New View Master DLX VR comes with headphone, focus control and dinosaur theme

Mattel's iconic View Master VR has been updated to support headphones. It has new focus control features and provides a new dinosaur virtual reality experience. The View Master DLX VR was unveiled at the New York Toy Fair on 13 February and is slated to hit the markets in the autumn of 2016.

The device is supported by Google Cardboard. Mattel collaborated with Google in February 2015 to reinvent the View Master toy and bring immersive VR experiences to kids.

Mattel first released View Master in 1939, offering kids a virtual tour of views from the Grand Canyon and Carlsbad Caverns. Now, the updated View Master VR 2.0 offers children augmented reality scenes of various worldwide destinations and adventure experiences. The newest theme to be added is a dinosaur experience pack, which has been developed in collaboration with National Geographic, the Verge reported.

The View Master DLX VR supports headphones so users do not have to rely only on their smartphone's speakers for audio. The headphones come equipped with a redesigned latch and a new mount that allows users to place their smartphones securely within it. The new mount is also slated to support a wider range of phone models in varying sizes, including the so-far-unreleased iPhone 5c.

Mattel is adding a new VR experience to the upgraded View Master, which involves a two-player labyrinth game. The game involves one player providing clues from a book while the other player wearing the VR headset assumes the role of an "escapee" within the VR experience and tries to solve their way out of the puzzle.

The View Master DLX VR is priced at $39.99 (£27). The dinosaur theme experience pack will be sold at $14.99, while the two-person game has been priced at $19.99. The VR device supports all smartphones, including iPhone and Android devices.