Samsung HMD Odyssey+ — specification and verdict
The HMD Odyssey+ pairs two AMOLED panels at 1440x1600 per eye and 90 Hz on a PenTile diamond layout with two subpixels per pixel, and it still reads small text better than most 2018 hardware. Field of view is about 101 degrees horizontally, IPD adjusts mechanically between 60 and 72 mm, and inside-out tracking runs from two cameras on the visor, so no base stations are needed. For training that only matters if you also supply a Windows PC per seat and an HDMI 2.0 plus USB 3.0 tether, because nothing runs on the headset itself. Our Android-based standalone courses do not run on it at all.
There is no fleet to manage here in the usual sense: no headset OS, no MDM, no kiosk mode, no vendor enterprise licensing. Every seat is a Windows PC with the drivers and Windows Mixed Reality runtime, and since Windows 11 version 24H2 that runtime is gone, which pins any surviving deployment to Windows 11 23H2. Microsoft ends support on 1 November 2026 for consumer Windows editions, so the clock on a working installation is measured in months. Hygiene is a foam facial interface on a 590 g halo-strap headset, and the controllers eat two AA cells each for roughly 8.5 hours.
Do not buy it for training in 2026. It is discontinued, its runtime was removed from Windows and its platform support ends on 1 November 2026, so any purchase is a device with a known switch-off date. If you specifically need OLED blacks on a PC, look at a current SteamVR headset instead; if you want our courses to run, you need a standalone Android headset.
How it compares within its class
The axis runs from the lowest to the highest published figure among the VR — PC-tethered devices in this catalogue. The grey tick is the median of that class.
Median for this class: $899, from 45 models that publish the figure.
Controllers and hand tracking
Windows Mixed Reality motion controller (first generation)
6DoF
Microsoft's answer to base stations: the headset's own sensors watch the LED halo, and nothing goes on the walls. Two AA cells each, a touchpad and a thumbstick as separate inputs, and — the honest caveat — once it leaves the headset's view for long enough the system body-locks it to you and estimates where it is.
In the boxHow it is tracked
Headset cameras
The headset watches markers on the controller, so it loses a hand held behind the back or low at the hip until it comes back into view.
The controller itself
- Controller weight
- 173 g
- Controller power
- AA batteries
- Controller inputs
- trackpad · joystick · face buttons · trigger
Other controllers
Specific controllers from another maker
Windows Mixed Reality motion controllers (Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, ASUS)
Bare hands
No hand tracking — a controller is the only way in.
Full specification
An em dash means the manufacturer does not publish that figure.
- ManufacturerWho makes it — and who you buy support from.
- Samsung
- CategoryWhich kind of product this is. It decides which rows below make sense at all.
- VR — PC-tethered
- Device typeWhere the computing happens, and therefore what you need to run it.
- PC-powered VR
- AnnouncedThe day it was shown, which is not the day it shipped.
- 2018-10-22
- ReleasedYear the model went on sale. Older is not automatically worse in this category.
- 2018
- AvailabilityWhether you can still order it new today.
- Discontinued
- Support endsThe date the manufacturer stops supporting it. Decisive for a fleet you are about to buy.
- 2026-11-01
- PanelThe screen type. micro-OLED gives deeper blacks and higher contrast; LCD is brighter and cheaper.
- OLED
- OpticsThe lenses in front of the panel. Pancake stays sharp closer to the edges than older Fresnel, which decides how much a trainee has to aim their head to read something.
- Optics: not published by the manufacturer
- Eyes coveredOne eye or both. Over a full shift this is a real difference in fatigue.
- Both eyes
- Resolution per eyePixels delivered to each eye. Higher means small text and labels stay readable.
- ≈1440x1600*VRcompare
- Refresh rateImages per second. Higher feels smoother and helps people prone to motion discomfort.
- ≈90 Hz*VRcompare
- Field of viewHow much of your view the image covers. Bigger is more immersive, not automatically better for work.
- ≈101° horizontal*VRcompare estimate
- Pixel densityPixels per degree of view — the honest way to compare sharpness between a headset and a pair of glasses. Higher is sharper. Only shown where somebody published it; we never compute it ourselves.
- Pixel density: not published by the manufacturer
- BrightnessIn a plant or outdoors, brightness decides legibility more than resolution does.
- Brightness: not published by the manufacturer
- WeightThe device alone. Anything above roughly 150 g is felt within an hour.
- Weight: not published by the manufacturer
- Visible field of viewWhat the eye actually sees through the optics, by axis.
- Visible field of view: not published by the manufacturer
- Rendered field of viewWhat the device draws. Never smaller than what you see.
- Rendered field of view: not published by the manufacturer
- Binocular overlapWhere both eyes see the same thing — this is where depth happens.
- Binocular overlap: not published by the manufacturer
- Average pixel densityPixels per degree across the image. More is sharper.
- Average pixel density: not published by the manufacturer
- Peak pixel densityThe sharpest point, usually the centre of the lens.
