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Samsung reportedly building its own virtual reality headset for release this year

Samsung reportedly building its own virtual reality headset for release this year

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These days it seems Samsung will make just about anything, so why not add a virtual reality headset to the mix? Engadget just published a report claiming that the company is indeed working on its own VR device. And it's moving fast; the product will reportedly ship to consumers this year. Samsung is said to be determined to beat both the Oculus Rift and Sony's Project Morpheus to market, so it's rushing things along as quickly as possible. The company is also aiming to undercut its rivals when it comes to price.

The VR battle may soon turn into an all-out war

Engadget says some top tier developers already have prototypes, which currently work exclusively with Samsung's latest Galaxy products. But the report notes that the finished consumer version will likely demand even more power, meaning it's been designed to be paired with future flagship phones and tablets from the company. The VR headset features a display "as good or better" than the 1080p OLED panel in Oculus' most recent hardware revision. But there are plenty of unknowns here. Will it require a wired connection to your smartphone or tablet? Technology constraints would make that seem likely.

And can Samsung's quick and aggressive move into VR really take down Oculus? The Rift already has a growing lineup of unique experiences and it's now backed by Facebook's bank account. Samsung will have some serious catching up to do, but the company's massive infrastructure doesn't make that an impossible challenge. Samsung is a well-oiled machine capable of building a new product faster than anyone else in the industry. That doesn't guarantee said products will always be good, however. And if virtual reality is as important as Oculus, Mark Zuckerberg, and Sony are all saying, a rush job may not be the way to go here — assuming Engadget's report is accurate. Can Samsung beat everyone in bringing VR to the masses? From the sounds of it, it's going to try.