HIGHLIGHTS
lots of companies are actually beginning to sell Google Cardboard headsets
Google has already introduced the successor to Cardboard – Dayream
Daydream headsets may not be on the market for any other six months
The marketplace is getting saturated with Cardboard VR headsets – what should were a beachhead in themarch of digital fact is speedy turning into a beach motel rather, cheerfully waving to draw travelers,however boring the hell out of long-time citizens. if you‘ve been following mobile VR for any time frame, then the question you have to invite is why humans are still putting out Cardboard headsets halfwaythru 2016?
Google introduced the card reference design years in the past, at Google I/O 2014. basically, it’s a couple of lenses (in conjunction with a magnetic button) in a cardboard housing that holds your telephone, which can be used for an immersive digital fact enjoy. It changed into a cheap, simple, andextraordinarily powerful solution. final yr, there was a brand new new release to the layout, which simplified it in addition, getting rid of the magnetic button which now and again fouled the other sensors,replacing it with a easy yet stylish answer – a capacitive strip to can help you contact the display screencircuitously.
To take a look at the marketplace for smartphones proper now, you’ll think that we are proper within themiddle of a revolution in virtual truth on cellular devices. it is practically not possible to launch a brand new smartphone without some form of virtual reality headset to go with it, and apart fromSamsung’s gear VR, each headset you’ll see is based round Google’s low-value Cardboard VR initiative.
Lenovo was one of the first brands to closely promote VR with the Lenovo AntVR headset with TheaterMaxgeneration, but because then, we’ve visible others which includes the OnePlus Loop VR headsetadditionally by way of AntVR, the Coolpad VR 1x headset priced at Rs. 999, and the Intex Eyelet VR headset, bundled with the Intex Aqua View, the ultimate of which is clearly made from cardboard.
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however there are also many Indian companies which are quickly churning out Cardboard headsets. One such that devices 360 reviewed recently is the Converge VR headset. another enterprise that makes ahigh–end (made from plastic, now not cardboard, with high high-quality lenses, padding, andadjustments for attention and inter-pupillary distance, along with straps to head arms unfastened) Cardboard headsets is Chandigarh-based Procus VR. also from Chandigarh is AuraVR, some otherCardboard-based totally headset maker. Goa’s Absentia, that is working on a high–end VR headset, is also launching a Cardboard headset. on the face of it even though, this makes no experience, as theseheadsets provide little proper differentiation, and while it’s easy for manufacturers to offer closelydiscounted headsets as a marketing point, it’s difficult to recognize the motivations of independentorganizations in a section this is becoming increasingly more crowded.
So what’s the factor of making these headsets?
For a few, it is approximately being seen as cutting facet, or at least not dragging at the back of, onetelephone employer govt explained. “while you‘re making these in bulk, the cost is quite low. Lenovo isannouncing that it is shipped round lakh devices of its headset – at that scale, the price is quite negligibleso that you can provide it as a package with the smartphone, at a totally low fee. Now nowadays, just about each cellphone has the equal specs, and the identical enjoy. What are you going to do to make aclient say, ‘I need this?’. For us [phone makers] VR is a low price thrill to throw in without affecting the feeof the handset, so it makes feel,” stated the govt you wished to remain anonymous.
That might be the case for the various brands which can be launching headsets, however whatapproximately smaller businesses?
“The entry stage cardboard headsets which you get for some hundred rupees are their own class,however higher high-quality gadgets like ours provide loads of cost, along with higher lenses, betterarea of view, headphones,” says Rajan Arora, the CEO and founder of Procus VR. “we have madesomething very excessive–stop that need to be compared to the Rs. 10,000 tools VR.” The Procus headset is available on line for Rs. 2,499 right now, and a professional model this is lighter andincludes various upgrades is on the way, so that you can have an MRP of Rs. four,599, and be boughtat Rs. 3,599. “right now, you have entry–level, and you’ve high quit products,” he adds. “I assume you will get a marketplace at around Rs. 5,000 also.”
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Procus, which changed into awaiting sales of under 1,000 for its first version, ended up selling over 20,000 headsets, Arora claims. however why are humans shopping for these highly-priced headsets,whilst they’re functionally similar to a Rs. 500 set, simply with greater padding and straps; mainly with anew edition – Daydream – around the nook?
The destiny
At its annual builders‘ conference Google IO, Google unveiled Daydream, its new VR general, and Android VR mode. these are main modifications that look to cope with the various troubles with currentCardboard gadgets. Daydream, but, won’t be like minded with as many phones as Cardboard; it’ll haveextra stressful necessities, and in line with Google, present day telephones are not likely to aid it.
this means that the current crop of headsets are not going to aid Daydream either – and some considerthat that is the way to head. “We postponed our subsequent model and are now working on a Daydreamconsumer version, with movement far off controller,” Nilesh Yadav, the writer of Converge VR wrote todevices 360 as soon as Google IO ended. “VR mode looks certainly properly in Android N, and theirmovement remote controller is simply brilliant. I had VR prototypes very similar to Google Daydream VR, which i’m able to almost make in 10 mins every in any length and form for all Daydream mobiletelephone sizes, also very excessive great.” in view that then, the business enterprise has releasedwhat it says is a Daydream like minded headset.
there may be greater to it than Daydream, argues Harikrishna Valiyath, the COO for Absentia VR, outlining the organisation‘s plan to make a Rs. 4,000 headset.
“humans may be inclined to pay extra for first-rate. we’re the use of excessive grade foam, IPD andfocus adjustment, and Fresnel lenses, and the result is a miles better enjoy than basic cardboard units,” says Valiyath. “Daydream however remains six months to maybe even three hundred and sixty five daysaway due to the fact the handsets are not even in the market right now.”
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whilst Absentia is attempting to make a VR headset which could compete with the likes of the Oculus Rift or the HTC Vive, it is also realised that making some thing for mobiles is the fastest manner to attain a number of humans, educate them approximately VR, and also set up the emblem in India. Valiyath reassures us that the employer is not losing consciousness on its predominant product, the Tesseract, or delaying its access into computer VR, but says that cell now not the most effective venture for Absentia.
“one of the massive troubles additionally with Cardboard is that there may be no content for people,” heprovides. “you can discover a few matters however it’s without a doubt hard to locate regular, highfine content. it’s in which we will are available – we’re going to release a cell app along side the headset, with which we’re going to supply 1,000 hours of streaming content material, and also will showyour neighborhood content material in VR. it is going to be like Voot, but for VR.”
this is something that Procus is also searching at, in step with Arora. “We want to be extra than only aVR organization,” he says. “we are looking to create specific content material as a way to beunfastened to our own customers, and paid for through others. we’re nonetheless developing this,however just these days we released on VR horror app referred to as The bet, and we are going topreserve launching more content too, in order that it’s now not just about the hardware.”
it is not very clean if this technique is the exceptional one, in a discipline where generation is growingso hastily. Is it too soon to invite people to invest heavily in what is, on the give up of the day, no longer proprietary technology? we’re going to realize soon enough, as Daydream inches towards truth,to see whether it represents extra of a nightmare for companies which can be seeking to construct some thing long time with Cardboard.
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Tags: Absentia, Android VR, Cardboard, Converge VR, Daydream, Google, mobile VR, Procus VR, digitalfact, VR headsets
