Samsung knows exactly how to sell mobile VR to the public
Rides!
Mobile VR has a reputation of being a sort of cheap, underwhelming experience. Samsung is rolling into CES trying its hardest to discourage that preconception. In the Grand Lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Center (right next to Engadget's gorgeous stage), the company has the Samsung Galaxy Experience Zone. Here you can ski or snowboard down a virtual mountain, hurtle down a skeleton track or even fly through the air with dinosaurs. Each station is paired with additional paraphernalia, like a lateral ski trainer or rows of flight-sim seats, to bring the experience to life.
The most intense, though, is clearly the dinosaur flight sim. It's the sort of simulator ride you'd typically see in a big amusement park. The Gear VR floods your vision with beautifully rendered dinos and Jurassic vistas, while the seat itself tilts, banks and -- yes -- even turns completely upside down. It is not recommended for those easily made nauseous by VR experiences (like yours truly). I spent half the ride with my eyes shut to keep from puking (and trying to ignore the pain of the harness crushing my bathing suit area). UK Bureau Chief Mat Smith seemed to enjoy it, though, (both the ride and my own suffering).
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