Recent job listings add fuel to full-fledged Google VR headset rumours

A few weeks ago, reports surfaced indicating Google might have virtual reality ambitions beyond the company’s low-cost Cardboard VR headset.

First, news surfaced that Alphabet, Google’s parent company, formed its own dedicated VR division helmed by the company’s former vice-president of Gmail and Drive, Clay Bavor. Next Jason Toff, who previously worked for Vine/Twitter, joined Google’s VR team. Now, two new job listings have shown up, leading to speculation that Google could have plans to move forward with a full-fledged virtual reality headset.

Specifically, Google has listed VR related jobs for a hardware engineer technical lead and PCB layout engineer. Both of these jobs specifically mention virtual reality, as well as tasks related to consumer devices.

This is yet another sign that Google seems to have plans to play catch-up with Facebook’s Oculus and HTC’s Vive, two high-end upcoming virtual reality headsets. Google’s current VR device, Cardboard, a headset literally constructed of cardboard, doesn’t feature any internal electronics, but is also incredibly affordable, with a price ranging between $14 and $20.

Related reading: Google says it’s shipped 5 million Cardboard VR headsets

[source]Google,2[/source][via]9to5 Google[/via]