Google has begun experimenting with a new virtual reality-based advertising format. The system works by displaying a spinning cube within a VR app, to attract the user's attention. Once the user looks at the cube, it will react to the movement of the person's eyes before opening an advert in a large window. If the advert is then closed, it reduces into the cube once again before displaying a call to action. The company says that it has introduced the idea as a way to help developers make money to fund VR apps. Google's internal workshop for experimental ideas, Area 120, says that “VR ad formats should be easy for developers to implement, native to VR, flexible enough to customise, and useful and non-intrusive for users”. Whilst this is only an experiment for the time being, Google says that this is an example of what native VR ads in the future may look like.Â
