Samsung Odyssey Microsoft Mixed Reality Headset To Sell For $499

Samsung is taking a step up from its Gear VR headsets with the introduction of a mixed reality headset, which will be powered by Microsoft software. The tech giants announced the Samsung HMD Odyssey headset Tuesday as a product that will mix virtual reality and augmented reality into a cohesive experience.

Samsung HMD Odyssey will be available Nov. 6 for $499, with preorders already being accepted in the U.S. The headset will be available to markets, including the China, Korea, Brazil and Hong Kong later in 2017.

Primary specs for the headset include dual 3.5-inch (1,440x1,600 resolution) AMOLED displays, which create a 110-degree field of view; premium built-in AKG headphones, which create 360 degrees of spatial sound, two Six Degrees of Freedom (6 DOF) camera sensors and two motion controllers. The headset is made to be a plug and play device -- users connect the Samsung HMD Odyssey to a PC and set up with no need to map an outside space.

Additionally, Microsoft will open its 20,000 mixed-reality application catalog to the public Oct. 17. These apps will also be compatible with a number of Microsoft affiliated headsets, including the Acer Windows Mixed Reality Headset, Dell Visor, HP Windows Mixed Reality Headset and Lenovo Explore.