- Peak pixel density: not published by the manufacturer
- Subpixel layoutHow the coloured dots sit in a pixel. A stripe looks cleaner on text than PenTile.
- PenTile · 2 subpixels per pixel
- Foveated renderingWhether detail is dropped outside where you look, to save performance.
- Foveated rendering: not published by the manufacturer
- PassthroughWhat the front cameras give you: colour, grayscale, or nothing.
- Passthrough: not published by the manufacturer
- Passthrough camerasResolution, density and frame rate of that camera feed.
- Passthrough cameras: not published by the manufacturer
- IPD adjustmentMatching lens spacing to the eyes. Motorised is fastest when one headset passes between people.
- Manual
- IPD rangeHow far the lenses travel to match eye spacing. A narrow range excludes part of any group of adults, which matters when one headset is shared.
- 60–72 mm
- Works with glassesWhether people who wear glasses can use it — fits over them, or takes prescription lens inserts.
- Works with glasses: not published by the manufacturer
- Vision correctionHow somebody who wears glasses uses it, and in what dioptre range.
- Vision correction: not published by the manufacturer
- DimensionsWidth, height and depth of the device itself.
- Dimensions: not published by the manufacturer
- Weight with strapWith the strap it ships with — the weight you actually wear.
- ≈590 g*VRcompare
- Head strapSoft band or a rigid one. Decides how the weight sits over an hour.
- Rigid halo strap
- MaterialsShell and facial interface, in the vendor’s words.
- plastic · foam facial interface
- ColoursColours the manufacturer sells it in.
- Black
- Haptics in the headsetVibration in the headset itself, not in the controllers.
- Haptics in the headset: not published by the manufacturer
- TrackingWhether content stays put in the room (6DoF), follows head rotation (3DoF) or is simply fixed.
- inside-out 6DoF, 2 cameras
- Base stationsWhether boxes have to be mounted on the walls before it works.
- Not needed
- Tracking camerasHow many cameras it uses to know where it is.
- 2
- Tracking rateHow often position is recalculated. Higher is steadier.
- Tracking rate: not published by the manufacturer
- Depth sensorA dedicated sensor for distance, on top of the cameras.
- Depth sensor: not published by the manufacturer
- Hand trackingWhether bare hands can operate the interface, without a controller or the phone.
- No
- Eye trackingThe headset knows where the trainee is looking. Enables sharper rendering where they look, and attention analytics.
- No
- Face trackingTracks facial expression — for avatars, not for training scenarios.
- Face tracking: not published by the manufacturer
- Body trackingHow much of the body the device knows about. Estimated legs are not tracked legs.
- Body tracking: not published by the manufacturer
- Controllers includedWhether motion controllers come in the box, or are bought separately — or the device is hands-only.
- Yes
- Controller modelThe manufacturer's own name for the controller.
- Windows Mixed Reality motion controller (first generation)
- Controller tracking6DoF controllers track position and rotation, so a hand reaches in space; 3DoF only point. “None” means hands only.
- 6DoF
- Controller tracking methodWhat establishes where the controller is. It decides whether the controller keeps working behind your back or down at your hip — “6DoF” on its own does not say.
- Headset cameras
- Other controllersWhether the headset works with controllers other than the ones it ships with.
- Specific controllers from another maker — Windows Mixed Reality motion controllers (Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, ASUS)
- Finger tracking on the controllerWhether the controller senses individual fingers, and how.
- Finger tracking on the controller: not published by the manufacturer
- Controller inputsButtons, sticks and triggers the controller offers.
- trackpad · joystick · face buttons · trigger
- Controller hapticsVibration feedback in the hand.
- Controller haptics: not published by the manufacturer
- Controller powerDisposable cells or a built-in rechargeable — a fleet question.
- AA batteries
- Controller weightOne controller, as the vendor weighs it.
- 173 g
- Other input methodsWays in beyond controllers and bare hands.
- Other input methods: not published by the manufacturer
- Runs Skillsive appsOur own statement about whether Skillsive training applications run on it today.
- No
- Suitable for trainingOur judgement on whether it survives real deployment: comfort, hygiene, fleet management.
- No
- Kiosk mode / MDMVendor tooling to enrol devices, push an app and lock the headset to it. Practically required above ten devices.
- No
- Business tierAn official business tier, so devices belong to the company rather than to employees’ personal accounts.
- No
- Swappable facial interfaceRemovable, wipeable face padding. A consumable, and the difference between shared use and complaints.
- Swappable facial interface: not published by the manufacturer
- CertificationsIndustrial certifications stated on the manufacturer's own page. Empty means unconfirmed, never "probably fine".
- Certifications: not published by the manufacturer
- PortsPhysical sockets and charging contacts.
- HDMI 2.0 · USB 3.0
- Wi-FiThe Wi-Fi generation — it decides how well wireless streaming holds up.
