Google said to be creating a stand-alone VR headset

BY Evan Selleck

Published 11 Feb 2016

Google HQ

Google is said to be gearing up for its own stand-alone VR headset, according to new reports.

According to a report published by The Wall Street Journal, the house that built Android is now putting real work on building a stand-alone virtual reality (VR) headset. Google, for what it’s worth, already has some efforts in the VR space with its Google Cardboard headset, which uses a smartphone for the primary experience, but this is something much more powerful — and doesn’t need a smartphone or PC to work.

According to sources, the device will feature “will include a screen, high-powered processors and outward-facing cameras,” and it is being designed with a more “middle-ground” experience in mind. Something that’s more than the Cardboard-and-smartphone experience, but something that’s a bit less than the all-out VR experience that is available with things like the Oculus Rift.

Interestingly enough, this new initiative is something different than what Google is planning to bring to market that competes directly with Samsung’s Gear VR, which Google is reportedly planning to unveil later this year alongside a new version of its mobile platform, Android.

As far as a release date goes, one source said that Google could launch this VR experience this year, while another said that the plans are still in the early stages, and that it could see a launch much later.

Are you getting excited about all the virtual reality coming your way?

[via The Wall Street Journal]