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Google Store stops selling Cardboard VR headsets
The drawn-out death of VR on Android is now more or less complete as the Google Store has ceased selling its Google Cardboard DIY VR goggles.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle releases Cardboard Unity SDK in another ‘move away from smartphone VR’
In November, Google Cardboard was open-sourced as the company stopped active development on the affordable, smartphone-based VR platform. As promised, Google today released the Cardboard Unity SDK to continue letting the community develop with the platform.
Google Cardboard open sourced as active development on Google VR SDK stops
Last month, Google stopped selling Daydream View as modern Android phones — including the Pixel 4 — lack support. The company’s mobile virtual reality offerings are being further diminished today as Google Cardboard gets open sourced.
Google Chrome to support Windows Mixed Reality headsets
Google Chrome has supported some virtual reality headsets like Oculus Rift on Windows for almost a year now, through Google’s WebVR program, but Windows Mixed Reality headsets were notably incompatible. This is soon to change, as a new flag coming to Chrome will enable early testing of Windows Mixed Reality headsets with WebVR.
Chrome 66 for Windows adds ‘Oculus hardware support’ to use WebVR apps
Chrome 66 rolled out earlier this week with a new password export feature and restrictions to when media can autoplay. On Windows, this update also adds support to view web-based virtual reality apps through an Oculus VR headset.
Google launches Daydream Impact to provide organizations w/ VR training, equipment rentals
One of the frequently cited uses for virtual reality is building empathy by immersing users in the viewpoint of others. Google today is doubling down on that VR use with Daydream Impact — a training program that provides equipment to various organizations.
You might be able to sort-of see today’s eclipse through Google Cardboard
As great as today’s solar eclipse will be, you need special eye protection in order to properly view the it without doing moderate damage to your retina. There are a few different ways to go about this, but one way to do so — although definitely not ideal — could be with a phone, Google Cardboard, and a virtual reality camera capture app from the Play Store…
YouTube adds heatmaps to help creators see where people gaze in 360 VR videos
Virtual reality is incredibly important and YouTube has been doubling down over the past year to ensure that it is the premier platform for the format. The latest update for creators adds heatmaps to see how viewers are interacting with 360-degree and VR videos.
HTC announces a Japan-only VR headset for the U11 w/ built-in display, 6DoF tracking
Google might preview a standalone VR headset w/ inside-out tracking at I/O 2017
What I/O 2017 set to kickoff in less than 24 hours, Google might showcase a standalone virtual reality headset at the event. Rumored for over a year, it will not require a smartphone or a PC and possibly use inside-out positional tracking.
Google’s WebVR now compatible with Cardboard, new experiments website [Video]
Back in June of 2016, it was revealed that Google was working on a way to make virtual reality accessible from every web browser, dubbed WebVR. Then, with the release of Chrome 56 Beta, Google started to allow developers to begin testing their WebVR projects on the web. Today, Google has published 12 WebVR experiments for users to test out not only with Daydream headsets but also those with Cardboard…
Get your Cardboard out and pretend you’re in line for the Galaxy S8 event [Panorama]
Samsung’s Galaxy S8 event is kicking off in less than an hour, and we’re standing in line here at the Lincoln Center in New York City. If you want to know what it’s like to stand in one of these (extremely long) lines, just pull out your Cardboard (or Daydream!), and tap on the Facebook embed below.
Alternatively, you can just head directly over to our Facebook page (and like/follow it!) and check out the pano over there. If you turn your device sideways, the pano should load right up and you’ll be able to tilt and turn your head around to see the Unpacked 2017 line as we wait for the event.
Be sure to tune in live to watch Samsung announce the Galaxy S8 and S8+.
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Google has shipped over 10 million Cardboard VR headsets since 2014
Google has a lot invested in VR, specifically in mobile VR. Its Daydream platform has been the star of the show for the past several months, but before that came Google Cardboard, an affordable VR experience for every phone. Believe it or not, that system debuted almost three years ago, and today Google is announcing that it has shipped over 10 million Cardboard headsets.
