Google Cardboard has finally arrived in the UK, priced at £15.
It's taken almost two years for Google's low-cost VR headset to arrive in the UK, having launched in the US in June 2014. It can be purchased from the Google Store with an estimated dispatch time of 1-2 business days. Anyone who wants to buy two Google Cardboards can order a bundle for £25.
Announced in 2014, Google Cardboard has shipped over five million units to date. The idea is simple: it's a no-frills enclosure that transforms a phone into a basic VR headset.
If you don't fancy shelling out £15 for a piece of cardboard, Google has released Cardboard design files. All you'll need is some corrugated cardboard, a pair of lenses with a 40mm focal distance, two magnets to act as hardware buttons, some velcro strips, and an 8cm rubber band to hold the phone in place.
Since the launch of Cardboard, Google has focused on releasing more VR content and there are thousands of VR apps and games to download from the Android store. YouTube also now hosts a selection of 360-degree videos.
According to rumours, the Google will be launching a new version of Cardboard later this year, which will be sturdier and more sophisticated. Unlike its flat-pack predecessor, Google's new headset is set to have plastic casing as well as improved sensors and lenses, similar to Samsung's Gear VR.
And Cardboard isn't Google's only VR venture. Magic Leap, an augmented reality firm that Google has heavily invested in, recently closed a round of funding that valued it at close to $3.7 billion (£2.6bn).
Having set up a virtual reality division in January 2016, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said that beyond "early efforts" there would be "a lot more from us and our partners in 2016".
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
