Hack Your GEAR VR

UPDATE

The addition of the Gear VR Controller is a big improvement but for driving games I wanted a steering wheel controller. When my search for one came up empty, I made my own. You can see that build and get the files to build your own at
http://www.instructables.com/id/Steering-Wheel-for-GearVR-Controller

CARDBOARD FOR GEAR

Want to use your favorite cardboard apps on your Gear or use your Gear to remote into your desktop computer. You can install apps that aren't available on the Oculus store. You can even play games that are exclusive to the Oculus Rift and integrate hand tracking for a truly immersive experience. I'll try and cover some of the simple hacks for the Gear VR headset that will let you open new experiences in virtual reality.

Where to start? If you're going to use your Gear for Cardboard apps, you'll want to configure your apps for the Gear headset. The QR code above will set up your Cardboard apps to match the lenses used on the Gear. Now let's use Package Disabler Pro to allow the use of Cardboard apps on the Gear VR headset.
Package Disabler Pro

The app is easy to use. Simply scroll down to find the Oculus Gear VR Service and check the box. That's it. You're ready to go. Now you can start up your favorite Cardboard app and then put your phone into the Gear. The Oculus service is disabled, so Oculus Home won't launch. The best part is the touch pad still works, so no need for a magnet switch. When you're ready to go back to using Gear VR apps you simply uncheck the box next to the Oculus Gear VR Service and everything is back to normal. A recent update has added a 2X1 widget, so you can toggle the Oculus Service on & off with one touch.

A few Cardboard apps that are worth the trouble include:
​Cardboard
Fulldive
Swivel Gun.VR.Logride
Invasion VR
Tilt Brush Gallery
VR Remote Desktop (requires PC companion program)​
TrinusVR (requires PC companion program)
VR AR ​Cmoar TV (requires QR code image)
​WizardAcademy(requires QR code image for hand tracking)
​
With Trinus VR you can run games like Minecraft on your PC and play them through your VR headset.
With VR Remote Desktop you can view and control your PC desktop through a VR interface.

​UPDATE I recently bought a MJX400 drone which includes a wifi camera for FPV flying. The MJX FPV app is available for Android, so I can use the Package Disabler Pro app to let me Fly my drone with a FPV, using my Gear VR. see more on my other post.
www.divideworks.com/projects/fly-your-drone-with-gear-vr-fpv​

SIDELOAD VR

Next, let's cover how to side load apps to work with the Gear headset. Sideloading is installing an app that is designed to work with the Oculus Gear VR Service, but is not available on the Oculus store. Once you have an app side loaded you can run it without disabling the Oculus service. Instead you can open the app on your phone before inserting it into the Gear headset. The app will prompt you to place your phone into the Gear to start the app.

​First, you will need to install SideloadVR it is also helpful to install SideloadVR DeviceID.
Using SideloadVR DeviceID copy your phones device ID. Now start SideloadVR and you will be prompted to enter your device ID, just paste it in and let the app do its thing.
Below is a screen shot showing some of the apps I have sideloaded.

OCULUS

Okay. Now let's see if we can use our GearVR headset to run programs designed exclusively for the Oculus Rift. Games made for the Oculus Rift run on a PC, but they require a Rift headset to be plugged in to the PC in order to run.
With Rift Cat installed on your PC it will emulate a Rift headset and stream the game to your Gear. You can learn more at www.riftcat.com You will also need to install the RiftCat app from the Google Play Store.
UPDATE RiftCat is now available on Sideload VR.

HAND TRACKING

The image below is used by apps like Wizard Academy VR and Germ Buster as a handheld hand tracking device. This option does not offer any finger positioning, but is a very simple method for incorporating your hands into virtual reality.

UPDATE I found a new app that uses a custom QR for handtrackin called Stalk VR Survival  
​play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.DigiRep.ZombiesOfTheCorn
Their QR code can be downloaded here.
​http://www.digirepgames.com/tracker-howto.html
In this app you are stationary while zombies attack from all directions. You can spin around and use the QR code gun to aim in the game. Here is a video to show how well this works.

The video below covers how to disable the Oculus service and then shows side by side video to illustrate the hand tracking feature.

The Leap Motion Controller is a great way to add hand tracking to your PC and with apps like TrinusVR or Rift Cat it is possible to use the Leap Motion Controller to add hand tracking into virtual reality. Leap Motion currently has a private alpha SDK for Android developers, which looks promising. Check out www.leapmotion.com and go to the VR page. There you will find programs built with VR in mind. You will need to find a way to mount the Leap Motion Controller to the front of your GearVR headset. The Leap Motion Controller is available with a 2' 6' and now a 15' cable so you can plug it into your PC and still enjoy the virtual Environment. UPDATE Leap Motion has published their own tutorial on how to combine Android VR with Leap Motion, using RiftCat on your PC.
​​http://blog.leapmotion.com/vr-prototyping-less-100-leap-motion-vridge/

The consumer version of the Gear does not support data through the usb port, but I've read that the 2nd innovators edition does. I haven't verified this because I dont have a Samsung Note 4. If it is true I may need to get ambitious and find a way to get USB OTG on my Note 5 headset. This would open the possibily of plugging sensors like the Leap Motion Controller directly to the headset or plugging in external storage, which would be useful on the Note 5 since Samsung decided to deny us a micro SD slot.

I plan to incorporate my Gear VR headset into a FPV internet controlled robot. Stay tuned and I'll share my efforts.