Samsung says more than 5 million Gear VR headsets have shipped

This article originally appeared on our sister site, VR Source.

Samsung has shipped more than five million Gear VR headsets, the company has announced. Samsung Electronics America President and COO Tim Baxter made the claim during a presentation at CES 2017, noting that more than ten million hours of combined video had been viewed with the VR product.

The Gear VR was originally released in 2014 in partnership with Oculus. It has since been through several iterations, but unlike VR products with built-in displays such as the HTCVive and Oculus Rift, the Gear VR relies on a Samsung smartphone to operate.

Samsung has helped bolster the adoption of the Gear VR in several ways since its launch, releasing the comparatively well-priced Gear 360 camera to help users capture 360-degree footage for VR viewing, as well as offering the headset as a free extra for those who pre-ordered a Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge last year.

For comparison, the HTCVive sold 140,000 units during its first six months on sale last year. Oculus Rift sales figures are currently unknown, but one estimate suggests it will have sold in the region of 355,000 units by the end of 2016.

The Gear VR can currently be picked up for $99 via Samsung’s official website, though there’s a chance we’ll see a similar offer this year with pre-orders of the upcoming Galaxy S8.