McDonald's to convert its Happy Meal boxes into Google Cardboard VR goggles

It doesn't take that much to make a set of VR goggles – that's what Google first showed us when it introduced the $15 Google Cardboard. Of course, the more expensive versions of the contraptions, such as Samsung's Gear VR, will feature extra sensors, extra controls, padding and straps for more comfortable viewing, but as long as you have a box with a couple of lenses, you can still enjoy some virtual experiences without paying too much.

With that in mind, McDonald's has decided to join the VR trend by crafting Happy Meal boxes that double as Google Cardboard VR goggles. They are called Happy Goggles and will debut in Sweden on the 5th of March – 3,500 units will be available at launch. McDonald's claims that it also plans to roll out the new box to other countries, but no timeframe has been given yet. We assume it wishes to test the waters first.

Along with the new Happy Goggles, the company will also launch a VR game (seen above), called “Slope Stars” in English. It's basically a skiing simulator, where the player needs to zig-zag between obstacles, collecting stars, and avoiding other skiers. It looks like controlling will be done by tilting the VR set left and right. It will be available for download on March the 4th over at www.happygoggles.se/en.

This is not the first time when McDonald's has shown acknowledgment for the significance of newest in mobile tech. Early last year, the company began equipping its UK outlets with Qi wireless charging pads to keep their customers' smartphones charged, following Starbucks' decision to do the same.