Google reportedly releasing a rival to Samsung's Gear VR later this year

This new Google VR headset is expecting to offer a solid plastic housing as well as better lenses and sensors, similar to Samsung's Gear VR.

Though we're just speculating on timelines, it's possibly that Google could officially preview some new features of Android VR-its virtual-reality themed iteration of Android-at the company's I/O developer conference this May.

New software Google is hoping to improve the quality of the mobile VR viewing experience by embedding new software directly into its Android smartphone operating system, rather than relying only on a traditional app as it does with Cardboard today.

Google is reportedly planning to release a new virtual reality headset this year, one made of more rigid materials - like the Oculus Rift - instead of cardboard.

The Google Cardboard and Samsung Gear VR introduced a new way of providing virtual reality headsets. But Samsung's Gear VR headset sets the bar much higher thanks to on-board hardware and special cooperation between the headset and the phone, putting Gear VR in another league entirely.

Now it seems that Google wants to make a competing device, and they could launch it this year, according to Financial Times [paywall], who cite "people familiar with [Google's] plans".

Last month, Google announced that 5 million Cardboard VR headsets have shipped so far (not all were shipped by Google, as Cardboard uses an open-source design that allows any manufacturer to sell "Works with Google Cardboard" devices). The hardware itself could arrive in September, it's reported.

So when will be able to see this new headset for ourselves? A new Google VR headset could potentially be compatible with Samsung's Gear VR-compatible smartphones, or it could exclude them; either way, the platform politics are likely to get awkward fast, especially with prominent Google products like YouTube still missing from Gear VR.

Google hasn't commented on these software or hardware rumors as of yet, but it's not too farfetched to think we could see a preview of the technology at Google I/O 2016 in May.

Source: Google reportedly releasing a rival to Samsung's Gear VR later this year

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