Google Cardboard 3D Virtual Reality Goggles

You may havgoogle cardboarde heard for Oculus Rift 3D/virtual reality headset. But who has $300 to get one? How about $10!?!

Google Cardboard (link) is a quick and easy 3D/virtual reality headset that uses your smart phone. By splitting the image the same way other 3D headsets do, your phone screen becomes the display. Now you just need a way for that display to be a headset. Enter Google Cardboard.

Google Cardboard

Some sell for around $25 but here’s one for $10.

It’s a fairly simple contraption – it comes unassembled, but assembly is just folding some cardboard. I did it in about 2 minutes.google cardboard - assembly

The velcro holds it shut while you’re using it and keeps your phone in place. I used it with an iPhone 6 and it fit well. An iPhone 6+ might be a bit big???

Even though it’s Google related, there are apps for iOS too. The first one I tried was Dive City Rollercoaster. It seemed VERY much like the roller coaster game I used with my Oculus Rift.

Google Cardboard even has a “button” on the left side. There are 2 magnets – one on the inside and one on the outside. The one on the inside is fixed in it’s position. The outside one has a longer slot and can be slid google cardboard - buttondown with your finger. It snaps back into place when released.

So apps can use the internal compass to detect when the magnet moves and relay it as a button tap. This is the only real way you can interact with the app once it’s in the headset. It didn’t seem like any apps I used with it took advantage of this “button.”

There’s a good number of Android apps for Google Cardboard.

 iOS Google Cardboard Apps

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