Samsung Gear VR headset will give you Note 4-powered virtual reality

The Samsung Gear VR has been officially announced, and as expected it's a virtual reality headset accessory that uses the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 as its display.

As one of this year's more out-there announcements, the Gear VR is a virtual reality headset onto which you attach your phone.

The Samsung Gear VR is designed for use with the Galaxy Note 4. The phone clips onto the front of the Gear VR headset, providing the display that would otherwise add substantially to the cost of the thing.

What the Samsung Gear VR does provide are the lenses that make the screen seem like it's further than a half-inch away from your corneas.

Predictably enough, given your eye effectively gets half of the Note 4's screen to itself, the Gear VR is able to deliver stereoscopic 3D, which is where independent images are delivered to each eye.

Jumping on the Oculus bandwagon

Samsung has managed to snag itself 'powered by Oculus' status for the Gear VR, which means that it uses software produced by the guys over at Oculus VR. Exactly what this will get buyers longer-term remains to be seen, though.

Whether a cheap way to find VR nirvana or a naff phone accessory, the Samsung Gear VR does offer a pretty compelling excuse for the ridiculously high pixel density of QHD phones.

Because, let's be honest, to tell the difference normally you'd have to get so close you risk making your eyes explode.

• The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has arrived