Merge VR Launches Merge Cube, A Holographic Toy That Uses AR Technology

You can now get your hands on the “world’s first holographic toy.”

Merge VR, the company that brought the affordable Merge VR Goggles, will now sell the Merge Cube, an object that allows users to interact with holograms through augmented reality technology.

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Merge VR is pairing up with Walmart to bring the Cube to customers nationwide starting this week for $14.99. The futuristic toy will also come to thousands of other retails stores this fall, Merge said.

“With this first-of-its-kind product, people can experience the wonder and amazement of interacting with holographic, 3D content in a natural and intuitive way,” Merge Founder Franklin Lyons​ said in a statement.

How To Use The Merge Cube

Merge’s Executive Vice President Dan Worden gave IBT a tutorial of the Cube before it hit stores. The object itself is lightweight, soft and fits on the palm of your hand (and kind of looks like the Allspark from Transformers but in black).

The Merge Cube, which won the “Most Unique Product” award at CES 2017, is compatible with iOS and Android smartphones. It has a mobile mode and Merge mode, which means you can still see the holograms without using the goggles by just using your smartphone.

The best experience is with the Merge VR Goggles, obviously, since it submerges you in the VR/AR world. The Merge Goggles are a soft headset that comes in multiple bright colors. The headset works for those ages 10 and up, which means kids can have fun with the Goggles and the Cube. Worden said the company expects everyone to use it, but the focus is especially on children, which is obvious when looking at the colorful headsets.

Using the headset, you can move your head to control the cursor and use the buttons on the top of the Goggles to click to the next game. You can listen to the game’s sound effects through your smartphone’s speaker or by plugging in your headphones.

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Here’s a rundown of the games you can play with the Cube:

Th!ngs

Th!ngs is a collection of holographic mini-games in which users can have their own “digital pet.” Users can hatch and play with their “Octopet,” fight aliens or simply speak to the pet which answers back with emojis.

Mr. Body

Education was an aspect Worden emphasized during his tutorial. The Cube can be used to give kids anatomy lessons in a fun way. By rotating the cube, users can see organs in the human body and their functions, as well as parts of the skull.

Galactic Explorer

Another educational game is Galactic Explorer, which allows users to learn and interact with the solar system. The Cube shows planets orbiting the sun and lets players explore the texture and color of each planet’s surface and provides facts as users navigate the universe.

Dig!

The Cube also works with Dig!, a game that lets users dig, build and create holographic 3D worlds. Players will be able to share their worlds with friends, download and build off others’ worlds.

“Our Merge Cube and Goggles allow users to interact with more than just a screen – now they can build worlds, explore the human brain, visit foreign lands and more through the power of VR/AR,” Lyons said in a statement.

Merge VR will release more games in the future.

“We’re just getting started,” said Worden about the apps.

Also this week, the company announced the launch of Merge Miniverse, which will act like an app store. Miniverse will allow users to choose from hundreds of app and experiences for their Merge VR/AR Goggles, Merge Cube and other AR/VR devices. For Miniverse, the company announced in June its Merge AR|VR Developer Fund, a one million dollar fund to support developers building apps for Merge items.

“With an innovative product like Merge Cube, we wanted to expand our support of the dev community to encourage innovation and creativity for all AR/VR platforms,” Merge VR Co-founder Andrew Trickett​ said in a statement.