You can now explore the wonders of the ancient city of Petra with Google Cardboard
Petra is an ancient city found in southern Jordan that is known for its architecture. What’s unique about the city is that all of the buildings and water systems were carved right into the surrounding rocks. Last year, Google released a virtual tour of the city within Maps but now they have created a full 360-degree experience for Cardboard.
Google, Samsung, and others form the Global Virtual Reality Association to create VR standards
Announced yesterday, some of the biggest names in the virtual reality world have come together to form an association that will hopefully make VR something that everyone can enjoy and partake in. This non-profit hopes to not only conduct research and identify the best practices for VR, but to also start a conversation between everyone currently involved in the field…
The ‘Bohemian Rhapsody Experience’ Google was showing at I/O is now available for all
Seth and I got to experience a really cool VR music video earlier this year at Google I/O 2016, but at that point the only way to see it was to… be at Google I/O. The version they were showing was an unfinished ‘prototype,’ if you will. Now, anyone with a relatively-capable Android phone can see what we saw, and those with an iPhone will be getting access soon…
Google is reportedly still working on a standalone mixed reality Daydream successor
A Google I/O 2014 attendee wearing a Project Tango/Cardboard hybrid
A report from Recode a few days ago said that a project in Google X to create a “high-end standalone” VR headset was recently cancelled in favor of more focus on Android — and, specifically, the Mountain View company’s new Daydream platform. Now, another report (via Engadget) says that Google is indeed still working on a standalone headset, albeit one “that blurs the line between virtual reality and augmented reality.”
Google was working on its own Oculus-style VR headset, but it was scrapped
With virtual reality gaming quickly on the rise we’re seeing more and more consumers pick up VR headsets such as the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. Currently these are the two biggest players in the game, but if plans from Google had come to fruition, there may have been another headset on the market…
Curious mention of ‘Google Cardboard’ in Pokemon Go could hint at future VR features
It goes without saying that Pokemon Go is blasting off, but what’s keeping the hype from already waning is the fact that there is so much more to come. The original trailer shown off last year touted the ability to trade and battle Pokemon with other players, and those features are almost certainly already in the works, but how else could we see the game evolve in the coming months?
If you want to make a not-so farfetch’d guess based on the Licenses page in the app, VR features in the form of Google Cardboard could be in the cards…
Google working to make every website viewable in virtual reality with Chrome
It’s no secret that Google is heavily interested in virtual reality technology and now it’s looking to bring some of that technology to Chrome. As noticed by Road To VR, the latest builds of Chrome Beta and Chrome Dev bring the beginnings of support for WebVR.
Hands-on with an early preview of Daydream, Android’s upcoming VR platform [Video]
VR is slowly taking over the tech space as more and more companies make their attempts to steal your content-consuming eyeballs. As you may know, Google was among the first to debut a mobile VR experience with Google Cardboard, but it was pretty barebones to say the least.
At Google I/O 2016 we got a sneak peek at what Google has in store for virtual reality in the coming months with Google Daydream. And right around the corner from the full Android N release, Google has debuted a set of developer tools to allow anyone with a Nexus 6P to test out Daydream right now…
New render highlights the thin Moto Z Style, while Moto E passes Bluetooth certification
From new Moto devices to Project Tango, Lenovo will have a full lineup of announcements this Thursday at Tech World 2016. Now, a new render has surfaced highlighting the thinness of the Moto Z, while a Bluetooth certification points to low-end devices also set to carry the Moto name.
Huawei announces support for Daydream, Google’s new platform for VR on Android
At Google I/O‘s keynote yesterday, one of the highlights of the final unveiling of Android N was all about Virtual Reality. While no “Android VR” headset was announced, the search giant introduced Daydream, a VR platform that will be available within Android N.
According to Clay Bavor, which debuted Daydream on stage, as many as eight big-name partners are already onboard: Samsung, HTC, LG, Xiaomi, ZTE, Asus, Alcatel and Huawei, and today, the latter OEM is giving us some more information about its integration with Google’s VR vision…
YouTube for iOS updated with VR mode for any video using Cardboard
Google has been making great efforts lately in bringing virtual reality to anyone with a smartphone, and the latest update to its YouTube app makes finding VR content super easy. YouTube for iOS now includes a dedicated Cardboard button, which automatically transforms any video into VR mode for watching with Google Cardboard.