Galaxy Note 7 Support For Gear VR Pulled By Oculus Over Safety Concerns

The Galaxy Note 7 can no longer be used with the Gear VR headset, Oculus has announced. The company pulled support for the handset over safety concerns following reports of fires amongst replacement devices. The lack of support will remain 'until further notice,' and given Samsung's recent actions, it is likely we'll not see it return. The Gear VR headset can still be used with Samsung's other compatible Galaxy smartphones, however, including the Galaxy S7.

Oculus announced the change on its website recently, which states:

Customer safety is our top priority. Oculus is removing support for all Note7 devices on the Oculus platform. Until further notice, Note7 devices will not be compatible with the Gear VR.

The company further encourages customers to get into contact with Samsung directly for more information about the Note 7 recall. If you choose to call Samsung, you'll hear the following message. If you're in the U.S., you can find out recall information from this official recall page, as well.

If you do have a Galaxy Note 7 device, it is important to power it down and to return it for a refund or exchange it for a different device. Samsung is offering the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge as replacement options, as well as refunds for any Galaxy Note 7 accessories you bought. However, you can also take it back to the carrier or store from whence you bought it for a device refund if you'd rather go that route.