Device hub · VR / spatial · Desk research
Samsung Gear VR SM-R323
101° / 345 g (312 g without cover).
Disclosure: Affiliate programs are not enrolled yet. See Affiliate disclosure. This page is manufacturer desk research, not a hands-on test — see Methodology.
Product images
Placeholder — OEM press not licensedSamsung’s ES SM-R323 table and 2016-08-03 newsroom remain the official sources. Product photos are not hosted.
Credit: GadgetShowdown labeled placeholder (not a Samsung asset). View official product image
Studio still only. Manufacturer press JPEGs are not hosted here. See the official product page for the real product photo.
In short
101° / 345 g (312 g without cover).
Who it is for
- Owners documenting SM-R323 from Samsung’s ES table (101°, 345 g / 312 g without cover) without mixing SM-R325.
Who should skip it
- SM-R325 owners. That 2017 controller kit is /vr/samsung-gear-vr/ — same 101° / 345 g class, different model and dimension fight.
- Anyone quoting the 2015 $99.99 / 96° / 318 g consumer Gear VR. That newsroom is a different SKU.
- Current Galaxy XR shoppers. Compute and the panel are the clipped 2016 Galaxy, not Android XR.
- 6DoF / standalone shoppers.
Key differentiators
- Blue Black 2016 shell; Φ42 mm lenses; 101° FOV (newsroom + ES table).
- 345 g, with ES comfort copy 312 g without front cover.
- Two inbox holders (USB-C + micro-USB) and USB Hub 2.0 (2016 newsroom).
Caveats
- Note7 compatibility conflict: 2016-08-03 global newsroom includes Galaxy Note7; live ES page warns Gear VR is not compatible with Note7. Quote both. Do not pick one.
- Mass: ES spec 345 g vs same-page comfort 312 g without front cover. US support 0.76 lb converts to ~345 g. Do not treat 312 as a second full-visor mass.
- Dimensions: ES 98.6 × 207.8 × 122.5 mm vs US inches 8.18 × 4.82 × 3.88 — same millimeters, different axis order. Not the SM-R325 PH 120.7 mm fight.
- Display resolution / refresh live on the clipped Galaxy. Newsroom 60 fps is the phone Super AMOLED sentence, not a visor panel cell.
- No hands-on testing.
VR-category specs
Same rows on every headset hub (Vision Pro, Quest, Galaxy XR, PICO, PS VR2). FOV, weight, and battery cells quote the manufacturer footnote — they are not lab measurements.
| Attribute | Value | Source / note |
|---|---|---|
| Display type | No visor panel. 2016-08-03 newsroom: clipped Galaxy Super AMOLED. Φ42 mm lenses | Samsung Global Newsroom 2016-08-03; ES SM-R323 spec |
| Display resolution | Not a visor pixel cell. Resolution lives on the clipped Galaxy (accessed 2026-09-19) | Cited Samsung R323 pages |
| Refresh rate (OEM) | 2016-08-03 newsroom: 60 frames per second on the phone Super AMOLED sentence. No visor-Hz row on the ES table | Samsung Global Newsroom 2016-08-03 |
| Field of view (OEM claim) | 101° (ES spec + 2016-08-03 newsroom). Newsroom: Φ42 mm lenses improve FOV to 101°. Not the 2015 96° consumer Gear VR | samsung.com/es SM-R323; 2016-08-03 newsroom |
| Optics / lenses | Φ42 mm lenses (2016-08-03 newsroom). ES table does not name Fresnel/pancake | Samsung Global Newsroom 2016-08-03 |
| Chip / processor | Not published | Cited Samsung R323 pages |
| RAM / unified memory | Phone RAM. Not published as a visor GB cell (accessed 2026-09-19) | Cited Samsung R323 pages |
| On-device storage | None on the visor. USB Hub 2.0 can take OTG memory (2016-08-03 newsroom) | Samsung Global Newsroom 2016-08-03 |
| Operating system | Oculus Home / Gear VR software on the clipped Galaxy (2016-08-03). Not Horizon OS / Android XR | Samsung Global Newsroom 2016-08-03; ES page |
| Tracking | 3DoF. ES + US support: accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity (mount/unmount). No 6DoF cameras | samsung.com/es SM-R323; US business support |
| Controllers | On-visor touchpad, Back key, and new Home key to Oculus Home (ES + 2016 newsroom). Not the 2017 SM-R325 ET-YO324 controller kit | samsung.com/es SM-R323; 2016-08-03 newsroom |
| Other input | USB Hub 2.0 for third-party USB devices and charging during use (2016-08-03). Two interchangeable holders: USB-C and micro-USB | Samsung Global Newsroom 2016-08-03 |
| PC / console tether | None. Phone-powered visor. Not a DisplayPort PCVR headset | Cited Samsung R323 pages |
| IPD | Not published | Cited Samsung R323 pages |
