescreen’s visuals, which the company said is “like upgrading from Standard Definition to High Definition.”

Eventually, third-party developers will be able to create VR content with improved resolution. The tradeoff: Better visuals will drain a smartphone’s battery life faster, notes Fast Company.

Oculus also debuted a new Oculus Browser for the Gear VR, which will let users search the web from the device’s revamped home screen.

“Using the keyboard, navigate to your favorite sites like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube just like you would on a desktop,” Oculus said in a statement. “The browser brings 2D and most 360 video content right into Oculus Home, with all the benefits of our newly built experience.”

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

While the quality of visuals for the Gear VR may improve, it’s still not likely to be as breathtaking or immersive as the visuals generated from PC-powered VR headsets like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. Mobile phones are considerably less powerful than desktop computers.

Oculus also said that 20 new VR titles would debut in April alongside a revamped Gear VR and a motion controller that will cost $130. An individual controller will cost $40.

The Gear VR adding support for a controller makes it more competitive against Google’s Daydream View VR headset. But Google’s (GOOG) headset is still cheaper at $80 with a motion controller.

Reviewers who have had the chance to play with the Gear VR controller seem pleased. Analyst Avi Greengart at research firm GlobalData said in a tweet that the Gear VR with controller and new software “is the best mobile VR” he’s experienced. Yet Greengart also noted that mobile VR headsets are “still limited, and motion sickness is an issue.”

New Gear VR with controller is the best mobile VR I’ve tried. Free with Galaxy S8 preorders, $129 afterwards.

— Avi Greengart (@greengart) March 29, 2017

The Verge said the new controller works like Google’s Daydream controller in that embedded sensors enable owners to “use it like a laser pointer inside VR” in order to interact in the virtual environments. That said, the tech publication commented that the controller is clunky and “not pretty” but “it seems to get the job done.”

About the Author
By Jonathan Vanian
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Jonathan Vanian is a former Fortune reporter. He covered business technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data privacy, and other topics.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

outage
North Americasmartphones and mobile devices
If your phone is on SOS (and you can see this), yes, Verizon is having a major outage across the U.S.
By The Associated PressJanuary 14, 2026
3 hours ago
AIHiring
McKinsey challenges graduates to master AI tools as it shifts hiring hunt toward liberal arts majors
By Jake AngeloJanuary 14, 2026
7 hours ago
NewslettersCIO Intelligence
How Expedia’s CTO is using AI to transform work for 17,000 employees—and travel for millions
By John KellJanuary 14, 2026
7 hours ago
thiel
Personal FinanceTaxes
Peter Thiel makes his biggest donation in years to help defeat California’s billionaire wealth tax
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 14, 2026
7 hours ago
Jensen Huang
SuccessProductivity
The job market is broken, but Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is ‘fairly confident’ that AI will increase productivity and therefore, hiring—but there’s a catch
By Preston ForeJanuary 14, 2026
8 hours ago
Illustration of Google logo and Gemini open on a smartphone.
AIGoogle
Google connects Gemini to users’ emails and photos in push to build a personal assistant
By Beatrice NolanJanuary 14, 2026
9 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Success
Despite his $2.6 billion net worth, MrBeast says he’s having to borrow cash and doesn’t even have enough money in his bank account to buy McDonald’s
By Emma BurleighJanuary 13, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
AI
'Godfather of AI' says the technology will create massive unemployment and send profits soaring — 'that is the capitalist system'
By Jason MaJanuary 12, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Future of Work
'Microshifting,' an extreme form of hybrid working that breaks work into short, non-continuous blocks, is on the rise
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 13, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Goldman Sachs top economist says Powell probe won’t change the Fed: 'Decisions are going to be made based on employment and inflation'
By Sasha RogelbergJanuary 12, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Americans making more than $100,000 are quickly losing faith in the economy—and it's a red flag for the white-collar job market
By Tristan BoveJanuary 12, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
AI
Being mean to ChatGPT can boost its accuracy, but scientists warn you may regret it
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJanuary 13, 2026
1 day ago

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.