Samsung Galaxy Note 9 owners can get a free Gear VR adapter

If you’re looking to use the raw power of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 to enter the world of virtual reality (VR), it’s not easy.

The handset is compatible with Samsung’s Gear VR headset, but it needs a little but of work to get it to fit in - and Samsung has decided to help users out free of charge.

Those who have the recent Gear VR headset in the US and have just purchased a new Samsung Galaxy Note 9 can apply for a free adapter to make it fit snugly into the headset, allowing users to enter the world of the virtual without needing to buy a new whole new piece of apparatus.

This appears to only be available in the US at the moment, according to Samsung’s troubleshooting guide, and SamMobile is claiming the shipping for the adapter will take up to two weeks - you just need to contact the brand with your purchase info to qualify.

So, is Gear VR dead?

It’s an interesting question - while never taking center stage, new Samsung flagships are usually promoted in some way as compatible with the Gear VR headset, but in this case the brand has been oddly silent.

Does that mean the Gear VR is on the way out as a priority for the brand? Or is it just a case that many users from 2016 that would be interesting in VR already have a headset that’s fine for the job?

Rumors abound that Samsung is about to launch a new Gear VR headset - although given that’s never a main focus, it could well never come to pass - and the VR market is apparently in decline.

That said, the market was swelled by brands like Samsung bundling free headsets with phones, so that practice being removed would have a severe affect.

Via SamMobile and Engadget