Samsung HMD Odyssey Review: Promising VR Gaming

Video games are always evolving as new technological advancements are made, brining forth new ways to explore your favorite realms. Samsung and Microsoft have teamed up to create a new mixed media headset, the HMD Odyssey.

SAMSUNG HMD ODYSSEY REVIEW

The unit weighs about 1.4 pounds, which will likely begin to wear on you during extended play sessions. Aesthetically, the headset isn’t all that appealing looking, giving off a plastic veneer beneath what its price tag suggests. Also, in order to use a HMD Odyssey, you’ll need a compatible computer that has the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update loaded onto it.

If those aren’t deterrents, however, then this is a piece of technology that’s quite promising. An HMD Odyssey is intended to be easy to prepare, taking “10 minutes or less.” You also have to establish an area with some kind of landmarks (such as furniture) for the Odyssey to work, but this shouldn’t be too hard, and it remembers your settings afterwards.

An AMOLED display at 2880 x 1600 pixels gives the player a vivid view of the world they’re trekking across, and players can enjoy a 110-degree field of view. Moreover, the refresh rate can go up to 90 depending on your setup.

This is the first mixed reality headset to include an integrated microphone built into it. This will reduce unwanted audio, allowing you to clearly chat with your teammates. It can even let you chat with Cortana, Microsoft’s iconic assistant. The Odyssey’s AKG headphones will provide you with “rich 360-degree spatial sound” to provide you all of the aural intricacies needed to explore your in-game world. Additionally, the package will come with two motion-enable controllers, one for each hand.