Google Makes Virtual Reality Available for Everyone for Just $20
Virtual reality (VR) headsets have gained considerable buzz in the recent past. Oculus brought VR into mainstream, and several others followed soon after. Samsung’s Gear VR was the most prominent of all but to use it, you have to buy a Note 4. This is the reason it’s out of the reach of most enthusiasts. A Kickstarter project called ANTVR showed some promise with its innovative features and controllers. However, it’s Google who might bring the VR experience to everyone with the Google Cardboard project.
As the name suggests, the entire gadget is made up of just cardboard and some other small bits that you can find in your homes itself. You will have the support of Google; that will assist you in making the headset as well as provide software support for it. You can consider this as a gift from Google for all the big data you provide them.
Google has released new SDK for Android and Unity to create apps for the VR headsets. The Google Cardboard project can be considered the heights of jugaad device by a prominent company. The company already provides instructions to assist you in making your own DIY VR headsets. On a page dedicated to the Cardboard project, the company also featured several apps and games for the headsets.
The headsets work with any device and thus is accessible to all.
You can download the Cardboard app to start your VR experience. There are several demos already available in the app including a Google Earth flyby, a tour of Versailles and lets you watch Youtube videos on a virtual massive screen. Apart from this, you can download apps like Paul McCartney’s live performance, The Hobbit VR experience and several other fantastic visuals for your eyes only.
You can also buy the headsets, and they cost you somewhere between $20-$45. This is way cheaper than every other alternative in the market, and you can make it yourself for even less. The company says that it will be uploading instructions to make the device with extreme specifics such as how to cut using a blade, die-cutting or a laser cutter.
It’s great to see Google interested in an open source project for VR technology. The affordability of this technology is really encouraging. As it works with any phone, you don’t even have to buy an expensive new device to make it work. Of course, you might end up with nausea, headache and vertigo but it’s worth the effort to watch Sir Paul McCartney live, isn’t it?
