Google has announced its virtual reality headset ‘Google Cardboard’ will now allow users to take a virtual trip using Google Map’s Street View mode.
This means by pairing Google’s low-tech Cardboard headset with Map’s Street View mode, users can now tour the world without leaving their house for free.
According to Google, a new easter egg has been added to the Google Maps app that turns Street View into Google Cardboard View letting users roam the streets of wherever in full VR mode with just a simple tap.
In order to try out the new feature, users need to make sure they have updated the Google Cardboard and Google Maps apps, both of which are free and downloadable from the Play Store. They will be required to place their Android phone into Google Cardboard and then browse the Street View feature on Google Maps and double-tap the Look Around icon (in the lower-right corner) to sync up. After tapping on the icon, the headset will show a 360-degree view of the location. This means now it’s possible to explore the streets of Paris while sitting in an U.K. apartment.
Unveiled back in June at Google’s I/O Conference, the low-tech headset is essentially made of a piece of folded cardboard and some lenses capable of turning an Android phone into a VR machine.
The system works by splitting up a smartphone’s landscape mode into two separate portrait screens, one for each eyeball. The viewers are required to hold the phone up to the lenses, which then magnify each screen to create a 3D effect. An average Cardboard can be purchased for around $15 to $25.
There are currently 25 Cardboard apps available in the Play store of which around 19 are absolutely free to download including Jaunt’s Paul McCartney and Jack White immersive music apps.
The search engine giant recently announced that around half a million people are currently using Cardboard. The company also rolled out new Cardboard SDKs for Android and Unity to allow developers to create apps and games for the virtual reality system.
