If you want a decent VR experience you usually have to pay handsomely for the privilege. One company wants to change that. But there’s a catch…
First unveiled at CES 2016, Speck’s Cardboard-supporting VR goggles are a happy middle-ground between pricey headsets like the Gear VR and Google’s cheap recyclable virtual reality viewer.
Related: All the best tech at CES 2016
Made from durable plastic rather than last year’s birthday cards, the Speck Pocket VR is part smartphone case – there are models for the iPhone 6/6S and Galaxy S7 – and part immersive goodness.
It cleverly folds flat when not in use, so you can stash it in your skinny jeans just like any normal bit of mobile armour, but slide out the sides and you’re well on your way to a 360-degree rave. Plus, its well thought out open design means that you’ve got full access to your smartphone’s controls even when you’re in VR mode, addressing a major Cardboard flaw.
Oh, the catch. Speck’s website confirms that the Pocket VR will only ship within the US at the moment. Why is a bit of a mystery, but we’d expect the $70 viewer to sell for about £50-60 in the UK should it ever get a passport.
Not cheap, not extortionate, just another one to file under: “Want, can’t have”. Sigh.
Watch Now: What is VR?
What’s your favourite VR viewer or headset? Let us know in the comments below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.