New Samsung Gear VR Is Backwards-Compatible With Previous-Gen Smartphones

Samsung announced the successor to its Gear VR HMD, along with the new Galaxy Note 7 and an updated Gear 360 camera to a capacity crowd at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. The new HMD features upgrades including a USB Type-C port, more padding for comfort and an additional navigation button on the HMD. The name remains unchanged.

Samsung’s new Gear VR improves upon the first iteration and is meant for the new Galaxy Note 7. It’s also backwards-compatible with the previous generation of smartphones that are compatible with the original Gear VR via an included adapter. The USB Type-C port’s only known functions (for the time being) are to provide power and to attach a Samsung Gear 360 camera, which has been updated to a higher resolution (3840 x 1920). There’s also a new button on the right side of the HMD. A “home” button joins the pre-existing “return” button, making the device even easier to navigate.

Samsung’s new Galaxy Note 7, Gear VR and the updated Gear 360 camera will hit shelves August 19, with preorders for the HMD starting on August 3.