Earlier this year, a report claimed that Google was working on its own standalone virtual reality headset, meaning that it wouldn’t require your phone to work. Now it appears as though that project has been canned.
Google has shut down its project to build a high-end standalone VR headset, say sources speaking to Recode. It’s said that the decision was made so that Google could streamline its VR efforts, which include Cardboard as well as Daydream (headset shown above), the new VR platform that Google announced at I/O in May.
This standalone VR headset was reportedly meant to compete against the likes of the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, two high-end VR headsets currently on the market. Google is said to have had 50 employees working on the project, which allegedly ran an operating system different from Android.
Google has been involved in VR for a while now with its ultra-affordable Cardboard headsets, but the company has been working to expand its presence recently. It showed off Daydream at I/O in May, which uses your smartphone, controllers, and apps to offer a higher-quality experience than Cardboard. Apparently Google wants to focus on Daydream, which is likely within reach of more consumers than high-end offerings like Vive or Rift that require beefy PCs to function.