Given the popularity of virtual reality devices at this year’s Mobile World Congress, with Samsung showing off new models of their Gear VR for the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge and HTC unveiling the Vibe VR system they’ve been working on with developers Valve, it’s not surprising to hear about Google taking steps to secure a piece of the quickly developing market.
Google are keen to benefit from the market and are working on a dedicated VR operating system, a piece from the Wall Street Journal suggests. The article from the WSJ claims Google have ‘tens of engineers’ working on the project, although no official comment has been made, and that it aims to build an Android powered virtual reality OS.
The Journal additionally reports that the team includes Clay Bavor who worked on Google Cardboard, the low-cost, DIY headset that turns smartphones into a 3D viewer. Bavor may bring experience to the project but with Facebook, Oculus, Samsung, and now the HTC vibe already getting ready to profit when the VR industry goes commercial later this year Google will have to work to catch up.
You can see the original article from the WSJ here.