Google is reportedly planning to release a new virtual reality headset this year, one made of more rigid materials -- like the Oculus Rift -- instead of cardboard.
Nick Statt/CNET
Google has virtual reality ambitions that stretch beyond cardboard.
The web giant is planning to release a new VR headset later this year, according to a report Sunday by the Financial Times. A successor to the Cardboard VR viewer the company released in 2014, the new smartphone-based headset will sport improved sensors and lenses housed in a solid plastic casing, according to the report.
The move would further buttress the growing interest tech companies have shown in VR, which promises to transport goggle-wearing users to other 3D worlds. Facebook is on the verge of releasing its long-awaited Oculus Rift headset, while Sony, Samsung and HTC are also heavily invested in the technology.
Microsoft's HoloLens, meanwhile, is aimed at augmented reality, which adds 3D computer-generated scenes to people's view of the real world. Apple has also reportedly assembled a secret research group focused on virtual and augmented reality.
Whether consumers will agree is still unclear. Samsung's Gear VR headset, which was developed in a partnership with Facebook, was released last year for $99 (£80 in the UK or AU$159 in Australia), not including the price of a phone to power it. But Samsung has yet to say how well it's sold. Other major devices, ranging from the $599 (£499 or AU$649) Oculus Rift to HTC's Vive to Sony's PlayStation VR are all expected to be released sometime this year.
Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but Google CEO Sundar Pichai signaled the company's continued interest in VR during an eaings call last week.
"It's still incredible early innings for virtual reality as a platform and Cardboard is just a first step, but we are excited by the progress we have seen," Pichai said during a conference call. "Our partners have shipped over 5 million Google Cardboard viewers and we recently teamed up with the New York Times on a virtual reality experience in which over 1 million Times subscribers received Cardboard."
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