Google I/O 2016 is almost here. The annual developer conference that is usually headlined by a keynote on its opening day takes place next week. One of the things we are now expecting to see besides Android N, of course, is a new virtual reality headset from Google. No, not Google Cardboard, something new and, reportedly, much better. In fact, some people believe that the new VR headset from Google may even be more powerful than Samsung’s Gear VR.
According to veteran tech journalist Peter Rojas who took to Twitter to share the news, while the headset won’t just be another pair of goggles, it will still be inferior to the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive.
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Unlike Google Cardboard which relies on a smartphone for the screen and the content, Google’s VR headset is rumoured to be standalone. It won’t need a costly computer the way tethered virtual reality headsets like the Vive and the Rift do nor will it need a smartphone for the screen like the way the Gear VR does. It is expected to have its own screen. Details on how exactly that will work are sketchy at the moment. However, what that means is that the device will be a bit pricey. More costly than the $15 Cardboard, probably even pricier than the Gear VR (which goes for roughly $100) but still cheaper than the Vive and the Rift.
Samsung has been rumoured to be working on a standalone VR headset as well. Unlike Samsung’s device which does not have a release timeline, we may get to hear about Google’s Android VR as soon as next week at I/O. Our fingers are crossed.
Nearly 10 million virtual reality headsets are expected to be sold this year. One of the most affordable VR headsets in the market, the Gear VR, has so far seen 1 million users according to Oculus.
