Is it time to upgrade your Gear VR?

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With well over 5 million units sold, the Samsung Gear VR is by far the most common way for people to experience virtual reality. It may be hard to believe but it’s already been almost three years since the original Gear VR headset was released and there’s now a second generation Gear VR available to consumers. Samsung claims it’s a significant improvement over the previous model but what exactly is this new headset and is it worth shelling out the 50 bucks to get the upgrade?

Image credit: Samsung

Appearance

The most immediate difference you will notice between the old and new models is the color. The second generation Gear VR is now black on both the outside and the inside which presumably helps with light reflection inside the headset. While the functional benefits of this change are minimal, many people will prefer the sleeker appearance of the darker hue. There are also a few minor changes involving the size and shape of the device. The new device is slightly larger and this extra width is helpful to those who wear glasses.

Lenses

Another benefit of this extra size is that it allows for new, larger lenses. These lenses provide a larger field of view than the previous model and provide what is perhaps the biggest advantage of the next gen system. In addition, these lenses are now separated by a thin black bar which is meant to reduce light leakage from one side to the other.

Ventilation

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Ventilation was a common complaint surrounding the original Gear VR, and Samsung has attempted to correct these overheating issues in their latest model. The new Gear VR has a total of six ventilation holes as opposed to the two holes of the original. While overheating does still remain a problem in some cases, the general consensus is that this recent design change has substantially improved performance.

Padding

All this extra ventilation was definitely necessary given the increased cushioning now present in the new Gear VR. The padding of the original was always good but now Samsung has made some changes to the thickness and quality of the foam that lines the interior of the headset. As a result of this extra cushioning, there’s now slightly less stress on the bridge of the nose during extended periods of use.

Control Pad

Image credit: Samsung

Another small improvement can be found in the headset’s control pad. Many considered the old control pad to be clunky and difficult to operate. While the new design isn’t perfect, it’s certainly a step in the right direction. You no longer have to struggle to locate the “select” button in the center of the directional pad and there’s now an additional navigation button that takes you directly to the home screen.

Overall

There are quite a number of small improvements to be found in the second generation Gear VR but none of them are exactly game-changing. In reality, these are just a bunch of small upgrades that may slightly improve the comfort of your VR session but ultimately won’t change the fundamental experience. If you already own a first-generation Gear VR, your money would probably be better spent in support of actual content creators with the purchase of a new app or game. That being said, if you are the type of person who spends a ton of time in VR and you like the feeling of knowing you are getting the best Gear VR experience possible then there are certainly enough improvements to justify the upgrade.