Gear VR Reaches New User Milestone, Palmer Luckey Says It’s "Big News"

More than 1 million people used Gear VR in April, Oculus announced today. According to Rift creator Palmer Luckey, that is “big news for VR acceptance and adoption.”

The announcement was made today on the Oculus website. “Over one million people used Gear VR last month to experience the incredible collection of immersive games, videos, and experiences available on the Oculus platform,” the company said in a statement.

Luckey, meanwhile, tweeted about the milestone and what it means.

1 Million people used GearVR last month. Big news for VR acceptance and adoption, great for existing and future VR developers!

— Palmer Luckey (@PalmerLuckey) May 11, 2016

There are currently more than 250 apps available for Gear VR, including popular games like Minecraft and a series of video streaming options, one of which is Netflix. Video content is a big deal for Gear VR.

“Seven of the top 10 most used apps are videos and, on any given day, nearly 80 percent of people who use Gear VR watch video content,” Oculus said.

As for content that’s on the way, Oculus confirmed that Discovery channel’s Deadliest Catch VR is launching next week. This video will let people experience what it’s like to be on a boat in the Bering Sea–from the warmth, comfort, and safety of their home.

Additionally, you will soon be able to look at “360” photos on Facebook in virtual reality, as this will be unlocked for Gear VR “in the coming weeks.” Additionally, Oculus said that an update coming in June will introduce a new design for the Oculus Home menu for Gear VR. Here is what that will look like:

The first consumer version of Gear VR arrived in November 2015. You can buy the headset today for $99, but note that it requires the Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6, or Galaxy S7.

As for the Oculus Rift, the consumer edition went on sale at the end of March. Oculus has not yet said how many headsets it’s sold. The device’s launch did not go as smoothly as planned, with a number of headset shipments delayed for preorder customers. In wake of this, Oculus announced that it would cover the shipping costs for everyone who preordered a device and did not get it on time.

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