Welcome to the big times
Rule Number One: Free is always good. In the absence of free, inexpensive is also a runner-up. Such is the case with the Google Cardboard VR headset. Long given away as a tradeshow freebie or with special promotions, GDVR is now being sold cheap in several major countries.
A real steal
Don’t get caught up in the fact that this is the basic OG Cardboard design, and not the slick foldable C1 Glass viewer or the retro-chic Mattel View-Master version. Beggars can’t be choosers. According to an article in Android Police, the GCVR is going for $20 in Canada, 15 pounds in the UK, or 20 Euros in France and Germany. Granted, at the current exchange rates that’s a bit steep for a piece of cardboard with a plastic lenses. The solution? Buy in buy and share the fun: You can save a bit of dough by buying Cardboard in pairs, which saves you $5, 10 pounds, and 10 Euro, respectively.
Hopefully Cardboard will be available in more countries, and in more variety, soon.
Into the mainstream
There’s nothing like [not quite] worldwide sales to give a product some street cred. VR is catching on quick, and brands are seeing the super-cheap Cardboard as an easy means to drum up some interest quickly. The flip side to all the publicity is that without sufficient content, even the best technology is meaningless.
A recent article on Tech Crunch explains that “VR has the potential to transform nearly every industry imaginable: product design, interior design and even car manufacturing.”
But in order to reach those innovations on VR’s horizon, industry content experts must partner with leaders in the tech sector to craft immersive content that educates, informs and entertains. Probably not in that order.
Google Cardboard: There’s a pair out there with your name on it.
