Cardboard Unites: Google Announces New VR Certification Program

It’s safe to say that virtual reality is in its earliest stages of development. Moreover, since projects like Oculus have begun to surface, VR technology has received a good deal of criticism for being inaccessible to the broad public. The reason for this is that the majority of head mounted VR displays are quite expensive and the software built for them somewhat impractical and even uninteresting.

Enter Google Cardboard.

Of course, Cardboard is a very different animal than a headset like Vive or the Oculus Rift. Google’s DIY VR goggles are cheap, work with a variety of smartphones, and most importantly can easily be shipped around the world and assembled at home by users. Essentially, Cardboard is VR for the masses and, since it’s initial release two years ago, significantly growing in popularity.

As VR technology continues to develop, so does the Cardboard community, and in order to unify the various Cardboard manufacturers and app developers around the world (KnoxLabs included), Google has announced a new form of certification: “Works With Google Cardboard”.

The way it works is that manufacturers can follow a set of guidelines offered by Google, and also have the company review their products. If a product passes, then it receives a certification that verifies that it will work with all Google Cardboard software. Moreover, manufacturers must also utilize a profile building tool for their headsets, represented as a QR code on the product, which adjust apps to work better for that particular headset.

In essence Google has developed a way to classify replicas of its original Cardboard that has an open-source design. KnoxLabs has already submitted its products for review, and we’re thrilled to announce that we are “Works With Google Cardboard” certified. Check out our latest release, Knox Next, to learn more.

Stay tuned for more KnoxLabs product updates!