Ben
While there are a whole load of inexpensive ways to get started with VR, they’re not all made to the same standard – and a sub-par headset isn’t going to leave you with a very good first impression.
That shouldn’t be a problem for RubyVR’s new headset, which comes with the blessing of Google’s Cardboard program.
It’s the same situation for smartphones – if a handset maker wants to make an Android phone, it needs to meet certain Google requirements if it wants Android certification and access to services like the Play Store.
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The Ruby 2 VR headset, launched this month, costs $40 and supports handsets of between 4 and 6.5-inches – both iPhones and Android.
Trying to best other budget viewers, the RubyVR headset has lenses that are designed to be independently adjusted by the user, so that any vision issues can be accurately accounted for. There’s really nothing more jarring in a VR experience than having one eye forever out of focus.
Beyond the company’s consumer play, it’s also offering to white-label the headsets so any company (or indeed, anyone ordering more than 100) can put their own name and logo on them.
RubyVR is also working with Badoink on a marketing campaign that will see collapsible low-cost VR viewers sent out in order to get VR into the hands of yet more people.
We haven’t had a chance to test out the RubyVR yet, but will let you know if it lives up to its promises when we do.
