When Samsung axes its VR store, your content vanishes into cyberspace

Samsung has discontinued its Gear VR headset and soon its VR store will close too. Customers lose access to purchased VR content and no refunds will be offered.

Lost in cyberspace
A recurring theme with content purchased digitally is the question of what will happen if the company closes shop or goes bankrupt. Of course Samsung is not going bankrupt but the company will close its 'VR Videos' app and all of its 'XR' services.

When that happens, customers lose access to movies, documentaries, games and other types of VR content purchased through Samsung's VR store. The company will not offer refunds either.

- "On September 30, 2020, all Samsung XR accounts will be removed. Users will no longer be able to log into Samsung XR to view their content. All users’ account information and associated data will be deleted from the Samsung XR service. Once deleted, data cannot be recovered," the company said in a FAQ. "Samsung XR Terms of Service states that all sales of purchased content are final."



Samsung had sold - or bundled with smartphones - over 5 million Gear VR headsets as of January 2017. A few years later, the company decided to discontinue its Gear VR initiative. The next step will be to discontinue 'VR Videos' and 'XR' apps and services on its own platforms as well as partner VR platforms such as Oculus, Windows VR, web, and mobile.

Samsung's VR store and apps will be phased out gradually and on September 30, 2020, all accounts will be removed. Content that customers have purchased will vanish. Lost in cyberspace.

- Source: Samsung