View-Master: What Google and Mattel Have in Store for Iconic Toy
Mattel and Google team up to give the iconic toy a high-tech makeover.
— -- Google and Mattel have teamed up to give the iconic View-Master toy a kid-friendly virtual reality twist.
Whether it's going back in time to when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, soaring through the solar system or the feeling of standing next to the Golden Gate Bridge, the revamped View-Master includes educational and fun opportunities for kids to explore.
The View-Master is paired with Google's virtual reality cardboard platform and will work with most major smartphones when it launches this fall for around $30, according to Doug Wadleigh, senior vice-president of Mattel's global brand.
Simply download a corresponding app, slide the phone into the View-Master and step into a virtual world of your choosing. While the View-Master will work with apps, Wadleigh said it was important that Mattel also kept its iconic reels and loaded them with exclusive content.
"We want [users] to have snackable, bite-sized experiences," he said.
The View-Master does not include a strap like other virtual reality headsets. Instead, the user must hold it up to their face. From there, they can click a switch on the side to enter a virtual world that will let the user look up, down, side to side and even behind them to get a true immersive experience.
The device has been through extensive testing to make sure it is safe for children and won't create a dizzy feeling in the same way some people have reported with other headsets, Wadleigh said. The revamped View-Master will likely come with an age grading of 7+ when it is released this fall.