What is the name of the virtual reality platform by Samsung for its smartphones?

Samsung’s virtual-reality platform for compatible smartphones was called Samsung Gear VR. It was a smartphone-powered virtual-reality headset developed by Samsung Electronics in collaboration with Oculus VR and released as a consumer product in 2015.

Unlike a self-contained headset, Gear VR used a compatible Samsung Galaxy phone as its display and processor. The headset supplied the lenses, enclosure, motion-sensing hardware, touchpad, and controls. Users inserted supported phones—including models from the Galaxy Note and Galaxy S families—into the front of the headset, where a USB connection linked the phone to the device.

The Oculus partnership was important because Oculus provided software and VR expertise while Samsung supplied the mobile hardware ecosystem. Gear VR was announced in September 2014 alongside the Galaxy Note 4, followed by developer-focused editions before the consumer release.

It is often confused with Oculus Rift, which was a separate PC-oriented VR headset, or Google Cardboard, a low-cost viewer platform. Gear VR specifically referred to Samsung’s mobile VR headset ecosystem.