- Google Cardboard can no longer be purchased from the Google Store.
- The list now contains a message confirming the death of the hardware.
- However, it is likely that you can still pick up a third-party box.
If you were still hoping to get your hands on an official Google Cardboard headset, now you are a little late. As discovered by Android policeGoogle no longer sells the box hardware in its official store.
Unfortunately, the product is now shown in the listing as “out of stock”. “We no longer sell Google Cardboard in the Google Store,” it said, suggesting that the plug has been pulled permanently.
The news isn’t a complete shock. The paperboard made its debut in 2014 and was a quick and dirty way to enjoy the young world of virtual reality. It was $ 15 on the Google Store, which makes it far more accessible than more permanent and expensive solutions at the time.
Cardboard software will survive
While the official hardware may be dead, the software legacy of the Cardboard project lives on. Google is continuing its open source development project for paperboard, which started in 2019. If necessary, you can also purchase cardboard headsets from third-party providers. If you’re extra smart, you can probably make your own. And if you’ve just blown the dust off your old headset, there are still plenty of apps and uses for the hardware.
It is unclear how long Google will continue to support the development of Cardboard apps. The company is known to have selected more successful projects in the past.
If you still own a box, are you still using it? Let us know in the poll above!