Google Reportedly Working on Self-Contained VR System
There's been a fair amount of talk about Google possibly updating its Cardboard virtual reality headset with a more Samsung Gear VR-like build. But the company's not stopping there supposedly. Reports are rolling in that the search giant is working on a second virtual reality device, one that will operate independent of a smartphone, PC or even a gaming console.
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Reportedly, the nascent device will have its own screen along with outward-facing cameras. The headset will reportedly be powered with a processor from startup company Movidius. Although Google reps have confirmed that they are working with Movidius in some capacity, they have declined to elaborate on the nature of the relationship. This leaves us to ponder to what Google, Movidius and Magic Leap could possibly be working on.
The proposition of a self-contained VR system is definitely exciting as current smartphone-reliant devices taxes both the processor and the battery. Being semi-tethered to a PC or game console isn't an ideal situation for VR either. A self-sufficient system could provide a mobile experience that, paired with room tracking, eliminates the need for a bunch of supplementary hardware.
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If anyone can get this project to market, it's Google. Although it didn't go over so well with mainstream society, Google Glass was a great example of the potential to take AR/VR with us in a somewhat unobtrusive way. Throw in Project Tango's depth-sensing cameras and you've got a certified threat to anything currently on and off the market including Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Gear VR and PlayStation VR. Hopefully if/when Google does make this happen, it will find a better way to introduce it to the masses than the Glass ambassador project.
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