Google’s planned new all-in-one virtual reality headset will be entirely self-contained and – unlike others – won’t need a smartphone, computer or a game console to work as it seeks to take on Samsung’s Gear VR, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
The report’s sources say the headset will have a screen, high-performance processors made by Movidius and outward-facing cameras. The processors will reportedly “use the cameras’ feeds to track the motion of the user’s head.”
Likely pricing remains a mystery. Commentators note that Samsung currently sells its latest Gear VR for US$99, but that device is limited to a few Samsung smartphones, which users have to buy separately.
The rival Oculus Rift costs US$600, but users need a powerful PC in order to run it properly; a complete Oculus VR and PC setup can cost around $1500.
Google may unveil its VR headset at the company’s annual I/O developer conference in May.
