Googles cut-price virtual reality solution has shipped over 5m copies of its viewer since launching 19 months ago, with more that 25m Cardboard apps installed from Google Play over the course of its life so far.

The viewer has been helped along by several high-profile, large scale giveaways including promotions by the New York Times and New England Patriots football team, not to mention winning Most Innovative Use of Mobile in our Effective Mobile Marketing Awards at the tail end of last year.

The Cardboard has been a symbol of Googles innovation, and also its ability to put the weight of its many business units behind an idea, with the companys YouTube streaming service enabling Cardboard users to watch over 350,000 hours of virtual reality-optimised footage. The company has also launched a virtual reality camera app, which so far has been used to capture over 750,000 photos.

Cardboard has also been promoted as an educational tool, with virtual reality Expeditions enabling school children from around the world to experience locations as diverse as the depths of the Congolese jungle and the White Houses Oval Office, all from their own classroom.

Its no surprise that Google has recently formed a new Virtual Reality division, aiming to expand upon the successes Cardboard has enabled and, in all likelihood, preparing for the next wave of innovation brought in by the mysterious Magic Leap, which Google has been a significant investor in.