Rumours
have been rife that Google has been working on a standalone VR headset
that does not require an Android smartphone to power it, like the Gear
VR or Google Cardboard do. The company was expected
to showcase the VR headset at Google I/O, which kicks off next week,
apart from showing enhancements in Android that make the platform more
virtual reality friendly. Now, a new report is claiming access to fresh
details about the standalone VR headset from Google.
In a series
of tweets, tech journalism pioneer Peter Rojas made several claims about
Google's rumoured standalone VR headset. The headset may be called
Android VR, and will "definitely" be launched at "next week" (presumably
at Google I/O). He added that the headset will be less powerful than
the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift, but better than the Samsung Gear VR that's
made in collaboration with Facebook-owned Oculus VR. It would run off hardware similar to a smartphone. Pricing is still
unknown, and will of course be crucial in selling the product.
To
note, is that these rumours are pointing to a standalone (completely
independent of smartphone or PC), or at least untethered (wirelessly
connected to smartphone or PC) headset, though Google is also said to be
working on the next generation
of Google Cardboard, which apart from better sensors, lenses, and
casing, will also act as the reference design for VR headsets from other
manufacturers. We will of course know more at the Google I/O developer
conference next week.
Meanwhile last month Samsung, Google's
biggest Android smartphone OEM, announced
it was developing a standalone headset, one that will not require a
smartphone or desktop to operate, and be fully wireless.
Google is
definitely concentrating on VR, and we can expect to see improvements
to Android to facilitate this vision announced at I/O next week. The
company recently also
created
a new division dedicated to virtual reality.
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Further reading:
Android,
Android VR,
Facebook,
Google,
Google Cardboard,
HTC,
HTC Vive,
Mobiles,
Oculus VR,
Samsung,
Samsung Gear VR,
VR,
VR Headset,
Virtual Reality
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