Google reportedly releasing a rival to Samsung’s Gear VR later this year

Facebook is on the verge of releasing its long-awaited Oculus Rift headset, while Sony, Samsung and HTC are also heavily invested in the technology.

Google has been in the virtual reality game since 2014 with its Cardboard viewer, but according to a new report, Google will be stepping up its VR game in a big way in 2016.

Google’s ambitions in the virtual reality space has been tempered.

It is unclear at this stage if a new VR headset would mean the end of Google Cardboard or whether it become a cheaper alternative to newer, likely more expensive device. Even Google is seemingly dabbling in new virtual reality technology as they have created a whole division dedicated to the research, development, and production of VR hardware.

It is also said that most of the headset’s processing power will be supplied by the smartphone, but the reports suggest that it will not be completely dependent on it. Google’s first VR venture announced into the public is the Google cardboard. The smartphone-based device will be similar to the Gear VR, a collaboration between Samsung and Oculus that went on sale to consumers late previous year.

However, unlike the Gear VR which is compatible with only a handful of Samsung phones, Google’s headset will reportedly work with a much wider range of devices. Google Cardboard uses an app to for its VR experience.

Though we’re just speculating on timelines, it’s possibly that Google could officially preview some new features of Android VR-its virtual-reality themed iteration of Android-at the company’s I/O developer conference this May.

VR on Android using the Cardboard causes nausea to its users. Google is working on software for Android to fix these problems, which will in turn increase longevity of the usage. The headsets themselves have the lenses that produce the stereoscopic effect to truly make it look like virtual reality. With Google I/O set to take place on May 18-20, Google could unveil new hardware, which could be Nexus-style product with a reference design and set template for hardware partners. Google has sold 5 million Google Cardboard units, but that product was only just the beginning according to its CEO Sundar Pichai.