Tips & tricks for the Samsung Gear VR

 

If you've thrown down US$200 for the Samsung Gear VR headset, we have some tips and tricks to help get the most out of your virtual reality (Photo: Will Shanklin/Gizmag.com) The first consumer version of the Oculus Rift isn't quite here yet, but Galaxy Note 4 owners can already get an Oculus-powered experience on Samsung's Gear VR. If you're among the early adopters rocking Samsung's virtual reality headset, read on for Gizmag's tips and tricks. Avoid lens fog Lens fogging is an issue on every VR headset, whether it's Oculus, Google Cardboard or the Gear VR. You can always remove the headset and give it a quick wipe with a microfiber cloth, but that only fixes the problem for a few seconds (and it doesn't exactly help with the virtual reality illusion). The best lens fogging fix we've found came from Oculus CTO (and gaming legend) John Carmack: a product called Clarity Defog It wipes. Since we started using them, our Gear VR has been completely fog-free. Just wipe the eye-facing sides of both lenses before you put the headset on, and you'll have a clear window into your virtual world. It's possible there are other products that will meet the same end, but we'd recommend steering clear of anti-fog sprays and wipes designed for car windshields: they use chemicals that were never meant to sit within a few millimeters of the human eye. Keep overheating at bay If you use the Gear VR with brightness set to a high level, you might not get through 20 minutes of a game like HeroBound without receiving a message telling you that the phone needs to cool down. We have a few tips that will let you play even the most demanding games for much longer than that. First, put your Note 4 into Power Saving mode, found in the phone's settings menu (not to be confused with Ultra Power Saving mode). Power Saving mode has only the slightest effect on gaming performance, and it alone will do wonders for the overheating problem. It's also best to use the Gear VR on one of the lowest brightness settings. We often leave it set to "1," and it never feels too dark to enjoy. But even "2" or "3" will be much better than the higher levels for keeping cool (not to mention prolonging your phone's battery life). And if you want to squeeze every possible minute out of your VR session, you can give your phone's guts some breathing room by removing the Note's battery cover. Get an Android-friendly Bluetooth controller Videos and some games let you get by using the Gear VR's touchpad, but for the best experience you'll want to invest in a gamepad. Samsung sells one for US$80, but we haven't had any compatibility problems with a $60 Moga Hero Power controller (just be sure to set it in "B" mode when pairing with your phone). Play in a swivel chair Games like HeroBound face (mostly) in one direction, and can easily be played on a couch or recliner. But for titles like Dreadhalls and Anshar Wars, where the action happens on all sides, you'll have a more immersive experience in a rotating swivel chair. Any typical office chair or rotating stool will do the trick. Just make sure no pets – or other innocent bystanders – get caught in your spinning ring of fire. Pay attention to comfort ratings The Oculus app rates each app based on its comfort level. For example, HeroBound is "comfortable for most," while Dreadhalls is "comfortable for few." The difference can be profound, as the latter is impossible for us to play without feeling queasy. This rating can be found under each app's listing in the Oculus store. Experiment with Comfort Mode If you find that lengthy VR sessions bother your eyes, you can try Oculus' Comfort Mode. It casts a slightly blue hue over the screen to make the screen's lighting a bit easier on the eyes. Comfort Mode is found on the far right of Oculus' settings screen, which you can access from anywhere by holding down the Gear VR's back button for a few seconds. Wear headphones This may be a no-brainer, but you'll have a much more immersive experience if you plug in some headphones or earbuds instead of using the Note's speaker. This has the added bonus of not broadcasting your game's audio to everyone within earshot. Know the demos from the full games There are a few full-length games among the Gear's launch lineup, but many of the available games (like Viral Lite, above) are short demos. You can hit up our roundup of the Gear VR's launch lineup for more detail on this. If you haven't yet bought Samsung's virtual reality headset, but are thinking about it, you can check out Gizmag's full Gear VR review to help make up your mind.