Samsung Announces Improved HMD Odyssey Plus VR Headset

Better screens, increased resolution, less screen-door effect, and greater comfort highlight the new Samsung Odyssey+ VR HMD.

There’s no doubt that the VR headset market is dominated by the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive headsets when it comes to the gaming sector at least. There is, however, a whole other segment of the virtual/augmented/mixed reality market out there and Microsoft is driving a lot of hardware manufacturers to expand it. Samsung has today announced the new and improved Odyssey+ mixed reality headset.

Whether or not the Samsung HMD Odyssey+ is very suitable for gaming will remain to be seen, but it does offer Steam VR support, in addition to the Windows MR support. The hardware itself has been improved, with Samsung claiming to have solved the screen-door effect problem so common with today’s VR headsets.

Where fine lines separating pixels become visible in some displays, the Screen Door Effect can hinder immersion and even lead to dizziness or nausea over time. The Samsung HMD Odyssey+ deploys its cutting-edge display technology to fight irritating fixed-pattern noise, creating a perceived PPI of 1,233 PPI2 for an enhanced mixed reality experience.

With the dual 3.5” AMOLED displays and a combined resolution of 1,440 x 1,600 per eye, the Samsung HMD Odyssey+, when paired with Anti-SDE technology, pushes the visual boundaries forward for immersive technologies.

The Samsung HMD Odyssey+ integrates AKG’s premium audio technology for full 3D sound and adds precision 6 Degrees Of Freedom (DOF) tracking via its bundled controllers. So there’s apparently some suggestion that this headset could also be used for gaming.

“Samsung strives to develop meaningful innovations that deliver unique experiences to all consumers,” said YoungGyoo Choi, Senior Vice President of the PC Business Team, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “With industry-leading display technology and an enhanced, premium design, the new Samsung HMD Odyssey+ offers new levels of immersion, improving upon its already brilliant display resolution for a consumer immersive headset.”

Samsung has also spent some time tweaking the HMD Odyssey+’s comfort level. The headset now weighs only 590g (1.3lbs) and everything from the headband to the display position, to the Inter-Pupillary Distance (IPD) wheel, can be easily adjusted.

The Samsung HMD Odyssey+ will be available in the US starting October 22, 2018, at the Microsoft store and Samsung.com.