Samsung Electronics has launched a virtual reality headset for its new Galaxy Note 4 phablet.

The wireless headset, called Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition, allows users to watch videos and play games in a virtual reality setting.

The headset will be launched with four visual settings that simulate experiences such as sitting in a theatre or being on stage.

Samsung has used technology from Oculus VR, a company that Facebook is buying for $2 billion.

Sony too has a prototype for a virtual reality headset for its Playstation 4 games console. The headset, in development under the name "Project Morpheus", is designed to project images that shift along with the movements of a gamer's head.

Samsung, the world's biggest mobile phone maker, unveiled its new Galaxy Note 4 phablet earlier on Wednesday.

The phablet features a crisper, 5.7-inch display in a metal frame, reflecting Samsung's latest design strategy to keep pace with rivals including Apple, which is expected to launch its first large-screen iPhone next week.

The new Galaxy Note 4 offers accessories designed to attract gamers. It also has an improved pen stylus and related software as a handwriting alternative to typing on a keyboard. - Reuters