The Samsung Gear VR headset was known as one of the best virtual reality experiences available on mobile. however, the downside is that the headset is essentially exclusive to Samsung devices — sure, they support a wide range of Samsung devices, but if you have, say, a Google Pixel 2, you’re short out of luck. So, what if you want to experience something like the Gear VR, but without a Samsung phone? Good news, folks: there’s plenty of premium options out there for you at a wide range of price points, from budget to high-end. If you follow along below, we’ll show you the best Samsung Gear VR alternatives. Here are our favorite picks.
At A Glance: 9 Best Samsung Gear VR Alternative in 2022
Product | Brand | Name | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Oculus | Oculus Go Standalone Virtual Reality Headset | Check Price on Amazon | |
Oculus | Oculus Rift + Touch Virtual Reality System | Check Price on Amazon | |
HTC | HTC VIVE Virtual Reality System | Check Price on Amazon | |
HTC | HTC VIVE Pro Virtual Reality System | Check Price on Amazon | |
Google OEM Daydream View - VR Headset (Slate) | Check Price on Amazon |
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Best Samsung Gear VR Alternative
1. Oculus GO
First up, we have the Oculus GO, made by the masters of virtual reality themselves, is another standalone virtual reality headset that you need to experience. The Oculus Go runs off of its hardware and only has one requirement: connecting your Oculus GO to the Oculus GO app on your smartphone, whether that be on Android or iOS. Once connected, you’re ready to experience a whole bunch of content in the Oculus lineup. You can play in the world of virtual reality for hours with this VR headset. It’s super comfortable as well. With great load distribution, you won’t have to worry about dizziness or it feeling too weighty. Get yours at the link below.
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2. Oculus Rift
Maybe you want an old classic? Enter, the Oculus Rift. Made by Oculus, the Rift was one of the first virtual reality consoles to launch for a consumer base. It requires some hefty hardware to support it, but the immersive experience is unparalleled. It requires a consistent connection to your PC, but it does come with a few free titles out of the box, including Robo Recall, Luckyʼs Tale, Quill, Medium, Dead and Buried, and Toybox.
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3. HTC Vive
Next up, we have the renowned HTC Vive. Not a big fan of what’s happening with the Oculus virtual reality experience? The HTC Vive is easily the next best thing — and to some, possibly even better. HTC regularly keeps this virtual reality system updated, continually sending out software upgrades that bring new features to the Vive on the regular. It comes with Steam’s operating system, which means that you get access to plenty of games.
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4. HTC Vive Pro
Want something a little better than the Vive? Then you’ll no doubt love what the HTC Vive Pro has to offer you. It comes with Steam VR 2.0 on-board, which is an overall improved virtual reality system that offers up better and more smooth user experience. There are spatial audio and noise cancellation, and it comes with the Vive controllers for navigating your favorite video games — there’s no better immersive system than the Vive Pro.
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5. Daydream View
Google’s very own Daydream View virtual reality headset. Google launched the Daydream View alongside the Google Pixel lineup, but the View supports a lot of other phones, too. You’ll have to make sure your phone is Daydream-ready to ensure that it’s compatible (see a list here). The Daydream View is comfortable, has good weight distribution, and even comes with a remote to easily navigate the Daydream UI. The Daydream View is certainly not as immersive as experiences like the Mirage Solo or Oculus GO, but it is a fairly cheap way to get into VR and experience 360-degree content. Pair up with your phone, and start experiencing content in seconds.
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6. Lenovo Mirage Solo
For the longest time, you needed a smartphone to experience the world of virtual reality with a mobile headset. However, that’s no longer the case. You can experience virtual reality without the confines of a smartphone, PC, and wires now. The Lenovo Mirage Solo is one of the first standalone virtual reality experiences to come to the market. It has its hardware and will last about three hours on a full charge. Put the Mirage Solo on, power it on, and you can be experiencing virtual reality in seconds. The Mirage Solo works with Daydream software, and also has a ton of content available in it. The headset itself also is comfortable on the eyes, as well as the head, as it has some nearly perfect load distribution. Get one for yourself at the link below.
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7. VR Elegiant
Next we have the VR Elegiant. This is another affordable virtual reality headset that runs off of your phone. It supports devices between 4- and 6-inches in size and even is compatible with iOS and Windows Phone in addition to Android. The VR Elegiant is sort-of comfortable, with the large strap for your head being the most uncomfortable thing about this headset. The Elegiant has a wide range of apps and games available — there are actually over 300 to choose from, and you’ll be able to use things like the Google Player and YouTube.
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8. PlayStation VR
Sony’s PlayStation VR comes next up on our list and is considered to be one of the best virtual reality experiences out there to date. It’s one of the more expensive options on the market but provides you with an insanely high-quality experience. It has its display, but it does require a PlayStation 4 to work. There are a ton of great games to play with it, too.
9. VeeR Oasis
Last, but certainly not least, the VeeR Oasis is an excellent headset for that — it supports phones between 4- and 6.2-inches in size, and will even work with the iPhone. The VeeR Oasis is comfortable to wear, and it has decent weight distribution. There’s quite a lineup for free and high-quality content, as well. It comes with a remote control so that you can easily navigate the world of virtual reality without having to use your head and motion tracking as a cursor.
Best Samsung Gear VR Alternative Verdict
There are a lot of great ways to experience virtual reality without having to own a Samsung smartphone. Whether you want to go standalone with the Oculus GO or Lenovo Mirage Solo, or if you want to use your smartphone as your primary VR device with a cheap mobile headset, there’s something on this list for you.
Product | Brand | Name | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Oculus | Oculus Go Standalone Virtual Reality Headset | Check Price on Amazon | |
Oculus | Oculus Rift + Touch Virtual Reality System | Check Price on Amazon | |
HTC | HTC VIVE Virtual Reality System | Check Price on Amazon | |
HTC | HTC VIVE Pro Virtual Reality System | Check Price on Amazon | |
Google OEM Daydream View - VR Headset (Slate) | Check Price on Amazon |
* If you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. For more details, please visit our Privacy policy page.