A report from the Financial Times includes quotes from anonymous sources which indicate that Google is planning to release a new virtual reality headset. Unlike the company's current Google Cardboard headset, this new device will be made of plastic and designed to be a competitor to the likes of Samsung's GearVR.
And just what could make it more competitive? For a start, the fact that the headset is rumoured to fit more Android phones than just the Samsung Galaxy series, allowing more people to experience VR content. Further supporting this is the rumour that support for VR apps will be built into the Android operating system itself, rather than requiring a separate app as the Google Cardboard currently does.
The hardware itself should also be superior, with the report claiming that this new headset will feature better sensors and lenses, with some of the processing power built into the headset itself, rather than being wholly reliant upon the phone in use.
The news arrives after Google recently bolstered its VR division, appointing Clay Bavor VP of Virtual Reality, and after numerous job postings were listed calling for individuals with experience in manufacturing consumer hardware. The company's investments in Magic Leap and Project Tango could also be related to this new hardware. Though the report says this new hardware may arrive in September, we likely won't hear more until Google's I/O conference in May.
