There’s more than 1m Google Cardboard viewers doing the rounds

Google Cardboard was the surprise hit of last year’s Google I/O conference, now, 12 months on, the budget VR viewer continues to go from strength-to-strength.
With the Mountain View-based manufacturer having unveiled a second, larger Cardboard viewer during its latest developer conference, Google has revealed that there are already more than 1 million Cardboard units in consumers’ hands.
“Our goal with Cardboard was to make virtual reality available to everyone, and so we started with a piece of cardboard, some Velcro, added some lenses and a rubber band and, amazingly enough, that was all you needed to turn your smartphone into a fully functioning VR viewer,” Clay Bavor, a Vice President of Product at Google stated.
“There has been incredible excitement around Cardboard ever since.”
He added: “
“It’s what we dreamed about when we folded our first piece of cardboard, immersive experiences like these for everyone.”
Highlighting how developers continue to push the perceived perceptions of the sub-£15 viewer, Bavor highlighted the hundreds of compatible apps, and dozens of spinoff units now available.
“What began as a single design has turned into an entire ecosystem of manufacturers making Cardboard in all shapes and sizes,” he explained.
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“People keep finding new and creative uses for Cardboard and VR.”
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The new, second-generation Cardboard viewer has adopted a larger, 6-inch form to accommodated bigger smartphones, including the likes of the Nexus 6.
It has also moved a simpler, three-fold construction method and stripped out the magnetic button in favour of a bare-bones cardboard one.
Did you buy an original Google Cardboard? Let us know below.