Google's Android VR Headset standalone will be released next week at the I/O conference. It is unlikely to be a rumor when it is someone as eligible as tech journalist, Peter Rojas, who tweeted the news.
Rojas further confirmed that the new Android VR headset will be more powerful than Gear VR but not as good as HTC's Vive or Oculus' Rift, as reported by TechCrunch.
It seems that Google understands consumers' thought by delivering a product to enhance their virtual reality experience. Given the fact that both Rift and Vive cost a fortune to setup and you need to have at least, high specs PC. Or, alternatively, getting a cheap VR headset to be used with your smartphone. Google's product might stand out from the competition since it offers both, quality VR without the need of smartphone equipment. However, it will likely be better than Google Cardboard that costs only $15.
For the record, Google sold 5 million of Cardboard compatible VR headsets so far and it seems obvious that the giant company will develop something better in terms of user experience and hopefully, price too.
As for the Gear VR, Samsung has the privilege to exploit VR feature first after selling the headset only for $99 but requires buyers to have compatible device, either Samsung Note or Galaxy. Not to mention the Samsung Galaxy S7 pre-order that comes with headset giveaways.
With Android VR standalone, Google might reduce the cost of experiencing virtual space, which according to Android Authority, should be somewhere at the middle range. As for the exact specifications and pricing, there is not much to learn so far. Consumers have to wait till next week on May 18. For those who wish to stay connected with the big event, Google also launches Google I/O 2016 app where users can navigate through and connect to subjects they are interested in.
Android VR will definitely be announced next week, and from what I’ve heard will be less powerful than the Vive or Rift.
— Peter Rojas (@peterrojas) May 11, 2016
