The original Odyssey was launched at the end of 2017, and its successor, the Odyssey, will launch in 2018. Existing headsets use the VR headsets HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and HTC One M9, which have lens spacing adjustment and are built into headphones. Sources: 4
The Odyssey headset is powered by the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and HTC One M9 as well as the Oculus Touch. WMR can play most VR games on Steam and also supports SteamVR, and from there you can launch the Steam VR games app on HTC Rift or Vive. Sources: 4, 5
The Odyssey competes with the newly released Oculus Rift S, which also uses – and exploits – tracking. The Odyssey has two cameras, while the Rift S has a camera for in-game tracking and one for outdoor tracking, as well as the Oculus Touch and HTC One M9. Sources: 5
The Odyssey appears to be Samsung’s first premium headset that is fully equipped to take on the higher-end options of the Rift. The Rift S compares itself to the original Odyssey, which had no anti-alias filter but was otherwise identical. Sources: 5, 6
Samsung today announced the Odyssey as the first caterpillar VR headset for the Samsung Gear VR, which will run on the Windows 10 platform. Samsung’s decision to launch a virtual reality headset on a Microsoft platform also illustrates the complexity of large technology companies competing to develop an operating system for VR. This means that user interface and app selection will vary between Odyssey and GearVR and vice versa. Sources: 6, 7
What is clear is that the headset offers a much more impressive experience than similarly equipped VR headsets with a special PC. In addition, accessibility is a hallmark of Samsung’s HMD Odyssey, as this is the company’s first headset to run on a PC, not a smartphone. I had the opportunity to play with the Odyssey for a few hours last week at the Samsung Developer Conference in San Francisco, and my first impressions suggest that they did a pretty good job. Sources: 0, 7
The Ultrabook can create a Windows MR world, but the high-end competition needs a top-end PC to enjoy the VR experience. PC and be able to set up an external sensor, and it can even generate VR content from a high resolution video stream. Sources: 0
It may be difficult to penetrate the Odyssey Windows MR device, but as Samsung put it, the device currently has a strong impact on the market. The accompanying gaming rig that comes into play for Oculus is the Oculus Rift headset and controller bundle, which costs about the same as Odyssey. What Odyssey has over Oculus, however, is greater accessibility, as the headset features position tracking and motion control to track the user’s body and hands for VR interaction, while the Rift requires a PC connection and lots of cables. Sources: 0, 2
Odyssey is just one of many VR devices that have been developed with Windows Mixed Reality, such as the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Samsung’s own Gear VR. Sources: 2
Samsung will launch a new virtual reality headset using Microsoft’s Windows mixed reality platform, the company announced on Tuesday. The headset, called the Samsung HMD Odyssey, will hit the market in the second quarter of 2017 for $499, roughly the price of the Oculus Rift. Samsung, one of the world’s largest consumer electronics companies, has teamed up with Microsoft to advance the platform, which is touted as a viable alternative to the current generation of VR headsets such as Oculus and HTC Vive. Sources: 2, 6
The outstanding feature of the Samsung HMD Odyssey seems to be its display, which comprises a 2.5-inch display with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels and a refresh rate of 30 frames per second. Sources: 6
Oculus has helped create the current wave of VR by raising millions of dollars and helping develop many popular VR games and movies. It’s also owned by Facebook, so there’s a good chance it will probably launch from there. Oculus helped develop a number of popular VR games, movies and other VR projects. Sources: 3, 6
The Oculus Go is a standalone low-end headset that supports easy interaction with Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Samsung Gear VR and other VR headsets. Sources: 3
The Quest is also self-sufficient and features built-in AKG headphones for easy interaction with Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Samsung Gear VR and other VR headsets. The Samsung Odyssey headset, announced last month at the Samsung Developer Conference in San Francisco, California, includes a full range of Samsung’s latest and greatest VR technology. Quest features a high-quality, powerful and cost-effective headset with a wide range of features and capabilities. Sources: 1, 3
The Samsung HMD Odyssey will be available for pre-order in the US from 3 October, and in limited quantities in Europe, Asia and Latin America. Sources: 1
The Samsung HMD Odyssey delivers an incredible virtual reality experience with built-in sound, 360 degree motion control and a high resolution high definition display. The Samsung headset will be unveiled on October 3 at the Samsung Developer Conference in San Francisco, USA. Watch the live demo of the Odyssey in action in the video below, with a mix of video and live demos on Samsung’s YouTube channel and the Oculus Store. Sources: 1, 2
Cited Sources
- https://www.techradar.com/reviews/samsung-hmd-odyssey 0
- https://vrscout.com/news/samsungs-odyssey-vr-headset-oled/ 1
- https://us.blastingnews.com/tech/2017/10/samsung-introduces-hmd-odyssey-vr-headset-002061851.html 2
- https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/16/18625238/vr-virtual-reality-headsets-oculus-quest-valve-index-htc-vive-nintendo-labo-vr-2019 3
- https://uploadvr.com/samsung-odyssey-2020-china-design/ 4
- https://360rumors.com/samsung-odyssey-plus-vs-oculus-rift-s-299-399-budget-high-resolution-vr-headsets/ 5
- https://time.com/4967437/samsung-new-vr-headset-2017/ 6
- https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/03/hands-on-with-samsungs-odyssey-vr-headset-for-windows-10/ 7
Leave a Reply