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Virtual reality has officially become affordable. Thanks to those clever people at Samsung, you can now get your hands on the kind of futuristic goggles you’d once have needed a bank loan to afford, for just over £100. And if you’ve ever fancied chasing zombies or piloting a plane in glorious, fully-immersive VR, the Samsung Gear VR headset is money well spent.

But virtual reality isn’t just about gaming. If the idea of zapping zombies or shooting at snipers leaves you cold, how about kicking back and watching a movie on a private mega-screen? Or taking a front row seat at a Bruno Mars gig without leaving the house? Sounds pretty amazing, right?

We’re certain that after strapping on the Gear VR and hooking it up to your smartphone, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without one. But in case this somehow doesn’t sound awesome enough already,  we rounded up seven of the coolest things you can do with this brilliant piece of kit.

Front row seats at the hottest gigs…
Ever fancied sitting alongside Sir Paul McCartney as he teases out the intro to Live And Let Die? Or slipping on your shades to join Kasabian on stage for a sell-out show? With the Samsung Gear VR, you can – and that’s just the start. The biggest names in music are falling over themselves to get on board with virtual reality. In fact, Coldplay have even teamed up with Samsung to stream their sell-out gig in Chicago to headsets around the world. So if you want that front row arena atmosphere without the spilt beer and tall blokes obstructing your view, then this is perfect for you.
 

You may even learn a thing or two…
Need a way to sneak the Gear VR onto your Christmas list? Well guess what, you can tell your parents or partner that it’s educational without feeling guilty. No, honestly, it really is – and we can prove it. How about shrinking to the size of a flea, for a fully-immersive tour inside the human body? Or taking a whistle-stop trip around the solar system for incredible close-ups of the planets? Interests more down to earth? Then a conversational experience with a virtual AI chatbot will have you speaking a foreign language in no time. How can Santa say no?

Your own private cinema…
Regularly catch up with your favourite shows on your daily commute? Don’t you think you deserve more than a tiny screen and those cheap, tinny earphones? Of course you do! You’ll be stunned the first time you strap on a Gear VR headset and watch a film. It’s like being whisked off to your own private movie theatre, away from all those annoying little distractions that have you constantly hitting rewind. Remember that feeling the first time you went to the cinema as a kid? Well this is the next best thing.

Virtual hang-outs…
The internet has been making it easier to chat with pals on the other side of the world for years now; but there’s a lot more to Gear VR’s Oculus Hangouts than just an instant messenger with emojis.  Choose your avatar and meet your friends in your very own VR ‘Party Room’. You can then watch your favourite Netflix show or movies together, fire up multiplayer games, like Dragon Front and Drop Dead, or fill up the front row at that Coldplay gig in Chicago. It’s like sharing a living room with your best pals, wherever they happen to be.

Visit places you’ve always dreamed of – and beyond...
Always wanted to go on safari in the Serengeti but never quite had the cash? Or how about following in the footsteps of Sir Ernest Shackleton on an epic Antarctica adventure? Well short of winning the lottery or going back in time, this is the next best thing. The Gear VR can whisk you off to faraway places you never thought possible. Whether its visiting deep space while wearing your slippers or swimming with dolphins without getting your toes wet, Samsung’s Gear VR can take you there in seconds. Just strap on a headset, kick back and start living your dreams.
 

Take gaming to another dimension…
Gamers are among the keenest adopters of VR, eager to dive head-first into all those immersive, 360° shoot ‘em ups and spacecraft simulators. And it’s fair to say this is where VR comes into its own. Whether you’re wandering through  the brilliant, blocky 3D world of Minecraft or going head-to-head in a deep-space dogfight in End Space, gaming in virtual reality really is out of this world. Overgrown kids of a certain age can even relive their misspent youth hanging around seaside arcades with a VR arcade simulator. Fire up games like Sonic the Hedgehog, Pac-Man and Gauntlet and smash that top score. This time round your coin will never get stuck in the machine.

Explore your artistic side…
The Gear VR’s slick, beautifully designed control paddle isn’t just for pulling triggers. Creative types can take their art into new dimensions, creating searing, interactive masterpieces with incredible 3D brush strokes. Use the room as your canvas, creating stunning layers that appear to be suspended in mid-air. You can appreciate art in new ways, too. A fully-immersive, VR version of Van Gogh’s The Night Café allows you to step inside one of the Dutch master’s most famous works and pull up a chair next to the ne’er do wells. Just let us know if you find that elusive second pool cue…

Fancy strapping on this incredibly cool piece of VR kit? Get the Samsung Gear VR and controller for just £119.99 from EE...