Google made a lot of exciting announcements at its 93-hour long I/O keynote presentation yesterday. But nothing garnered quite as much excitement as the stunningly minimal Google Cardboard. Don’t worry about having to make it yourself, though, because as with everything else in life, you can now buy one of your very own online.
After doing the maths, DODOcase found that acquiring all the separate pieces would round out to a cool $US45, which, while less pricey than an Oculus Rift, is still a significant amount of money (and work) for what is ultimately strapping a cardboard box to your face. Thanks to the wonders of buying in bulk, they have gathered and pre-cut everything for a mere $US20 a pop. In your state-of-the-art kit, you will receive:
- Pre-cut cardboard
- Lenses
- Magnet
- Velcro
- Rubberband
- Upgrade for optional NFC tag
DODOcase claims that putting it together shouldn’t take you more than five minutes, and Google’s provided some instructions for doing so here. And while Google has come out with the first competitor, it’s worth noting that Samsung is also working on a virtual reality headset of its own that is presumably not made of cardboard, though that does not make it demonstrably better. Either way, the gauntlet has been thrown. [DODOcase]