Mr. Cardboard: a new virtual reality viewer

Virtual Reality is finally getting its day in the sun. From the humble and somewhat clunky 'beginnings' of this kind of VR headset (the first low resolution Oculus viewer was funded through a Kickstarter campaign in 2012), decent VR is now something that we can all easily use and enjoy. Google is a big player in the world of user-friendly home VR and AR (augmented reality), and have licensed a range of affordable viewers which they call their 'Google Cardboard' headsets. This one by Mr. Cardboard is recommended by Google and is a third generation 'Pop!' viewer. It gets its name as it comes flat-packed and simply pops into place. The Mr. Cardboard viewer has a foam moustache which makes it more comfortable and helps prevent light from coming in, to aid the immersive experience. It also has as a forehead sticker to protect against sweat and grease, as well as velcro and grips to keep your phone in place, and a cut-out section in the front so you can use your touch screen or access the camera with your finger through the viewer. This means it will support AR apps also, as they require the use of your phone's camera lens. This headset boasts an impressive user experience. You'll be immersed in a world through the accelerometer in your phone, which is able to tell the direction of your head, and the two images being displayed in the app will send a slightly different picture to each eye.

This is not just 3D, it is VR, you can look around, move through things and look behind, in the world you're in. Many of the apps are free and vary in terms of themes and settings, with more being released all the time and an increasing number of films, games and YouTube content also being introduced every day. You can take a rollercoaster ride, visit London, fly through the Grand Canyon or become an animated character. All this for under 20 euro - what's not to love? The future is here and it's great fun.

This viewer works for people who wear glasses and will support all Android or iPhones (up to 83 mm in size).

Check out the Mr. Cardboard Pop viewer here