What you need to know
- The Samsung Odyssey+ is one of the best WMR headsets around and is selling for over 50% off right now.
- Samsung is likely selling off stock in preparation for a next-generation Odyssey, patents reveal.
- This next-generation Samsung Odyssey features double the cameras and a brand new external design.
If you've ever bought a new car before, you know the best kind to get is the previous model year. While it's not the newest release on the block, it's still a brand-new product, and it's a heck of a lot cheaper. That same concept applies to the Samsung Odyssey+ Windows Mixed Reality headset, which is now sitting at a healthy 50% price reduction at Samsung.com. Engadget spotted the price drop, and now it's up to you to take advantage of this deal if you've been sitting on the fence about jumping into VR before Half-Life: Alyx debuts in less than two months.
The Samsung Odyssey+ is one of the best Windows Mixed Reality (WMR) headsets around, and it comes with full support for SteamVR. That's particularly important since more VR games are found on Steam than any other platform. It's also the home of Half-Life: Alyx, which is likely going to be the biggest VR title ever released. So what merits a price drop from $499 to $229? It's entirely likely that Samsung has a third-generation Odyssey headset in the works and could be releasing it very shortly if rumors and patents have anything to say about it.
Two patents for a seemingly next-generation Samsung Odyssey XR HMD appeared on China's regulatory website, first spotted by 91Mobiles. The fact that Samsung is heavily dropping the price of the Odyssey+ amid these new findings certainly seems to suggest that the release of this possible new headset could be imminent.
Right now, details on this new headset are light, but the patents give us enough information to speculate. Four cameras can be found inside the compound eye-style front. That's a two-camera improvement over the current Odyssey+ and likely matches functionality with headsets like the Oculus Quest and Oculus Rift S. It's also got a significant head strap redesign that looks even more comfortable than what's on the current-generation Samsung Odyssey+.
The platforms supported are unknown. However, it wouldn't be surprising to see Samsung release another Windows Mixed Reality headset, given the platform is still going strong and has the support of popular gaming engines like Unity. WMR headsets also fully support SteamVR and can be used like any other SteamVR-compatible headset, opening up owners to a vast library of VR titles from the get-go.
WMR, SteamVR, great VR
Samsung's Odyssey+ is one of the best Windows Mixed Reality headsets around, but did you know it also works perfectly with SteamVR? It's a great way to get into VR for less, and it's the cheapest way you can play Half-Life: Alyx.
