Google is working on a virtual reality for Android, according to a latest report from The Wall Street Journal. The company has reportedly hired a team of ‘tens of engineer’ to build a version of the Android operating system for virtual reality headsets.
Similar to smartphones’s version of Android, Google’s VR software will reportedly be available for free to hardware makers. The WSJ report, which quotes unnamed sources at Google, holds that the search giant would look to emulate its successful Android distribution strategy of giving it away for free.
The virtual reality hardware market has seen some new entries lately. Facebook’s purchased of Oculus last year amd Oculus and Samsung teamed up to create a VR headset late last year. HTC partnered with gaming company Valve to build their own device called the Vive. Each of these devices run their own proprietary software. The report says that Android VR is being led by Clay Bavor who is partly responsible for Google Cardboard.