LG, Google to bring VR headset to Australia in competition to Samsung

HOT on the heels of Samsung’s virtual reality headset released on Tuesday, LG and Google say they will bring a rival VR headset to Australia next month.

LG and Google have announced the VR for G3 - a virtual reality player for LG's G3 smartphone

HOT on the heels of Samsung’s virtual reality headset released on Tuesday, LG and Google are vying for a slice of the action. They have confirmed they will bring a rival VR headset to Australia next month, placing them on a war-footing with Samsung.

On Tuesday, Samsung released its Galaxy Gear VR headset for sale in Australia for $249. The headset seamlessly displays a 360 degree photos and video, tricking the wearer’s brain into thinking they are really part of a virtual environment.

Users can fly over Iceland, visit a Mongolian family in their hut having dinner, watch a Cirque de Soleil act from the stage, and travel through space with great realism. To drive the Gear VR, you also need a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 which costs more than $900.

But Samsung is not alone. Korean rival LG in partnership with Google has produced its own VR headset which will run on the LG’s current flagship, the LG G3. It’s called the VR for G3. Last night LG confirmed that the device would sell here next month.

“LG G3 owners can now transport themselves to another world of VR-compatible apps and games — all available for download via the Google Play store,” LG Australia said in a statement.

The company said it would provide a limited quantity of samples of the VR for G3 available to existing and new purchasers of the LG G3.

“In addition selected new purchasers of the LG G3 handset will receive a bonus VR headset as a gift when they make a purchase through selected partners.”

Retail details would be announced shortly.

Unlike Samsung, which developed its VR headset with Facebook-owned Oculus VR, LG’s headset will use standard Android apps for VR available in the Google Play store.

LG said the VR for G3 would make use of the phone’s volume rocker found on the back of the device. It would also take advantage of the smartphone’s 1W speakers.

The company said VR for G3 was based on the blueprint for Google ‘Cardboard’, a structure made from cardboard you can make yourself or buy complete with lenses for about $30.

LG said the VR for G3 had a ring magnet on the side which worked with the magnetic gyroscope sensor built into the G3. This was used to select applications and scroll through menus without touching the display.

Like Google Cardboard, the plastic VR for G3 looks a very simple assembly. Whether it has anything like the sophistication of Samsung’s Gear VR will depend on the supporting software in the phone.