Google Cardboard became a hit in the virtual reality industry and the company has kept mum about working on a virtual reality camera. Google's Virtual Reality leader tells the world what the company is planning on doing next.
Google was proud to say that it had shipped 5 million devices and that 25 million Cardboard apps have been downloaded. The Cardboard started with - as the name says - a cardboard. The next steps were to enhance the experience which is why Google announced that they're amping the box with spatial audio.
Clay Bavor, the Vice President of Product Management at Google, has been leading the Cardboard team. He now spills the beans on what's next:
The interesting thing about Cardboard is, the smartphones weren't built for VR.
He explains that he's been wrapping his mind around the idea of making unreal things look realistic ever since he was younger. What he did with that idea can currently be found in photorealism, virtual reality and computer modeling. Bavor, who is known internally as the VR nerd, didn't want to go into specifics but it seems like Google is working on a higher-end virtual reality hardware. From what he said, it sounds like his team is banking on enhancing the VR experience with a smartphone - something which almost everybody in the world already has. And Google, a company with tons of ambition and resources, has most likely already thought of a lot of ways to make virtual reality available for everybody especially if their goal now is to focus on optimizing a smartphone a VR device.
The amazing thing about Cardboard is that it's truly VR for everyone with a smartphone. We think there's something powerful and important in that.
For now, VR users can only be contented with virtual reality content available and apps when using their entry-level Cardboard. Hopefully, the future of virtual reality will remain accessible and not-so expensive.
