*if you have a phone that works with it.

Samsung’s Gear VR is one of the most amazing devices I’ve ever reviewed. Wonderous. I’ve lost hours spinning in circles exploring the far reaches of the world and beyond. I can’t think of a better way to spend $100 on a product.

Here’s why.

Virtual Reality

Samsung’s Gear VR was developed in a collaboration with the company that re-launched virtual reality as a thing that actually works and is worth doing: Oculus. While the production version of the Oculus Rift ships this summer, the Gear VR is available now for only $100.

Understandably, it’s not nearly as elaborate or as powerful as the Rift. However, it gives you an incredible taste of what the Oculus can do, for a fraction of the price. Well… a fraction of the price if you already own a specific Samsung phones (Galaxy S7, S7 edge, S6, S6 edge, S6 edge+, and Note5). These phones lock into the front of the Gear VR and act as the screen and the brains. What your $100 buys you is the device to hold it on your head, the lenses to let you see the screen up close, and access to the Gear VR ecosystem of games, videos, and images.

Into Worlds

There are a lot of things you can do with the Gear VR. My favorite, and probably VR at it simplest, is exploring 360-degree photos from all over the world. Pick a location, and spin around like you’re there. Lose a few hours doing that, for sure.

Better still is the 360-degree artwork, for a lack of a better word. Basically, sci-fi and art scenes, but totally surrounding you. It’s like stepping into some awesome sci-fi movie or game.

Then there are the movies. Yep, 360-degree movies. Most are travel or sports videos, but there are a few fiction ones too, including one from Star Wars, and one with zombies.

The games, which seems like a huge selling point, are very hit-or-miss. I guess that’s to be expected so early on in VR game development. Land’s End is an atmospheric puzzle game from the people who made the fantastic Monument Valley. It’s pretty cool, though fairly slow. Instead of walking through the world, you have to click to the next predetermined location, then the game moves you there. It works, but it’s not ideal.

EVE Gunjack looks cool, but it’s an on-rails shooter. Not my thing, but for what it is it’s cool.

Honestly, I found gaming on the Gear VR to be rather boring, just like any games I’d play on my phone. I prefer something more elaborate.

But even considering that, I still love the Gear VR and have lost many hours using it. The videos and movies alone make it worth the purchase.

Downsides

The refresh is high and the lag low, so most people probably won’t get vertigo or feel queasy, but it’s possible. Also, it’s really easy for your phone to overheat, so you have to turn the brightness down, limiting some of the “wow” factor by reducing the OLED’s contrast ratio.

Lastly… it’s not an Oculus. At $100 of course it isn’t, but having experienced the Oculus, I kept wanting to move through environments, explore these strange new worlds, and that’s not possible with the processing in a phone. There are glimmers of this in some games, but for a real FPS-type game, you’ll need the processing power of a PC and the Rift.

Bottom Line

If you have one of the devices listed, absolutely get the Gear VR. If you pre-order the S7, you’ll get a Gear VR for free. It’s a fun diversion, and a great way to sample what the future of VR will be like (i.e. absolutely awesome).