Google and Mattel Relaunch View-Master as Virtual Reality Headset

The View-Master, the stereoscope viewer that was a fixture in most late-20^th Century toxboxes, has been updated by Mattel and Google to become a virtual reality headset.

Looking more like the Oculus Rift than the classic model, the new View-Master replaces the old cardboard reels with a smartphone, which slides into the plastic housing and presents 360^o views and vistas.

The new plastic reels, containing visual content, instead of being inserted into the View-Master are held in front of it, and an augmented reality interface allows the user to choose which images to view. Content can also be downloaded directly to a smartphone.

Since the project is based around Google Cardboard, the new View-Master headset can double up as a general purpose VR headset.

The new View-Master will be launched in the Autumn, priced at around $30.

Source: Engadget