Samsung’s new Odyssey headset is meant to represent the best of the bunch when it comes to Microsoft’s new line of Windows-based VR devices running on its Mixed Reality platform. Sadly, European VR fans won’t be able to try it for themselves.
The company today confirmed to UploadVR that Odyssey will not be releasing in Europe. We’ve asked after the reasoning behind this decision but hadn’t heard back at the time of publication.
It’s a big loss for European VR fans; while the Windows VR headsets that started shipping yesterday from companies like Acer and HP are largely identical, Odyssey catered towards a more premium experience. Whereas the other headsets used dual-panel LCD displays with 1440 x 1440 resolution, Samsung features an AMOLED screen with a slightly higher 1440 x 1600 per eye resolution, which beats out the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive’s 1080 x 1200 per eye resolution by a good margin.
The kit also has integrated earphones, which are missing from the other Windows headsets and a built-in microphone whereas the others only support external devices. Bundled with six degrees of freedom (6DOF) controllers it costs $499, which is $50 more than the second most expensive headsets from Dell and HP. Microsoft even saved its reveal for the final surprise of its Mixed Reality presentation earlier this month.
Odyssey is set to release in the US on November 8th.
The decision to not release Odyssey in Europe does raise questions as to just how confident Samsung is in its new headset and indeed Microsoft’s wider Mixed Reality platform. This isn’t a company that’s sheepish about the tech as a whole; its Gear VR mobile device powered by Oculus is currently leading the market with over five million units sold, and its also working on a standalone device along with several other software initiatives.
