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If skiing doesn’t excite you, check out the Samsung Olympic Showcases instead

Lulu Chang
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samsung olympic showcase 5
Image used with permission by copyright holder
In less than 48 hours, the world’s most highly anticipated show of athletic grace and prowess will take the stage in South Korea. But it’s not just PyeongChang who is playing host — Korean tech giant Samsung is opening up its doors as well. The company is promising to bring excitement to fans, athletes, and officials alike at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games by way of “interactive experiences” that can be found at a series of Samsung Olympic Showcases. These dedicated showcases are slated to encourage visitors to “Do What You Can’t” through immersive experiences.

In total, Olympic attendees and athletes will be able to check out nine Samsung Olympic Showcases that feature an amalgamation of cultural, technological, and immersive fan experiences, all of which will leverage virtual reality technology. These showcases will be found in the Olympic parks and villages, as well as the main press center, and Incheon International Airport.

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Broadly speaking, the showcases are thinly veiled PR displays — a release notes that viewers will be able to experience “the Samsung brand history and heritage in engineering, design, and craftsmanship, and then the partnership history with the Olympic Games.” Somehow, we think this will be slightly less exciting than the Olympics themselves.

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But then, by way of VR, nonathletes may be able to feel what it’s like to snowboard with an Olympian, or participate in alpine or cross-country skiing contests. Moreover, visitors will be able to check out the unrelated (but still cool) “Mission to Space VR: A Moon for All Mankind” created by Samsung. This will take participants on a space mission that includes a mission briefing, training suit and helmet try-on, and even some time in the Moon rig to feel lunar gravity.

“For two decades as a worldwide Olympic partner, Samsung has connected fans, visitors and athletes from around the world with our latest technological innovations, which have now evolved to also include immersive experiences,” said Younghee Lee, CMO and executive vice president of Samsung Electronics. “We’re delighted to share Samsung’s latest mobile technologies and products so fans and athletes can enjoy new, unique experiences while at the Olympic Winter Games.”

In addition to immersive VR experiences, Samsung will also be showing off the new Galaxy Note8 and S Pen, both of which will be on display quite prominently in the Portrait Pool. This experience will allow visitors to transform their selfies into paintings to share on social. The S pen will act as a paint brush, where as the Galaxy Note8 will ostensibly behave as a canvas.

And of course, Samsung would be remiss if it didn’t offer visitors an opportunity to actually buy the products they see — there will be full purchase and customer service available throughout the games so you can leave with mobile products and accessories.

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Lulu Chang
Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
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