I picked up a Samsung GearVR headset a couple of weeks ago. I do not have a lot of money these days, but when the price was marked down 50% for one day only I figured what the hell. I click clicked and had it noon the next day. It’s good stuff. I don’t think it is altogether there yet but given another iteration or two and I think the platform will be approachable to the mainstream. I think it remains, simply, too cumbersome a thing for the majority of people who are not enthusiasts.

I have trouble with the GearVR on account of wearing glasses. It’s more comfortable than the previous version of the Gear, which I tried last year. But I still need to keep lens wipes handy, and be mindful about scratching both the lenses of my glasses and the lenses of the GearVR. Watching sappy movies on the Netflix GearVR app also has its unique hazards. I tend to cry during sad movies. Tears don’t have anywhere to flow with this freakin’ headset over your eyes.

If these devices ever become relevant enough then I could imagine having them fitted with prescription lenses, so one could dispense of their eyeglasses while using the headset. But that is a long way off, if it is even a possibility.

I use the GearVR with a Galaxy note 5. I consider myself lucky to have decided not to wait for the Galaxy Note 7, which has been dogged by exploding batteries. The Note 5 gets hot as hell while running apps on the GearVR. I’ve seen videos which demonstrate just how the lithium-ion battery in the Note 7 would ignite and it is not amusing to imagine something like that blowing up right in my face.

When I heard that Netflix had an app for GearVR I thought it would be awesome if they had somehow converted every film in their library into immersive 360° experiences. Unsurprisingly, this was not the case. The app makes you feel like you are in an enormous and beautiful house in the snow-draped mountains of Colorado. The movie screen screen looks to be as big as would be found in a full size movie theater. To the left are floor-to-ceiling windows through which peaceful, snowy mountains are seen. To the right is a wall on which several beautiful paintings are hung. Other accouterments of luxury are seen throughout the spacious, high-ceilinged room.

When I take off the headset I feel sad. My apartment is perfectly adequate but it has nothing on the glorious virtual abode from the Netflix app. This place actually feels kind of dismal in the moments after I take leave of the Colorado mansion.

I laughed out loud when I started in to the first and so far only video game I’ve played on the GearVR. Almost immediately after starting in to Dark Days I found myself inside a phone booth, unable to get up off the floor. If you know nothing else about me you are probably aware that I have maintained a lifelong interest in payphones, phone booths, and the randomness of public telephony. So landing inside a phone booth in the first virtual reality game I ever played just seemed like too happy a coincidence to go unmentioned, or unrecorded. You can capture decent quality video of your travels through GearVR games and apps.

Inevitably I consider the matter of pornography on the GearVR. I approach that content with a mix of apathy and trepidation. Do I really want to be IMMERSED in a frat house gang bang or whatever content of that type is being produced to make the most of the 360° experience? Prrrrrobably not. What faint attempts I’ve made at accessing such stuff has only led to sites which require credit card information. If I cared enough I might pay for this stuff with a pre-paid credit card or disposable cash card. But I suspect I am not going anywhere with the VR porn. I consider it only because the pornographers have historically been the first to explore the limits of new technology like this. But I think I will stick with the likes of Dark Days, and the fly-infested phone booth.