Google Cardboard –Virtual Reality Experience at Affordable Prices

Google Cardboard, the name sounds fanciful, akin to a school project for creating something for fun rather than for prolonged use. However it is exactly its prolonged usefulness which makes it stand apart. Google has created a cheap virtual reality head set made of cardboard and can be used in conjunction with smartphones to magnify the technology experience.

It could look like misnomer but it is actually much more. The name Google Cardboard fits perfectly since the headset is indeed made of cardboard and is being offered at a price which fully justifies the image which Google so assiduously tries to cultivate- bring technology to the common man at a price he can afford. Google is offering the cheapest; nay I would say economical is a better word to describe it, the most economical VR experience to the ordinary person on the street.

Compare the $10 Cardboard with the nearest competitor, the Oculus Rift “development kit” headset, which carries a price tag of $350.

It was a part of the Google 20% policy which enables the worker to explore their own ideas in addition to their regular duties. The Google Cardboard is a “build your own” device kind of deal. You buy a kit from Google which includes a piece of cardboard and two “40mm focal distance lenses.”After assembly all that is left to do is to insert their smartphones into the device, and Google Cardboard will transform the conventional handset phone experience into a fully-functional virtual reality trip.

So what is the trick? The lenses when placed at an optimal distance from the phone screen create s a 3D, virtual reality effect. With attuned apps, users can simply move their heads around and control the images that are appearing on their screen. Additionally The Google Cardboard headset also comes with a specialized magnet which enables the user to touch the screen and control different facets of apps which cannot be controlled by simple movement.

You can buy the Google Cardboard here and consumers have been given different manufacturer options from which to make a purchase. Prices can vary according to the manufacturer chosen. Variations are available for different kind of smartphone one plans to use with the device. Price vary in between $20 to $30 range.