Google Cardboard is a virtual reality (VR) platform developed by Google. Named for its fold-out cardboard viewer into which a smartphone is inserted, the platform was intended as a low-cost system to encourage interest and development in VR applications .
Google Cardboard has been available since 2014 when it was introduced at I/O. The next year Google released a new version that was easier to put together, and there are rumors that this year will see yet another iteration, this time using more durable materials.
When did the Google Cardboard viewer come out?
Released in February 2015, it was distributed as a free accessory with new G3 models sold in certain countries, and was perceived to be a competitor to the Samsung Gear VR accessory. On November 8, 2015, The New York Times included a Google Cardboard viewer manufactured by Knoxlabs with all home newspaper deliveries.
The Google Cardboard was officially introduced by Google at the I/O developer conference in 2014. It is a cardboard box that turns any smartphone into a pair of VR glasses. It was not the first project of its kind, as Durovis Dive had launched similar glasses on the market before that.
After the success of Cardboard, Google developed an enhanced VR platform, Daydream, which was launched in 2016. Following declining interest in Cardboard, Google announced in November 2019 that it would open-source the platform’s SDK . In March 2021, the Google Store stopped selling Cardboard viewers .
What happened to Google’s Cardboard VR Business?
The exceptionally low-cost VR googles, literally made from folded cardboard, were a massive hit when they were unveiled back in 2014. But despite Google’s best efforts to introduce premium Cardboard-compatible hardware with their Daydream View headset two years later, it failed to evolve into a profitable business.
One common answer is, get it, fold it and look inside to enter the world of Cardboard. It’s a VR experience starting with a simple viewer anyone can build or buy. Once you have it, you can explore a variety of apps that unfold all around you.
How many people have downloaded cardboard apps?
Through March 2017, over 10 million Cardboard viewers had shipped and over 160 million Cardboard app downloads had been made. Following the success of the Cardboard platform, Google announced an enhanced VR platform, Daydream, at Google I/O 2016.