The Samsung Galaxy Studio, which opened this week in Rio de Janeiro for the Olympic Games, was specifically designed to help fans embrace the excitement of the Olympic Games and celebrate the Olympic spirit, enabling them to create, capture and share their own experiences. At the Galaxy Studio fans can demo immersive technologies such as a new Samsung 4D VR kayaking experience that simulates the exhilarating Olympic event; an interactive Galaxy S7-guided tour in which visitors can experience the Galaxy ecosystem throughout the studio; and have the opportunity to collect exclusive Rio 2016-themed pins, among many other experiences.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach (left) presents an Olympic Torch to DongJin Koh, President of Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics, at the Samsung Galaxy Studio in Olympic Park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Saturday, August 6 during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach visits the Samsung Galaxy Studio in Olympic Park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Saturday, August 6 during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

For more information about Samsung’s involvement in the Olympic Games, please visit www.samsungmobilepress.com/Olympics/

About Samsung’s Involvement in the Olympic Games

Samsung began its Olympic Games involvement as a local sponsor of the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games. Beginning with the Nagano 1998 Olympic Winter Games, the company extended its commitment to the Olympic Movement as the Worldwide Olympic Partner in the Wireless Communications Equipment category, providing its proprietary wireless communications platform, called Wireless Olympic Works (WOW), and mobile devices. These innovative mobile phone technologies provide the Olympic Family with real-time, user location-based information service, interactive communications, and Samsung Pay. Samsung hosts various Olympic campaigns to share the excitement of the Olympic Games with people around the world and enable everyone to participate in the Games through its innovative mobile technology. Samsung’s commitment as a Worldwide Olympic Partner continues through to Rio 2016, PyeongChang 2018, and Tokyo 2020.

The Galaxy Studio located within the Olympic Park was specifically designed to help fans embrace the excitement of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and celebrate the Olympic spirit, enabling them to create, capture and share their own experiences. To complement the Samsung Galaxy Studio in the Olympic Park, two additional Galaxy Studios will be stationed in the Olympic Village and Main Press Centre (MPC); as well as several Galaxy Studios throughout local cities in Brazil to help expand the Olympic spirit to a wider audience.

For more information about Samsung’s involvement in the Olympic Games, please visit www.samsungmobilepress.com/Olympics/

Samsung Electronics, Worldwide Olympic Partner in the Wireless Communications Equipment category, hosted the opening ceremony of the Samsung Galaxy Studio in Olympic Park ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (From left) Chief Commercial Officer of the Rio 2016 Committee, Renato Ciuchini; Managing Director of IOC Television & Marketing Services, Timo Lumme; Olympic mascot Vinicius; President of Samsung Electronics Latin America, Jeonghwan Kim; and Vice President of the Mobile Division of Samsung Brazil, Changhoon Yoon.

Timo Lumme, Managing Director of IOC Television & Marketing Services, sit in a 4D motion chair to experience the extreme 4D kayaking VR at the Samsung Galaxy Studio in Olympic Park, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during its opening ceremony.

Timo Lumme, Managing Director of IOC Television & Marketing Services, experiences the Social Galaxy zone at the Samsung Galaxy Studio in Olympic Park, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during its opening ceremony.

About Samsung’s Involvement in the Olympic Games

Samsung began its Olympic Games involvement as a local sponsor of the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games. Beginning with the Nagano 1998 Olympic Winter Games, the company extended its commitment to the Olympic Movement as the Worldwide Olympic Partner in the Wireless Communications Equipment category, providing its proprietary wireless communications platform, called Wireless Olympic Works (WOW), and mobile devices. These innovative mobile phone technologies provide the Olympic Family with real-time, user location-based information service, interactive communications, and Samsung Pay. Samsung hosts various Olympic campaigns to share the excitement of the Olympic Games with people around the world and enable everyone to participate in the Games through its innovative mobile technology. Samsung’s commitment as a Worldwide Olympic Partner continues through to Rio 2016, PyeongChang 2018, and Tokyo 2020.

Catalonia Square is a large plaza in central Barcelona that is most often associated with its fountains and statues, its proximity to some of the Spanish city’s most popular attractions, and the flocks of pigeons and street performers that gather there.

But with MWC 2016 just around the corner, it’s also the location of a thrilling amusement park roller coaster. Well, virtually, at least.

That’s because the square is the site of Samsung’s 4D Theater with Gear VR experience—a technological encounter that virtually transports participants to another place, and makes them feel as if they are really there.