| Weight | ES spec 345 g; same page comfort copy 312 g without front cover. Indexed US support 0.76 lb (~345 g) | samsung.com/es SM-R323; US business supportQuote 345 and 312 with their footnotes. Do not average. |
| Passthrough / see-through | Not listed as color seethrough. Proximity sensor is mount/unmount detection | Cited Samsung R323 pages |
| Eye tracking | Not listed | Cited Samsung R323 pages |
| Battery — headset (OEM) | No visor pack. Phone battery. USB Hub 2.0 can charge during use (2016-08-03) | Samsung Global Newsroom 2016-08-03 |
| Battery style | Phone-powered shell. No rear visor battery | Cited Samsung R323 pages |
| Charging (OEM) | USB Hub 2.0 charging during use (2016-08-03). No visor wattage cell | Samsung Global Newsroom 2016-08-03 |
| Audio | Not itemized as speakers on the ES table. Phone / Bluetooth headset path (ZA support: can connect a Bluetooth headset) | Cited Samsung R323 pages; samsung.com/za R323 FAQ |
| Wireless | No visor Wi-Fi generation. Bluetooth accessories via the phone (ZA support) | samsung.com/za Gear VR SM-R323 FAQ |
| Glasses / prescription | Not stated as a glasses-yes/no cell on the cited ES table (accessed 2026-09-19). Foam pad is listed | samsung.com/es SM-R323 |
| Platform / account lock | Oculus Home / Gear VR on a compatible Galaxy. ES: Samsung Internet + Gallery optimized for Gear VR | samsung.com/es SM-R323; 2016-08-03 newsroom |
| Age / intended use (OEM) | Not stated as a minimum age on the cited R323 pages (accessed 2026-09-19) | Cited Samsung R323 pages |
| US list price (dated) | Not published | Cited SM-R323 pages; 2015 $99 newsroom is a different SKU |
| Price band | Legacy 2016 phone-powered visor (no live USD on cited R323 pages) | Product class |
| Announced / introduced | 2016-08-03 Samsung Global Newsroom “new Gear VR” hands-on (Blue Black, 101°, Φ42 mm) | news.samsung.com/global 2016-08-03 |
| Availability | Discontinued leftover. Confirm a surviving Galaxy. Not SM-R325 / not Galaxy XR | Cited Samsung pages |
Samsung Gear VR SM-R323 extras
Unique to this line or SKU. Other headsets keep the first table aligned and swap this extras list.
| Attribute | Value | Source / note |
|---|---|---|
| Model lock | SM-R323 / SM-R323NBKAPHE (ES). Not SM-R325 and not the 2015 96° / 318 g / $99.99 visor | samsung.com/es SM-R323 |
| Cover-off mass | ES comfort copy 312 g without front cover vs spec 345 g | samsung.com/es SM-R323 |
| Note7 compatibility | 2016-08-03 newsroom includes Note7. Live ES page: not compatible with Galaxy Note7. Quote both | 2016-08-03 newsroom; samsung.com/es SM-R323 |
| Inbox holders | USB Type-C and micro-USB (2016-08-03). USB Hub 2.0 on the visor | Samsung Global Newsroom 2016-08-03 |
Overview
SM-R323 is the 2016 Blue Black Gear VR. 2017 sibling: /vr/samsung-gear-vr/. Later Samsung XR: /vr/samsung-galaxy-xr/. Do not 301 this onto SM-R325.
Note7 and mass (do not average)
| Samsung URL | What it prints |
|---|---|
| 2016-08-03 global newsroom | Compatible list includes Note7; Φ42 mm; 101°; 60 fps phone Super AMOLED |
| ES SM-R323 spec | 101°; 345 g; 98.6 × 207.8 × 122.5 mm; comfort 312 g without front cover; not compatible with Note7 |
| US business support | 0.76 lb; 8.18 × 4.82 × 3.88 in (same millimeters, different order) |
Sources
- Samsung ES — Nuevo Gear VR SM-R323 (101°; 345 g / 312 g; 98.6×207.8×122.5; Note7 no) — accessed 2026-09-19
- Samsung Global Newsroom — 2016-08-03 new Gear VR (Φ42; 101°; Note7 yes; USB Hub 2.0) — accessed 2026-09-19
- Samsung US Business support — SM-R323 (0.76 lb; 8.18×4.82×3.88 in) — accessed 2026-09-19
- Samsung Global Newsroom — 2015 $99 / 96° / 318 g consumer Gear VR (do not copy here) — accessed 2026-09-19
- Samsung PH — Gear VR SM-R325 (do not flatten onto this H1) — accessed 2026-09-19
Frequently asked questions
Is this the 2017 Gear VR with controller?
No. That is SM-R325 at /vr/samsung-gear-vr/. This H1 is the 2016 SM-R323 Blue Black shell.
Is it the $99 Gear VR?
No. Samsung’s $99.99 / 96° / 318 g newsroom is the earlier Frost White consumer visor. R323 pages cited here do not print that USD.
Does it work with Note7?
Samsung’s 3 August 2016 newsroom listed Note7. The live ES SM-R323 page warns it is not compatible. We keep both.
Is weight 345 g or 312 g?
ES spec 345 g. Same page comfort copy 312 g without the front cover. US support 0.76 lb matches 345 g.
Official product page: Samsung Gear VR SM-R323. Specs: Samsung Gear VR SM-R323 specs.