Samsung adds a controller to its latest Gear VR mobile headset

Samsung is not waiting for the launch of the Galaxy S8 to introduce a new version of its Gear VR mobile headset. During its 2017 Mobile World Congress press event today, the company revealed that the Gear VR will soon be sold with a controller.

The controller is designed to be held with just one hand. The touchpad on top is supposed to allow Gear VR owners to get faster interaction in apps and games, including the illusion of moving, shooting, pointing and more. The controller also has a trigger for even more VR interactions and built-in magnetic, accelerometer and gyro sensors.

It also has Home, Volume and Back buttons for easy access to those functions in apps, and it will also include a wrist strap so it can be held for longer periods of time. The controller is powered by two AAA batteries that will let it last for 40 days, assuming the device is used for just two hours a day (your mileage, of course, may vary).

As far as the new version of the Gear VR headset, its design is basically the same as the previous version, and it still has a 101 degree field of view. It will be compatible with the Samsung Galaxy S7, S7 edge, the Galaxy Note 5, S6 edge+, S6 and S6 edge phones. There’s no word yet on a price tag or a launch date for the headset-controller combo, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it was going to go on sale around the same time as the Galaxy S8, which is rumored for a launch in mid-April 2017.