Why LG Is Giving Away This Virtual Reality Headset

— -- Virtual reality has hit the mainstream in a huge way.

LG announced today that it will give away a Google Cardboard inspired headset to every customer who purchases a new LG G3 smartphone. The simplistic goggles are designed to mount to the smartphone, giving users access to virtual reality compatible apps and games on their Android operating system.

Using a piece of cardboard, Google shared its decidedly low-tech approach to making a virtual reality headset last June. Called Google Cardboard, the simple goggles turn Android devices into basic 3-D headsets.

While LG said its virtual reality goggles are inspired by Google's Cardboard, the new headset does not require any "do if yourself" work and simply mounts into the phone. It also includes a magnetic gyroscope sensor that allows the viewer to scroll without having to touch the display.

“While still in its infancy, this is just the beginning of the virtual reality movement which until recently was expensive and inaccessible to everyday consumers,” Chris Yie, vice president and head of marketing communications for LG, said in a statement. “By leveraging Google Cardboard, not only are regular consumers able to participate in the VR experience, we’ll be able to introduce this technology to future developers who may one day show us how VR can be used to improve our lives.”

The virtual reality experience is expected to be available this month in select market, along with another perk -- a free download of the virtual reality game Robobliteration.