Google may be planning to release its own Oculus Rift VR competitor, The Wall Street Journal reports, and it may have the capability of supporting AR applications. The virtual reality headset would be independent from its Google Cardboard project, which utilizes smartphones as a stand-in for a dedicated display and CPU.
If The Wall Street Journal ’s sources, who are “familiar with the matter,” are correct, the in-development Google dedicated VR headset would come with the necessary processing power and display screen for a smoother virtual reality experience than is currently possible with smartphones. The device will also reportedly have outward facing cameras, which may give the Google VR headset some augmented reality capabilities.
The outward facing cameras may in fact be what differentiates Google’s supposed VR headset from other big name competitors such as the Oculus Rift or the HTC Vive. These VR headsets use motion sensors and a computer's processing power to track a user’s head movements. Google, on the other hand, is supposedly partnering with the motion tracking focused startup Movidius.
If Google were to use Movidius’s technology, its VR device may be able to track a user’s head movements with the use of those outward facing cameras, a capability that would save enormously on the processing power needed.
It’s not quite clear when or even if Google, or Alphabet, Inc., will release this dedicated VR headset. However, considering Apple is rumored to be working on VR and AR technology, it seems like the future is increasingly becoming a virtual one.
