Android Central: How to set up your Samsung Gear VR

Thursday, March 22, 2018

How to set up your Samsung Gear VR

You got a free VR headset with your new phone! Here's how you use it.

Jumping into VR with your new headset is super easy, but there are a few quick things you need to do before having fun in another world. This guide will show you everything you need to do before putting on the headset, so you're guaranteed to have a good time!

How to assemble your Gear VR

Your Gear VR comes in a few pieces. You should have:

One plastic visor
One long strap
One short strap with a plastic hook
One elastic tag with SAMSUNG across the bottom
Two AAA batteries
One motion controller
One wrist strap for a motion controller
One micro USB adapter
One USB-C adapter (attached when shipped)

Here's the best way to assemble the head straps.

Take the short strap with the plastic hook, and attach the plastic end to the small metal bar on the plastic visor with the open side of the hook facing the front of the headset
Slide the elastic tag onto the long strap so the Samsung logo is right-side up
Insert the two sides of the long strap into the slots on the sides of the plastic visor so the velcro parts face outward
Attach the velcro side of the short strap to the middle of the long strap
Place batteries in the motion controller
Attach wrist strap to the motion controller by threading it through the hole under the battery cover then reattach the battery cover
Insert the Gear VR Controller into the elastic tag on your side strap

Congrats, your head strap has been assembled! This will need to be adjusted a little when you put the headset on so it fits you perfectly.

Here's how to get the perfect fit with your Gear VR!

How to install Gear VR software on your Galaxy S8 or S9

Your phone doesn't come with the Gear VR software already installed, so you need to download it. To do that, you need to:

Insert your phone into the Gear VR
Wait for a voice instructing you to remove the phone
Remove your phone from the Gear VR
Read the Agreement on the screen and tap Agree, then Next
Tap Install to download the Gear VR software

Important note: If your phone uses micro USB rather than USB-C you can swap the adapter on the headset by switching the adapter to unlock, removing it, and replacing it with the micro USB version.

You did it! Once the software is ready to be used, you'll see the Oculus App in your app launcher.

How to set up your Gear VR software and pair your Gear VR Controller

Now that you've set up the hardware and installed the software, it's time to create an account and have some fun!

Open the Oculus App on your phone
Sign in with your Facebook account
Tap Update Now to get the latest Gear VR software
Tap Pair and hold down the Home button on your Gear VR Controller to connect
Calibrate your Gear VR controller using the on-screen video guide
Tap Left Handed or Right Handed to set Gear VR Controller preference

And you're finished! Your Gear VR is now fully ready to be used.

Important Note: The Oculus App requires your Gear VR use the highest resolution setting in order to show you things in VR. You will see a prompt asking you to enable "WQHD+" on your phone, which is a display mode that consumes more power while it is in use. When you are not using the Gear VR, you may want to return your resolution to the default "FHD+" that you phone uses when you take it out of the box. To make this change:

Pull down your notification drawer and tap the Settings gear
Tap Display
Tap Screen resolution
Slide the green dot from WQHD+ to FHD+

Now what do I do?

Your Gear VR comes with a free app, Oculus Prologue, that shows you how to use the new Gear VR controller to have some fun. When you're finished with that, here are a few other things you can try!

The best Gear VR games that use the new Controller

How to use the Gear VR Browser

The best game for the Samsung Gear VR

How to watch porn on your Gear VR