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Samsung's Gear VR headset revealed in leaked image

Co-developed by Oculus, uses a Samsung Galaxy phone.

Samsung's entry into the VR headset space has been shown off in a leaked image, a new report suggests.

Gear VR will use software co-developed by Rift creator Oculus, but its screens and much of the hardware is provided by simply slotting in a Samsung Galaxy phone.

That's according to a report posted online by SamMobile, which states that the device will be officially unveiled at the IFA 2014 consumer electronics show in September.

The idea of strapping a phone to your face and using its screen as a display - along with its in-built gyro sensors and accelerometer - was first shown off publicly by Google last month, with its somewhat tongue-in-cheek Cardboard design.

But Gear VR looks like it will provide this technology with a more robust, more comfortable headset design - and a couple of extra features.

The side of the headset features a touchpad for software navigation and a button to enable the phone's rear camera for an augmented reality view of your surroundings.

Gear VR is designed to initially be used for viewing media - 3D movies and the like - but will be expanded for use with other apps when the toolkit is released to developers post-launch.

Oculus has been looking to partner with other hardware companies for some time. Production of the Oculus Rift was temporarily suspended earlier this year after parts became scarce. This week, Oculus sales were halted completely in China due to "extreme re-selling".