Test of the View Master by Mattel

I am a daily user of Virtual Reality for my work. I usually make experiences and prototypes with an Oculus Rift DK2 and I rely on 3D printed interfaces to interact with 3D content. The software I started working on is Unity5.

Because I wanted to try a simpler HMD I have recently bought a View Master Google Cardboard Viewer. It was cheap and the reviews on Reddit and amazon were really good.

The HMD (without a screen, that's the catch :) ) is delivered with an iPhone 5 adaptor and a red and white marker for AR experiences.

My phone is a Nexus 5 so it is compatible. Is simply bought the View Master and downloaded the Cardboard application on my phone. After a few other downloads and apps testing it started the configurator.

You first need to take a picture of the QR code on the View Master with the phone. It will automatically adjust the settings relatively to your viewer and phone. Then you insert the phone in the front pane of the View Master (which is really difficult to open BTW). You position the phone (without switching it off, because the power button is exactly where you don't want it to be) and you close the front pane. The only way now to interact with the phone is with a single button in the center of it, and by turning your head.

Everytime the app bugs, you need to open the front pane, manually close it and start it again.

The cool parts:
-View Master is cheap
-Works with your own smartphone, so you know how to use it
-Immersion is not too bad

The not cool parts:
-You need to open and close several time the front pane (which is difficult)
-The display quality of a Nexus 5 is not so great when the pixels are at 5 cms of your eyes
-The games look like they are straight off a PS2
-The FOV is really small (like looking at the world through binoculars)

So for this to work I think you need to be to have low expectations. The interactions with the content are for me the biggest con item...

If you want to learn more about cool 3D printing suff.