Patents reveal of number of accessories for the Samsung Gear VR
The Gear VR has been a successful product for Samsung and the virtual reality market. It hasn’t changed much since the first generation. Samsung added a motion controller for the first time, which helped a lot, but it still has a long way to go before matching the Oculus Rift and Vive. Samsung is working to improve that.
Patents have revealed a number of accessories to go with the Gear VR. Like the controller, these accessories are meant to make it easier to navigate and interact in virtual reality. The first device is a touchpad that plugs into the USB Type-C port of the phone. The touchpad allows the user to swipe, pinch to zoom, and scroll like they would on a phone. There is also a touchpad with a trackball.
The second accessory is a “wheel key.” It also plugs into the USB Type-C port and it acts like the iPod click wheel. Users can move their finger around the wheel to scroll and click to select. Samsung included a few examples of these accessories. Rotating 3D objects with the touchpad, flying a drone, and more. It looks like the Gear VR is about to get a lot more interesting.
[via PatentlyMobile]