When it comes to virtual reality, most people won't probably think of checking e-mails or checking their News Feed on Facebook, but in case they do, Samsung has them covered.
The South Korea-based tech company is rolling out a beta of its virtual reality Web browser, calling it Samsung Internet for Gear VR. Users of Galaxy S6 lineup and Note 4 or 5 along with Samsung's VR apparatus will now be able to do some general Internet browsing or even go on YouTube to stream videos without the need for a dedicated app.
"As the demand for 360-degree, immersive video content rapidly rises — Samsung Internet for Gear VR further enriches the VR content ecosystem for our consumers, setting an industry standard for the VR viewing experience," Chan-Woo Park, vice president of the product strategy team at Samsung, says.
The app will support HTML5 videos as well as 360-degree and 3D video streaming, where users gain the ability to really immerse themselves in video content. It'll also provide voice recognition and an onscreen keyboard, making text input simple.
On top of that, users can opt for the Gaze Mode, where they can choose menu items by staring at them.
To make the transition from traditional browsers to the Internet for Gear VR easier, Samsung added a ton of useful features such as Bookmarks, Tab Manager and Quick Access. Also, the app can import bookmarks from Samsung Internet for Android, the company's mobile Web browser.
Starting Dec. 2, the beta version of Samsung Internet for Gear will be downloadable on the Oculus Store. It will support only the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus.
As one of the pioneers in the virtual reality industry, it seems that Samsung has taken yet another huge step forward to maintain its impressive position.
With the Samsung Gear VR's seemingly early success, the Samsung Internet for Gear VR is the perfect follow-up for virtual reality enthusiasts.
