LG Creates Plastic Version Of Google Cardboard, Will Bundle Free With G3

Your options for bringing virtual reality into the home keep expanding, with the latest effort being a new take on an existing product.  It's by LG Electronics, one of two South Korean electronics makers showing interest in VR (Samsung being the other), which just made a plastic version of Google Cardboard called VR for G3.

Whereas most head-mounted VR solutions come with their own processors and displays, the VR for G3 taps into the smartphone's electronics to make the magic happen. On its own, the headgear is really just a lightweight plastic housing with lenses.

"While still in its infancy, this is just the beginning of the virtual reality movement which until recently was expensive and inaccessible to everyday consumers," said Chris Yie, vice president and head of marketing communications at the LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. "By leveraging Google Cardboard, not only are regular consumers able to participate in the VR experience, we’ll be able to introduce this technology to future developers who may one day show us how VR can be used to improve our lives."

LG took the blueprint from Google Cardboard and built a sturdier version. It has a neodymium ring magnet on the left side that works with the magnetic gyroscope sensor in the in G3 so select applications and scroll through menus without touching the display. The headset is able to take advantage of the G3's 1W speaker with Boost AMP, though you can also combine it with a Bluetooth headset like the LG Tone Infinim for wireless fun, LG says.

No assembly is required, other than to plop your G3 inside the shell. Even better, LG said it will be a free accessory when purchasing its G3 handset in select markets.