To Samsung, virtual reality is ready for its close up - CNET

Virtual reality, however, faces the classic chicken-and-egg dilemma. There's not enough content to convince consumers, with only a sprinkling of experiments like watching the Democratic debate or taking a tour of Mars, to buy a device. And there aren't enough users to justify companies investing in producing content.

Samsung is attacking the problem from both sides. On Sunday, it unveiled a consumer camera to shoot videos and photos in 360 degrees with the hopes of creating more virtual reality content. It also promised to give away a Gear VR unit to anyone who preorders a Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge.

It's only a matter of time until our Facebook feeds become inundated with 360-degree videos of kids' birthday parties.

No one's quite sure how popular VR will be. Consulting firm Analysis Group earlier this month estimated that through 2020, the revenue generated worldwide from virtual reality and augmented reality (a similar technology that overlays images on top of the real world) will total $2.8 billion to $126 billion. That's not a typo; the huge range suggests no really knows what will happen with this technology.

Personal touch

Samsung, LG, Ricoh and the various other companies making virtual reality cameras hope putting the technology in the hands of consumers makes those numbers explode and helps the technology become mainstream.

"Obviously we, Oculus and some other players have tried to curate...titles in VR, but what really creates that emotional connection [is when you get] that sharing of life's moments," Justin Denison, Samsung senior vice president of product strategy and marketing, said in an interview. "We think [VR home videos] will help it really, really take off."

Samsung believes this content will go further than virtual reality games or video from production studios in connecting with consumers.

Not everyone is so sure, though. There are some logistical issues with the cameras -- for instance, how do you shoot a video in 360 degrees without appearing in the frame, and how do you capture something that's interesting enough for people to watch? That can be a struggle when filming regular videos. And if you shake the camera too much while shooting, your friends could end up throwing up on you instead of enjoying your VR vacation video.

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Samsung's camera also only works with a limited number of its own phones. Then there's pricing. The South Korean company hasn't yet revealed how much the Gear 360 camera will cost, but it probably won't be as cheap as the $99 (£80, AU$160) Gear VR headset.

What will determine VR's success is what you can actually do with it.

Since Gear VR hit the market in November, users have watched more than 1 million hours of video, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said during a surprise appearance at Samsung's press conference. He snuck up on stage while the Gear VR distracted the audience members, eliciting gasps and mild hysteria when people realized he was there.

Zuckerberg made the case that virtual reality was "the next platform," and touted Samsung as an ideal partner for getting virtual reality to the mass market. The next step is to get the average Joe involved with VR video.

"It's not something that lots of people are going buy...but it's going to be a nice way to get more content available for their VR headset and to get people more familiar with VR in general," Jackdaw Research analyst Jan Dawson said. "Every little [bit] helps at this point."

--CNET's Josh Goldman contributed to this story.

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