Since announcing their entry into the ultra-low end of the VR market with Cardboard at Google I/O last year, Google has been very solidly working on building the platform into something quite meaningful. With the Cardboard platform open sourced, Google is now working to make sure that all cardboard units made by the multitude of manufacturers are made equal with a new certification process called ‘Works with Cardboard’.
The process of getting the ‘Works with Cardboard’ approval is quite simple for manufacturers. Manufacturers simply supply the focal length, input type, and inter-lens distance for their cardboard unit, and Google will supply a QR code to stick to the headset which users can scan with the Cardboard app, which will make all the necessary adjustments to ensure a smooth VR experience.
There’s been tools added for developers to help them out, with the cardboard SDK updated to take advantage of the new ‘Works with Cardboard’ certification.
Cardboard users will get some great new features too, with new categories being added to the Cardboard apps focus in Google Play. The new categories now include Music and Video, Games, and Experiences – so there’s almost something for everyone.
Google has also announced that there will be improvements to both audio and the user interface side of things for Cardboard in the coming months. Google has purchased two companies: Thrive Audio and Tilt Brush
In addition, we’re thrilled to have the Tilt Brush team join our family. With its innovative approach to 3D painting, Tilt Brush won last year’s Proto Award for Best Graphical User Interface. We’re looking forward to having them at Google, and building great apps together.
For more information on the Works with Cardboard program, you can head on over to the Google Cardboard website.
