Google looks to launch standalone Android VR headset: report

PanARMENIAN.Net - It looks nearly certain that Google will launch an Android-powered VR headset that works without a phone or PC, Engadget reports.

An "Android VR" placeholder was spotted in Google's Play Developer Console, and Engadget co-founder Peter Rojas (now an entrepreneur at investment firm Betaworks) tweeted that "Android VR will be definitely be announced next week" (at Google I/O). Rojas added that the device will be a "standalone" headset that doesn't require a phone, and will obviously be less powerful than the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift models that are tethered to a PC, Engadget says.

The rumors jibe with an earlier report that Google will release a standalone headset. The company may use motion-tracking cameras powered by Movidius, a company it worked with on the Project Tango smartphone. However, the Financial Times also reported that Google will launch a device that does require a smartphone, but supports multiple brands, unlike Samsung's Gear VR. According to the WSJ, it may launch both types of models at its I/O conference.

Neither type of headset requires third-party apps, because the Android VR experience will supposedly be built right into Android, Engadget says.