Following its rival Samsung's release of the Gear VR, LG makes an announcement of its own that it has been quietly working with Google to create its own virtual reality headset designed for owners of its LG G3 flagship smartphone.
Dubbed VR for G3, the new headset is based on Google's own paper-crafted Cardboard system. However, instead of the cheap and easy cardboard used for Google's own design, VR for G3 uses more durable plastic that has been redesigned to adhere specifically for the LG G3's design.
There is not much assembly required. Like the Gear VR for Samsung's Galaxy Note 4, users simply have to slide their smartphone's into the headset, which has holes to accommodate the LG G3's rear camera and volume controls. It also features the same neodymium ring magnet in Google Cardboard, which allows the headset to make use of the smartphone's gyroscope sensor to allow the user to select menus without having to touch the display.
The VR for G3 also takes advantage of the smartphone's 1W speaker with Boost AMP and can be partnered with a Bluetooth speaker to provide a richer, fuller, virtual reality experience. The headset also comes with a free virtual reality game called Robobliteration, which can be purchased through an in-box QR code, so users can see how they can take advantage of the LG G3's high-resolution display right away.
Chris Yie, vice president and head of marketing communications at LG, says the company hopes to take its first step into the virtual reality industry as it aims to provide mainstream consumers more access into a budding technology that is, until now, quite expensive and inaccessible to most consumers. The Oculus Rift that Facebook-owned Oculus VR is working on is still, at the very least, several months away from a full consumer launch, while Samsung's Gear VR costs $310 on Amazon.
"By leveraging Google Cardboard, not only are regular consumers able to participate in the VR experience, we'll be able to introduce this technology to future developers who may one day show us how VR can be used to improve our lives," Yie stated.
That said, LG has yet to make the price of the VR for G3 headset available, but the company has promised to make the device free for every new buyer of its flagship smartphone. Also still unknown is the release date of LG's new headset, although the company says it will roll out the VR for G3 in "select markets" this month.
Google is fully supportive of LG's foray into virtual reality and hopes that its economy-sized system, as opposed to Oculus VR's carefully optimized approach, will help fuel the demand for other companies to start investing in the industry.
