The virtual reality wave is coming, but killer software is the missing catalyst needed to trigger a tsunami of immersive gaming experiences. Now, virtual reality enthusiast site Road to VR has noticed that Epic Games, creators of the Gears of Wars franchise, has added Samsung Gear VR to its to-do list for Unreal Engine 4 support.
Epic’s most recent development kit included support for competing VR platforms Oculus Rift and Sony’s Project Morpheus, making Samsung’s recently revealed headset a natural next step. The publicly available roadmap is located here, and slates Gear VR development for September and October, along with Google’s Project Tango 3D mobile sensing platform.
MORE: Galaxy Note 4 Arrives October 17, Pre-Orders Start Tomorrow
Unlike tethered VR systems such as the Oculus Rift and Sony Morpheus that are connected to a nearby computer or console, Samsung Gear VR is powered by the company's new Galaxy Note 4 smartphone. With the Note 4 being used as the sole source of computing power, it’s necessary to make the Unreal 4 Engine as efficient as possible in order to deliver a smooth 3D experience.
The Galaxy Note 4 features a massive 5.7-inch 2560 x 1440 display, meaning that with Gear VR, it could deliver a 1280 x 1440 HD image to each eye. Samsung has provided the display of choice for Oculus too, with the latest Rift development kit featuring the screen from last year’s Galaxy Note 3 to power its visuals.
- Samsung Gear VR Hands-On: Virtual Reality Goes Mobile
- 8 Amazing Uses for Oculus Rift
- Virtual Reality War: Project Morpheus vs. Oculus Rift
Sam Rutherford is a Staff Writer at Tom’s Guide. Follow him @SamRutherford on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @Tom’s Guide on Facebook and Google+
