--- description: Samsung just unveiled a new virtual reality headset called the Odyssey HMD, which will run on Microsoft's Windows Mixed Reality software. title: Samsung's New VR Headset Has a Screen That Sounds Incredible image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6c97d5dbe726ed05/6988e05986f68ed3ea6e6ad5/samsung-odyssey-hmd.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Business](/section/business/) ## Business Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Tech](/tag/time-section-tech/) ## Tech Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Samsung's New VR Headset Has a Screen That Sounds Incredible  by [Lisa Eadicicco](/author/lisa-eadicicco/)  ## Lisa Eadicicco Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 3, 2017 6:00 PM CUT  Samsung  by [Lisa Eadicicco](/author/lisa-eadicicco/)  ## Lisa Eadicicco Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 3, 2017 6:00 PM CUT **_These are independent reviews of the products mentioned, but TIME receives a commission when purchases are made through affiliate links at no additional cost to the purchaser._** [Samsung](https://time.com/coupons/samsung "undefined") will launch a new virtual reality headset powered by Microsoft’s Windows Mixed Reality platform, both companies announced on Tuesday. The headset, called the Samsung HMD Odyssey, will be released on November 6 for $499, making it [the same price](https://www.oculus.com/rift/ "undefined") as the Oculus Rift. The Samsung HMD Odyssey’s standout feature appears to be its display, which includes a 1,440-by-1,600 pixel resolution per eye. That’s higher than both the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, which each offer 1,200-by-1,080 pixels per eye. The screen will also be built using the same vibrant AMOLED technology Samsung uses for its smartphones. The $499 price includes two motion controllers, and the headset will have integrated AKG headphones that support spatial audio. Like the other headsets that run on Microsoft’s new software, the Samsung HMD Odyssey includes inside-out tracking, which means users won’t need to set up an external camera to track a wearer’s motion in space. There are also built-in microphones for communicating with Microsoft’s Cortana virtual assistant through the headset. The Samsung HMD Odyssey will be one of several new VR headsets to run on Windows Mixed Reality — a version of Microsoft’s Windows software that’s optimized to run in virtual reality when connected to compatible Windows PCs and laptops. Samsung’s headset is the most expensive of the recently unveiled Windows Mixed Reality headsets: Acer and Lenovo sell VR visors for $399, while Dell’s and HP’s are priced at $449. Samsung already sells a virtual reality headset, Gear VR, which runs on Oculus’ platform and must be powered by a recent Samsung smartphone. The Gear VR is said to be [the most popular virtual reality headset](http://fortune.com/2017/06/01/samsung-sony-virtual-reality-shipments/ "undefined") so far, according to June statistics from the International Data Corporation. But the Odyssey appears to be Samsung’s first premium headset that’s fully equipped to take on high-end options like the Rift. Samsung’s decision to launch a virtual reality headset on Microsoft’s platform also illustrates the complexities that arise as major tech companies compete to build operating systems for VR. Samsung’s affordable VR headset and premium Odyssey model run on different platforms, meaning the user interface and app selection will vary between the Odyssey and Gear VR. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4967437/samsung-new-vr-headset-2017/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4967437/samsung-new-vr-headset-2017/"},"headline":"Samsung's New VR Headset Has a Screen That Sounds Incredible","datePublished":"2017-10-03T18:00:48.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:51:28.091Z","description":"It runs on Microsoft's new VR platform","url":"https://time.com/4967437/samsung-new-vr-headset-2017/","keywords":["Tech","Samsung","Gadgets","Innovation","Virtual Reality","Windows"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6c97d5dbe726ed05/6988e05986f68ed3ea6e6ad5/samsung-odyssey-hmd.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Lisa Eadicicco","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/lisa-eadicicco/"}],"articleSection":"Business","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6c97d5dbe726ed05/6988e05986f68ed3ea6e6ad5/samsung-odyssey-hmd.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"samsung-odyssey-HMD","caption":"","creditText":"Samsung","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/business/","name":"Business"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-tech/","name":"Tech"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4967437/samsung-new-vr-headset-2017/","name":"Samsung's New VR Headset Has a Screen That Sounds Incredible"}}]}] ```