Samsung technology unveiled at Fashion Forward

Luxury magazine's fashion director Sarah Maisey trying the Samsung Gear VR at Fashion Forward Dubai (Courtesy: Sarah Maisey)

Samsung showcased one of their latest technology pieces at Fashion Forward in Dubai this past weekend.

Called the Gear VR, which stands for Virtual Reality, they presented a headset that allows the user to watch 3D footage with a fully immersive, 360 degree panoramic view.

Gear VR runs off a Galaxy S6 smartphone, or higher, which sits inside the headset itself. We opted to try the helicopter, pre-loaded footage, which allowed us to sweep over glaciers, savannahs and everglades. An upwards glance revealed a helicopter hoovering above our heads, while a look down showed us, not the floor as expected, but water rushing beneath us.

Though aimed primarily at gamers, the Gear VR also gives viewers the option to watch films in virtual reality.

Our verdict is that the new device genuinely offers a sense of wonderment, even if the footage isn’t real. As is the case with all new technology, though, there is a downside: the clarity of the image still has a long way to go to rival HD or even real life. We suspect, however, that the quality will improve as the technology progresses.

Samsung Gear VR is now available on the Samsung website.