A new rumor claims that Alphabet Inc’s (NASDAQ:GOOG,GOOGL) Google is planning to show off a new VR headset this week.
According to this rumor, Google is planning to show off a standalone VR headset. This means that the device doesn’t require any outside source to work, such as a smartphone or a computer. This would be a change from its current VR headset, which require a smartphone to operate.
The rumor claims that the Google will be showing the standalone VR headset off at its I/O developer conference this week. The conference starts today and will last through Friday. The tech company has keynotes planned for today and tomorrow.
It is also possible that Google will only show its new VR headset off to a small group of developers. The standalone VR headset may use inside-out tracking. This means it doesn’t require outside hardware to track a person’s movement. Other companies, including Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) and HTC, are working on similar projects, reports Variety.
Evidence that Google may be working on a standalone VR headset also includes its apps. The company owns the Tiltbrush, Google Earth and Job Simulator apps. However, these apps don’t work on its current VR platform and are only available through other VR headsets.
It is possible that the standalone VR headset that Google is working on may fall under the “WorldSense” trademark. This trademark was filed by the company on May 9 and hasn’t been granted yet. The filing says that it is related to computer hardware, software and VR headsets, Android Headlines notes.
