Google cardboard a cheap thrill for nexus owners

Google cardboard is pretty cool. Where else can you get a virtual reality headset for $20? Okay well, it’s no oculus rift. It’s more like a modern Viewmaster.

But the design and materials are cheap enough that you can give them away for free at a tradeshow or sell kits for $20.

And the wow factor is pretty undeniable, especially when combined with photosphere pictures you’ve taken.

For those of you who are not familiar with Google cardboard, it is essentially a box with lenses that you put your android phone into turning it into a stereoscopic viewer. A magnet on one side acts as a button to select menu items. For what is essentially a cardboard box, use is very comfortable.

Now of course that $20 cost does not include an android phone, but if you already have one kicking around it’s well worth the experiment.

There’s an active google plus community of developers and the google cardboard app has a number of interesting demos, my favourite probably being the photosphere viewer.

If you have a Nexus 5 laying around and are curious about VR but want it cheap, it’s hard to beat the Google Cardboard experiment.

You can build your own or buy pre-made kits.