Google Gives You $20 Virtual Reality With Cardboard


GoogleCardboardVirtual Reality is like a precious prodigy child that has been patiently waiting to be brought to the world. People keep saying “2014 is the year of VR”. I'm sure you remember Facebook purchasing the Oculus Rift VR headset for $2 billion back in March. That sure was a shocker to many. Sony also announced its very own VR headset, Project Morpheus this year. With E3 just over, we shouldn't expect any other big gaming giants to unveil their own VR plans any time soon. Today, during the Google I/O conference, Google dropped its own inexpensive (and rather quirky) solution to hefty VR price tags. Cardboard is a smartphone virtual reality space and corresponding app for $20.

GoogleCardboard1Yes, it's real. All with the swap of an Andrew Jackson bill you can turn your Android phone, which must run Android 4.2 or higher, into something crazy. The app, officially named Cardboard, is described as “a no-frills enclosure that transforms a phone into a basic VR headset”. It also includes a DIY cardboard viewer that includes magnets, velcro, lenses, and an optional stick NFC tag. The app is packed with an open software toolkit and a tutorial on how to start coding. Once assembled, all you do is plop your smartphone inside, load up the app, and run several VR demos, complete with head tracking via the phone's accelerometers and gyroscopes. Current iterations of Cardboard allow for many adventures like tour guides, the ability to fly anywhere you desire via Google Earth, and a virtual Hall of Mirrors. YouTube videos will appear as if you're in a movie theater, and photos can appear as 360-degree panoramic.

GoogleCardboard3This is weird yet cool, right? First thing that came to my mind is the fact that you can't touch your phone's screen while it's all boxed up. Ready for the neat solution for that? A metallic ring (included with the kit) snaps to the box through a magnet on the opposite side. The ring “acts as a trigger when you flick it downward” by using your phone's magnetometer, “letting you select items as they come into view”. Don't forget the possibility of latency to the motion controls in the virtual world. Cardboard sure has it, so try not to get nauseated by playing too long. I can't imagine Cardboard taking the place of VR supremacy, but it could be a great introduction for folks who have never used it. It is low cost, extremely creative, and brings virtual reality gaming to consumers much quicker than other solutions.

Topics: Technology News Display Screen Technology Gadgets & Peripherals Inventions & Innovations Smartphones & Mobile Devices

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