Summary

In this chapter, we started by defining Google Cardboard and saw how it fits in the spectrum of consumer virtual reality devices. We then contrasted Cardboard with higher end VR devices, such as Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR, making the case for low-end VR as a separate medium in its own right. There are a variety of Cardboard viewer devices on the market, and we looked at how to configure your smartphone for your viewer using QR codes. We talked a bit about developing for Cardboard, and considered why and why not to use the Unity 3D game engine versus writing a native Android app in Java with the Cardboard SDK. Lastly we took a quick survey of many design considerations for developing for VR that we'll talk more about throughout the book, including ways to avoid motion sickness and tips for integrating Cardboard with Android apps in general.

In the next chapter we start coding. Yaay! For a common point of reference, we'll spend a little time introducing the Android Studio IDE and reviewing the Cardboard Android classes. Then together we'll build a simple Cardboard app, as we lay the groundwork for the structure and function of other projects throughout the book.