- Wi-Fi: not published by the manufacturer
- BluetoothFor controllers, headphones and accessories.
- Bluetooth: not published by the manufacturer
- Video from a computerWhether a computer can drive it, over a cable or wirelessly.
- Video from a computer: not published by the manufacturer
- AudioBuilt-in sound. Matters most where somebody has to hear a remote expert while working.
- Built-in speakers
- MicrophoneBuilt-in microphone — the other half of talking to a remote expert.
- Yes
- MicrophonesHow many. An array picks a voice out of a noisy hall; one does not.
- Microphones: not published by the manufacturer
- Price bandThe band it sits in, rather than a price that goes stale.
- Mid range
- Launch priceThe manufacturer's launch price. Fixed history, so it never goes stale.
- $499
- Price by configurationWhat each configuration cost at launch.
- Price by configuration: not published by the manufacturer
- Price todayApproximate current net price in USD — a general figure, since these barely differ between regions once tax is stripped out. A snapshot from the date shown, not an offer.
- Price today: not published by the manufacturer
- Comfort (from reviews)How it wears over a full session. Scored from agreement between independent reviewers, not from our own testing.
- Comfort (from reviews): not published by the manufacturer
- Edge clarity (from reviews)Sharpness away from the centre of the lens. Scored from agreement between independent reviewers.
- Edge clarity (from reviews): not published by the manufacturer
- Tracking reliability (from reviews)How tracking holds up in poor light and fast movement. Scored from agreement between independent reviewers.
- Tracking reliability (from reviews): not published by the manufacturer
- Hand tracking quality (from reviews)How usable controller-free hand tracking is in a training scenario. Scored from agreement between reviewers.
- Hand tracking quality (from reviews): not published by the manufacturer
Who this device is for
Realistically it is for people who already own one and want to know how long it keeps working, and for simulator hobbyists on Windows 11 23H2 who value AMOLED contrast over support. It is not for an organisation buying training hardware, because every seat needs its own Windows PC and the platform expires on 1 November 2026.
What is missing, and what the manufacturer does not publish
Samsung's support page no longer publishes any specification for the XE800ZBA: no resolution, no field of view, no weight, no price. The figures here come from VRcompare, and its vertical field of view reads higher than its horizontal one, which we could not confirm anywhere, so we left the per-axis breakdown out. Samsung has also never stated a discontinuation date, so we record the status without a year.
Samsung HMD Odyssey+ in independent reviews
Reviews we consider worth your time, each with a note on what the reviewer actually tested and why it matters for a training rollout. We do not own this hardware, so the tests are theirs — the reading of them is ours.
- Tyriel Wood - VR Tech2018
The fullest of the reviews here, and the one to start with. Independent coverage from Tyriel Wood - VR Tech, covering what the anti-screen-door layer actually bought over the 2017 original. Worth the time if that is the part of the device your decision turns on.
Watch on YouTube - RTA MOTORSPORTS2018
A second independent voice, which is what stops a single reviewer's setup reading as the device. Independent coverage from RTA MOTORSPORTS, covering what the anti-screen-door layer actually bought over the 2017 original. Worth the time if that is the part of the device your decision turns on.
Watch on YouTube - Vanity2023
A third take, useful mainly where the first two disagree. Independent coverage from Vanity, covering what the anti-screen-door layer actually bought over the 2017 original. Worth the time if that is the part of the device your decision turns on.
Watch on YouTube
Nothing is sent to YouTube until you press play. Once you do, Google receives your IP address and device data and may process them outside the EEA — see our privacy policy for the details.
Samsung HMD Odyssey+ — frequently asked questions
- Does the Samsung HMD Odyssey+ still work on Windows 11 24H2?
- No. Windows Mixed Reality, including the SteamVR bridge the Odyssey+ depends on, was removed in Windows 11 version 24H2, so the headset stops working after that update. The only way to keep it running is to stay on Windows 11 version 23H2, and Microsoft ends support for the platform on 1 November 2026.
- Can Skillsive VR training courses run on the Samsung HMD Odyssey+?
- No. Our courses are standalone Android VR applications and the Odyssey+ has no onboard computer at all — it is a display tethered to a Windows PC over HDMI 2.0 and USB 3.0. There is no way to install our apps on it, which is why we mark it incompatible rather than merely outdated.
- Is a used Samsung HMD Odyssey+ worth buying instead of a new headset?
- Not for anything you need past 2026. It launched at 499 USD with two controllers, and second-hand units are cheap now, but the platform end-of-life on 1 November 2026 means you are buying a headset with a published expiry date. The AMOLED panels and the 60-72 mm hardware IPD range are still pleasant; the software situation is not.
Compare this device
Consider these too
The nearest devices in the same class, ranked by availability and launch price — not by our opinion of them.
Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08. Manufacturer's specification
Product and company names used here are the trademarks of their respective owners and appear only to identify the hardware being compared. We are not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any of these manufacturers. Illustrations are our own.