Google will reportedly release a Gear VR competitor this year

And it won’t be cardboard

The past four years have been VR hype-dominated, but if you were really pressed to pin one as The Year of VR, I suppose it would be 2016. That’s when most of these machines leave their comfy nests and beta states, and they actually get released into the world and are expected to function properly.

Add one more to the pile, it seems. A report from Financial Times says that Google intends to seriously enter the VR market. By year’s end, Google will launch a new smartphone-powered VR peripheral that’s aligned as a direct competitor to Samsung/Oculus’ Gear VR.

While no real specifics are known yet, this VR headset is said to have “better sensors, lenses, and a more solid plastic casing.” It’s also reported to be compatible with a wide range of Android phones, not just those in the Samsung Galaxy line as is the case for Gear VR.

Google has already taken a (relatively speaking) primitive, yet innovative, stab at VR with its Google Cardboard display. Even though it’s made from cardboard, that peripheral has shipped more than five million units. With everyone excited about the technology, it’s very possible that Google could see its second VR success — this time with a more substantial product.

Google pushes further into virtual reality with new headset [Financial Times via GameSpot]