Samsung to wait and see where VR goes before making standalone headsets

Samsung has been quick to make a name for itself in the Virtual Reality market with the GearVR headset but the Oculus-powered device does have one drawback- it currently requires a high-end Galaxy Smartphone to run. This has led to whispers of a standalone VR headset from Samsung but it looks like we shouldn't expect one too soon as Samsung wants to wait and see if VR really has the potential to become mainstream.

Speaking at an event today (attended by TechCrunch), Samsung President and CSO, Young Sohn explained that while the company is actively looking into standalone and mobile VR solutions, we won't see a dedicated VR headset release for a while, depending on what happens with the VR market over the next year or two.

According to Sohn there is a “chicken and egg problem” with virtual reality right now when it comes to shipping all-in-one VR headsets as the market has yet to prove itself. Aside from future headsets, there are still some improvements that Samsung can make to its GearVR mobile headset, with Sohn citing battery efficiency, latency and display technology as key areas.

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KitGuru Says: Getting VR headsets to a point where you don't need to be tethered to a PC or smartphone is a focal point for several companies, including Intel and Qualcomm. However, from the sounds of it, Samsung wants to sit back and see where the market goes before investing in something like that, which seems smart, as it could end up being quite expensive for consumers.

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