Google's VR platform just got a major push with the Daydream View headset

Google launched a new set of virtual reality toys at its event last night, as previously rumoured it would, centred around the Daydream smartphone VR platform.

Daydream was first announced at Google I/O earlier this year, as a new Android platform for VR. It serves as both an app store for VR games, a delivery platform for content, and a set of basic compatibility requirements for smartphones. So far, Google isn’t the first Daydream-ready smartphone this year. It was preceded by others like the Huawei P8 and the ZTE Axon 7, and many more are yet to follow.

But now, we’ve finally caught a glimpse of the new VR headset to tie this all together. Say hello to Daydream View. The setup is composed of three basic parts: a Daydream-ready smartphone, the headset, and a controller.



The headset is a more elegant design than the rudimentary Google cardboard.  While it looks similar to the Gear VR and its ilk in shape and size, Daydream View instead is lined with fabrics “normally found in clothing”. The idea behind this is that Google’s team wants users to be comfortable wearing the device for extended periods of time. As far as using it with a phone, it’s a cake walk. Daydream View syncs wirelessly with the paired smartphone, so all you have to do is open the hatch, slot the device in, and lock it shut. Of course, the sides have been left open to connect a pair of headphones too. And aside from what Google’s VR development head Clay Bavor calls an “auto align system” for the smartphone, the headset is also designed to fit over a pair of reading glasses.



The Daydream controller is also a simple device, featuring just two buttons and a touchpad. It also syncs wirelessly to the headset, with an LED indicator at the bottom to show for it. Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, it features a circular touchpad at the top that can be clicked to work as a button, an “App” button below that, and a “Home” button at the bottom. According to Google’s developer site, the touchpad’s tracking can be used for a variety of functions, while the click will generally be the app or game’s primary action (firing a gun in a shooter). The App button will likely be mapped to access in-app menus, and the Home button is reserved for system menus, probably as a way to adjust screen brightness, volume, and the like without having to remove the phone from the hatch. And when you’re not using the headset, the controller  can be stored in a nifty slot within the smartphone hatch.


One of the many educational apps to be available on Daydream.

But the best thing about Daydream isn’t just the headset, a few other tech players have their own versions of it. Instead, the core driving force here is the platform itself. Not only is Daydream open to developers to release games and experiences, it’s also compatible with the likes of YouTube, Netflix, and Hulu. When 360-degree video is available, that’s what you’ll get; flat videos will instead give you an extra-large cinema experience, albeit one that moves with you. In addition, Google Play Movies, Google Photos, and Google Street View will all be compatible with Daydream, giving you access to a large scale VR gallery, among other things.


Gunjack 2, a space combat game being developed in association with CCP, creators of EVE online.

Daydream View will be available in November in Snow, Slate, and Crimson colour variants, and will be priced at US $79 for the headset and controller bundle. Take note, you don’t need a Pixel smartphone, any Daydream-ready device will work just fine.

Watch it in action here: