Cardboard Android

Bring virtual reality to your smartphone

While companies like Facebook with their Oculus Rift or Microsoft with their HoloLens are committed to a high-range virtual reality with headsets that aren't affordable for everyone, Google is going for a much cheaper solution: a viewer made of cardboard that hardly costs $15 and that, making use of our Android smartphone, can help us to take our first steps in this exciting world.

Google's low-cost virtual reality.

But apart from the physical device, the guys at Mountain View have also developed an official application to show how to use their headset and a meeting point for all the virtual reality applications developed by third-parties that we can find on Google Play. Thus, with the APK of Cardboard installed on our device we can manage our collection of VR apps and discover new ones to continue enjoying this state-of-the-art technology.

But, how can I make my Google Cardboard?

Well, since you can buy a VR headset for just fifteen dollars, what's the point of making your very own? In any case, if you really want to do so, from its official website, Google offers a DIY kit to make your own viewer and the documentation that explains how to build it.

The only things you really need are a smartphone with a high pixel density, and the assembly kit that includes the pieces of cardboard that you'll have to fold and put together as shown in the instructions, a magnet that allows you to interact with your phone from the viewer without touching the screen and a pair of lenses to give your vision greater field depth. As easy as that.

Requirements and additional information:

• Minimum operating system requirements: Android 4.4.