The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Google is developing an "all-in-one" virtual reality headset that doesn't rely on a computer or smartphone to function.

You might have a bit of deja vu reading this post, since earlier this week we reported on Google's supposed other VR headset in the works, a plastic "successor" to Google Cardboard. This device would be a plastic shell with lenses and a few extra sensors, with the display and processing coming from a slotted-in smartphone—basically a Samsung Gear VR competitor. This new VR headset from Google would be a completely standalone device, with the screen, processor, and storage permanently embedded in the headset. The Journal backed up this earlier report and says that Google is working on both the smartphone-centric and standalone headsets.

A VR headset in this form factor this hasn't really been announced by any other major players. The Oculus Rift and HTC Vive both strap a screen and sensors to your head but require a PC to run. Google's headset would essentially be a game console for your face.

The report says that the headset will include "a screen, high-powered processors, and outward-facing cameras." The report states that the outward-facing camera will be powered by motion tracking chips from Movidius Inc. Movidius already supplies chips to Google's Project Tango, an experimental 3D sensing smartphone.

The report didn't mention much about the processing power of the headset, but the device should line up nicely with Google's plan to design its own SoCs for virtual and augmented reality. Smartphone chips are primarily designed for 2D content like navigating a home screen, browsing the Web, and texting. Smartphones have "bursty" processors designed to spin up, quickly load a webpage or app, and go back to sleep to save power. While they can perform some 3D functions like playing the occasional game, they aren't designed for it. Virtual reality requires heavy, sustained 3D processing for long periods of time, and you see the limit of smartphone chips in the Gear VR, which will actually pop up a message telling you that your phone is too hot and you need to stop playing now.

Google could build a specialized smartphone with the high-powered internals designed for sustained VR use, but it would probably be a terrible smartphone. We're imagining something really fast but also thick, hot, and with poor battery life—kind of like the difference between an Ultrabook and an Alienware gaming laptop. With a standalone VR headset, Google could use all the specialized chips it wants without having to worry about smartphone priorities like thinness, heat dissipation, and an "all-day" battery life.

As for the release, the Journal has conflicting information from "people familiar with the matter," with one saying the device could be released this year and another saying the device is in "early development" and Google could decide not to release it. The report also reiterated that this will all be powered by a mysterious, VR-focused version of Android.

So to recap, if all the rumors are true and everything works out, Google would have:

Google Cardboard

A plastic "successor" to Cardboard—basically a Samsung Gear VR competitor

A standalone headset

Custom SoCs designed with VR in mind

A version of Android specifically geared for VR

All of a sudden Google seems very, very interested in VR.