Google Cardboard was a low-cost, virtual reality (VR) platform named after its folded cardboard viewer into which a smartphone was inserted. Launched June 25, 2014; shut down March 3, 2021 — it lived 6 years. One of 32 Google products killed in 2021. Google Cardboard is a discontinued virtual reality (VR) platform developed by Google. Named for its fold-out cardboard viewer into which a smartphone is inserted, the platform was intended as a low-cost system to encourage interest and development in VR applications. Users can either build their own viewer from simple, low-cost components using specifications published by Google, or purchase a pre-manufactured one. To use the platform, users run Cardboard-compatible mobile apps on their phone, place it into the back of the viewer, and view content through the lenses. Wiki link Data: Killed by Google (killedbygoogle.com, MIT).