What made the GearVR stand out more than PSVR and Index? I am rather interested to know.
I believe it was a combination of the high resolution, better demo software that didn't require movement and better environment. I was not at all prepared for the degradation in visuals compared to the games I was used to and that was a huge part of it.
With PSVR, I was in a bright environment with people around playing RIGS. It was hard to control, I felt ill, I was very aware that my body didn't experience the motion that the VR was telling me it should and as a result I felt like I was just looking at a screen strapped to my face with super dated graphics.
With the Vive, a similar thing. Bright environment, friends around, and I was playing this climbing game. There was a prominent screen door effect and again I was very aware that I wasn't actually moving or climbing, there was just a screen with accelorometers stuck to my face. However the controls were magic - that was the one time I felt something like presence.
With the Gear VR, great software that was about being still - no movement - and really just looking carefully around a virtual space (it was a horror story app or a Stranger Things app) and I was alone in a pure dark room with good headphones. All of those things - but particularly the lack of movement - combined to convince my body I was "there".
When I got my PSVR, I slowly adapted to the shitty graphics, but it took time. Once I did that I was able to feel presence in certain games.