After eagerly taking their seats, guests donned Samsung’s Gear VR headsets and were quickly transported from the city center of Barcelona to the tracks of Six Flags Magic Mountain’s Twisted Colossus, a hybrid wood and steel roller coaster that features barrel roll inversions and a near-vertical drop.

This wild ride offered a realistic, adrenaline-pumping experience, thanks to specialized 4D chairs that moved in sync to the movements displayed on the headsets. Yet, unlike traditional 4D theater in which viewers wear 3D glasses, Samsung’s 4D Theater with Gear VR offered an entirely new experience.

One participant, after completing the experience told Samsung Newsroom, “This is way better than regular 4D. I could look around in all directions and see the entire amusement park. It felt like a real-life roller coaster!”

With virtual reality playing an increasingly more important role at MWC this year, the 4D Theater with Gear VR experience is but a preview of what’s to come.

Check out the 4D Theater with Gear VR experience in Catalonia Square until February 28, 2016 and stay tuned to see how Samsung is innovating to transform the way the world is connected and entertained, virtually.

Catalonia Square: the site of century-old fountains, lively street performances and… Samsung’s 4D Theater with Gear VR experience.

Ahead of MWC 2016, crowds gather in Catalonia Square to experience some of Samsung’s latest technology.

Curious passersby wait in line to experience Samsung’s latest endeavors in virtual reality entertainment.

Participants don Gear VR headsets and prepare to take the ride of their lives.

Samsung’s 4D Theater with Gear VR in Catalonia Square enabled participants to virtually experience the thrill of an adrenaline-pumping roller coaster ride.

Gear VR lets viewers explore the most exciting places on Earth, as if they’re actually there.

Participants encounter a realistic roller coaster ride with Samsung Gear VR.

Samsung’s Gear VR headset, equipped with a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, boasts a wide field of view to allow for a truly immersive experience.

Samsung’s 4D Theater with Gear VR is only one example of how the company is transforming the way the world is entertained.

CES 2016 is in full swing and there’s plenty to see and do at Samsung Electronics’ booth. Among the show’s areas of interest is the Samsung Galaxy Studio’s Gear VR Theater with 4D —a spot so popular, in fact, that there was already an exceptionally long line of eager attendees waiting to check it out when it opened this morning. So far, even it’s the first day of show, there have been about 10,000 visitors at the Galaxy Studio, with around 2,000 participating in the activity.

Samsung Newsroom was fortunate enough to participate in the activity firsthand and we were just as excited to experience Samsung’s latest endeavors in virtual reality entertainment. Needless to say, we were not let down.

As we anxiously waited to take our seats, high-energy music sounded throughout the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, creating a lively atmosphere that complemented the neon that illuminated the Samsung Galaxy Studio. Not before long, we were showed to our seats—4D chairs that stretched out into a staggered semicircle overlooking the hubbub of the exhibition floor.

Following the directions of the assistants, we put on Samsung’s Gear VR headsets, not knowing what to expect next. In seconds, we were no longer in the middle of a tech exhibition, but were instead sitting in the front seat of a roller coaster train.

Soon, our chairs began to move in tandem with the video displayed on our headsets, and we couldn’t help but laugh in excitement as we felt the familiar jerk of the train as it moved along the wooden track below us. As we ascended to what felt like a rather terrifying height, we looked around in all directions, taking in the scenery of the surrounding wooded area and other amusement park rides that filled it. Unlike the traditional 4D theater experience in which viewers wear 3D glasses, this felt entirely new. It felt like we were really there.

Upon reaching the top, nervousness filled us while we looked down the drop. As we quickly veered through tight curves, excited chatter came from all directions.

An attendee sitting next to us shouted, “Look behind you!” Sure enough, there was an animated group of adrenaline junkies holding in their screams.

Another participant nearby told his friend, “It feels so real!” And it did—very, very real.

The lifelike experience ended when we made it safely to the platform and were then transported back to the Samsung Galaxy Studio. Although we hadn’t known what to expect, one thing had been made clear: Samsung’s Gear VR had completely upgraded the 4D experience.

In addition to the “Wooden Coaster” video, Samsung is also showcasing other immersive virtual content such as “Horror Maze” and “Surfing in Tahiti.”

With all the announcements made by Samsung at CES 2016 thus far, including its growing ecosystem of partners like Oculus as well as its efforts to expand its content of 360-degree videos, it’s certain that the company will continue to transform the way the world is entertained.
For more information about CES 2016, please visit our exclusive page #SAMSUNGxCES2016