When it originally launched, many thought Google Cardboard was a joke, probably due to its name and somewhat humorous premise. And yet, the idea was completely serious, and Google actually managed to implement it in an interesting way that ended up being quite successful. Today, the VR part of Google Maps keeps growing, receiving various new additions, and it can currently be an amazing source of entertainment for those who know how to use it right.
The basic idea is simple: users can print out a special “headset” made out of cardboard, which allows them to attach a smartphone as a set of makeshift VR goggles. Subsequently, a user can enable the VR mode in Google Maps, and be presented with a stereoscopic picture showing a certain location in 3D.
And while it sounds too simple to work, it’s actually implemented quite well and can give an avid explorer hours of fun, letting them roam around the world freely and without much effort. Of course, it’s usually better to get into something like this with a clear plan, instead of relying on random luck, as there is quite a lot of content to explore in Google Maps, and not all of it is worth spending a lot of time on.
That’s why some websites have started compiling lists of interesting places to visit with Google Cardboard, and there are currently quite a lot of locations that are worth checking out, according to the most popular compilations, and the list keeps growing practically by the day, as Google are making new locations available too.
Among the many different places available in the VR part of Google Maps, Stonehenge is a definite must for those who haven’t had a chance to see the structure in person, and maybe even for those who have already been there. Google Maps can actually allow a user to get quite closer to Stonehenge than they would be able to in real life, as the structure is now very restricted in reality, due to vandalism issues.
The Colosseum, Diagon Alley, Burj Khalifa and more – all those places are available in Google Maps VR and ready to be explored by keen travelers. Those who want to see what the world has to offer should definitely check out the service, and considering how cheap it can be to set it up, it really makes no sense to miss out on this. As long as one has a smartphone available, and that smartphone can use Google Maps properly, that’s all that’s necessary for a good experience with Google Maps VR. The instructions are freely available from Google themselves, and the supplies necessary for making the headset should be easily available to most.