Virtual reality has slowly been developing for decades, and in recent years has finally come to fruition with Facebook’s Oculus Rift and Sony’s Project Morpheus. But despite their amazing capabilities, they’re expensive and not yet available for the everyday consumer. Compared to traditional headsets, Google Cardboard is a much cheaper and user-friendly alternative, allowing you make your own for approximately $10 US or buy a pre-made unit – constructed from a range of materials – for anywhere between $17 - 85 US.

To build your own viewer all you need are a few everyday items you can find at home, at your local hardware store and online. The headsets are made from cardboard, lenses, magnets, Velcro and a rubber band. The instructions for a number of different styles of headsets can be downloaded online, allowing users to construct their own and tailor it to their needs. Users can then download their desired games to an Android and get started.

Not only does the Google Cardboard bring virtual reality to millions more consumers than the high-tech headsets, but has allowed thousands of gaming enthusiasts the chance to develop their own VR apps for Android. The Cardboard SDK for Android enables developers familiar with OpenGL to start creating VR applications with ease. The toolkit simplifies many common VR development tasks, including head tracking, 3D calibration, side-by-side rendering and many more.

By keeping the hardware and software open, the Google Cardboard project fosters much broader community participation and democratises the world of virtual reality.

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