2016 will be the year that makes or completely breaks the dream of virtual reality. The market already offers high-level options, but now the attention turns to another challenge: bringing virtual reality to mobile devices. Google dropped a real bomb with the Daydream announcement, however, it will be necessary to develop new hardware capable of adapting better to smartphones and tablets. That’s what Project Goa aims at.
It is still too early to place one virtual headset above another. They have been on the market for less than two months, and there are many developers out there still working on their own virtual reality experiences. Now, if we go by the general opinions of the so-called “early adopters”, the HTC Vive with its freedom of movement sits a step above the Oculus Rift. Although it is true that there is a significant price difference between them, the additional sensors play a very important role. If we transfer these details to virtual reality on mobile devices, it is inevitable to imagine a “limited version” of it. The sensors built into a smartphone can do little to match the performance of dedicated hardware, but the genie is already out of the bottle. Virtual reality and mobile devices will have a much closer relationship in the future, and with that in mind, we find Project Goa.
Project Goa is an idea from Anush Elangovan, a former Google employee who worked on the first Chromebooks, and who now appears as founder and CEO of the company Nod. Unlike the HTC Vive, the Goa device does not require installing sensors throughout the room. Its central unit has a tracking camera and an additional processor focused on assisting the smartphone. Its two wireless controls, which in some ways remind us of the HTC Vive's, not only help track our hands within a virtual environment, but also provide that “freedom of movement” we so desire. Finally, the smartphone is installed in a compatible headset, among which stand out Gear VR, Google Cardboard, or the Rift itself.
According to the available information, the range of the Goa is about 2.7 meters, enough to dodge some shots and throw a few punches. For now, Goa will not have a companion headset, and being compatible with the Google Daydream reference design, it probably won't be necessary. Its first development version will debut in a few months, and it is expected to be cheaper than its competitors.
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