Google I/O is coming next week, and according to a new report, Android VR is coming, too.
Peter Rojas, founder of blogs Gizmodo and Engadget and publisher of a VR newsletter, reports that Android VR will be announced at Google I/O. The standalone headset is expected to be more powerful than Google Cardboard (shown above) and Samsung’s Gear VR, but less powerful than the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, which require entire PCs to run. Exact specs haven't yet leaked, but it's said that the Android VR headset will run off of "mobile hardware."
Android VR will definitely be announced next week, and from what I’ve heard will be less powerful than the Vive or Rift.
— Peter Rojas (@peterrojas) May 11, 2016
Correct. Android VR will be a standalone headset. https://t.co/66NibcpfxK
— Peter Rojas (@peterrojas) May 11, 2016
This is what I’ve heard. Better than Gear VR, not as good as Rift/Vive. https://t.co/0gzRg6aYKh
— Peter Rojas (@peterrojas) May 11, 2016
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about an upcoming Android VR offering. A report from earlier this year suggested that Google is working on a standalone headset that’d offer a middle ground between Cardboard and Vive or Rift, and it sounds like this Android VR fits the bill. Of course, we don’t know the features of Android VR or its price, but the device could be a good entry point into VR that offers a better experience than Cardboard or Gear VR and doesn’t require you to have a compatible phone.
Also worth noting is some info from Android Police, who have heard from a source that Android VR will include a controller and that the internal codename for the project is “Mirage.” It’s also expected that Android N will support VR, going so far as to support the Android home screen.