Skip to main content

Don't throw the box away: Smartphone packaging may transform into a VR viewer

daydream on the galaxy s8
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Google’s made no secret of its ambitions to carve out a slice of the virtual reality market. It’s shipped more than 10 million of its low-cost Cardboard devices for smartphones and launched its high-end Daydream platform in 2016. A new patent from the search giant, though, envisions a far more scalable solution: device packaging that can double as a VR viewer.

The patent in question, “Integrated mobile device packaging and virtual reality headset,” was originally filed in February 2016 and describes a box that folds along perforated lines into a headset. It’s constructed from cardboard and heavy paper stock, held together with a combination of glue and tape, and packs a pair of lenses — one for each eye.

Road to VR speculates it could be related to new Google job postings for a VR engineer, lead product designer, and hardware validation manager. In 2016, Engadget reported Google was working on a VR headset that “[integrates] eye-tracking and [uses] sensors and algorithms to map out the real-world space in front of a user.” The project was said to be “separate from the company’s Daydream VR platform.”

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Google is not the first to integrate a VR viewer into packaging — McDonald’s, for example, recently shipped a Happy Meal box that folded into “Happy Goggles” — but VR-equipped box align’s with the company’s broader mission of attracting “hundreds of millions of [Android] users” to VR. At Google’s I/O development conference in 2016, it announced plans to build a “multi-billion dollar business” out of Daydream, a VR platform that combines a motion controller, flagship hardware, and software from hundreds of partners to deliver a “premium” virtual reality experience.

“The hope is that if in five years we’re collectively working on another frontier technology, that we can look back and say again that we’ve created value [with Daydream],” Brahim Elbouchikhi, senior product manager on the Google VR team, said at I/O. “[Our] intention is to operate at Android scale.”

To that end, Google’s VR efforts extend beyond hardware. In February, Google’s Research division showed off a project that leverages 3D computer vision, machine learning, green screen technology, and advanced rendering methods to show a person’s facial expressions inside a mixed reality environment. And in March, YouTube announced it is working to make 360-degree and VR video “better” with improved rendering technologies that “display [content] without using more bandwidth than necessary.”

Editors' Recommendations

Kyle Wiggers
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kyle Wiggers is a writer, Web designer, and podcaster with an acute interest in all things tech. When not reviewing gadgets…
Apple may have just leaked its VR headset’s operating system
A man using a virtual reality headset with controllers.

If the rumors are correct, Apple’s upcoming mixed-reality headset is going to be packed with advanced features, from detailed eye tracking to a blend of augmented and virtual reality. The device is going to need a powerful operating system -- and it looks like Apple might have accidentally just leaked its name.

As spotted by iOS developer Matthew Davis, an official-looking Apple GitHub repository makes reference to the name “realityOS,” and we don’t expect this was intended for public consumption given Apple’s extreme secrecy. In fact, the code refers to realityOS nine times, with hints as to its purpose and capabilities sprinkled throughout.

Read more
As others hype up VR and the metaverse, Valve may be backing away
Valve Index HMD release date store page leak june 2019 controller base station

As interest in the metaverse heats up, many companies are pouring more resources into virtual and augmented reality -- except one. Valve may be shifting its focus from VR to its already sold-out Steam Deck, according to recent rumors.

Valve insider Tyler McVicker put out a YouTube video detailing Valve's plans (or lack there of) for virtual reality. McVicker points out that most of the company has lost interest in VR completely. This is mostly due to the massive success of Meta (formerly Facebook) putting out relatively low-cost headsets under the former Oculus brand and buying out many big VR developers. Instead, Valve is focusing its efforts on showcasing the versatility and power of its upcoming Steam Deck portable gaming PC.

Read more
Sticking to 2D: Don’t expect Xbox Scarlett to support VR

Sony launched PlayStation VR several years ago on the PS4, giving console players a chance to experience the virtual reality craze that had been limited to PC platforms in the past. If you were expecting Microsoft to follow suit with its upcoming Xbox console Project Scarlett, however, you're going to be in for some disappointment.

Speaking to Stevivor, head of Xbox Phil Spencer expressed his doubt that console customers would be interested in a VR headset for the Xbox platform, pointing to its success on PC. He also stressed that the sales figures for VR were still relatively low, and far from comparable to traditional console units.

Read more