Looking for an easy and affordable way to give this whole virtual reality craze a try? It doesn’t get much simpler than Google Cardboard… and right now it doesn’t get much cheaper either, because Google is giving away free Star Wars-themed Cardboard headsets.

Just visit the Play Store, choose you design (R2-D2, BB-8, Kylo Ren, or First Order Stormtrooper) and Google will send you one for free. Slide your Android or iOS phone into the headset, fire up a mobile app, and place your eyes against the lenses and you can immerse yourself in virtual environments, play VR games, or just sit back and watch virtual big-screen movies.

cardboard stars

Note that Google seems to have limited stock… and appears to be offering only a certain amount at a time. If you don’t see a “free” button to click when you visit the website, try again later. Or if you don’t want to play games, just pony up a few bucks for a cheap Cardboard-compatible headset from Amazon, AliExpress, or other retailers.

Not surprisingly, there are a few caveats to this offer:

  • The deal is only open to US residents.
  • You can only get one cardboard headset per Google Store account.
  • You’ll need a valid payment method, even though the price of the headset is $0 and there’s no charge for shipping.

Looking for some VR apps to use? Star Wars recently added the first of a series of VR experiences to its official app. And Google has a nice, but hardly comprehensive list of other apps that work with Cardboard. A few of my favorites include VR Theater for Cardboard, NYT VR, and Titans of Space.

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7 replies on “Get a free Google Cardboard headset (Star Wars edition)”

  1. I feel so stupid that I paid $30 for a piece of Styrofoam from I am cardboard…. The free cardboard I got from oneplus is better..

  2. I feel so stupid that I paid $30 for a piece of Styrofoam from I am cardboard…. The free cardboard I got from oneplus is better..

  3. They’re not out of stock. They’re spacing out the purchases. Keep hitting refresh until they have the one you want in stock and then quickly get through the purchasing process. Make sure that your shipping address and billing information is correct, or they’ll make you cancel the order and start over again. =(
    I learned that the hard way.

  4. They’re not out of stock. They’re spacing out the purchases. Keep hitting refresh until they have the one you want in stock and then quickly get through the purchasing process. Make sure that your shipping address and billing information is correct, or they’ll make you cancel the order and start over again. =(
    I learned that the hard way.

        1. click on the link in Brads comment above. Click on the green “Free” then you will get to pick your choice of …

          1. There was no green “Free” button. I reloaded the page and then it displayed “Out of Stock”. Looks like the Google Store server got hammered with requests. 🙂

        1. click on the link in Brads comment above. Click on the green “Free” then you will get to pick your choice of …

          1. There was no green “Free” button. I reloaded the page and then it displayed “Out of Stock”. Looks like the Google Store server got hammered with requests. 🙂

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