Samsung Gear VR sells out as first ad goes live

Gear VR is here. Photo: Samsung

Gear VR is here. Photo: Samsung

Samsung’s new Gear VR headset is an early success, selling out on Amazon and Best Buy’s online store following its official debut on Friday. The $99 device is likely to become even more popular in the coming weeks with Samsung’s first Gear VR ad now live.

At just half the price of the original, developer edition, the new Gear VR is ready to make virtual reality mainstream. It’s built with consumers in mind, but it’s only compatible with Samsung’s latest devices — the Galaxy S6, S6 edge, S6 edge+, and the Galaxy Note 5.

If you have one of those devices, you can use Gear VR to play virtual reality games, watch movies on Netflix and videos on Vimeo and YouTube, and enjoy live Twitch broadcasts. Samsung has also teamed up with Oculus to deliver 200,000 photos with 360° views from the Oculus photo library.

Samsung showcases some of these things in its first Gear VR ad, which boasts “virtual reality just got real.”

You can still order Gear VR from Samsung’s online store, with shipping in 7-10 business days — but Amazon and Best Buy’s online store are currently sold out.