At the MadeByGoogle hardware event, Google announced an update to its Daydream View headset. The field of view is eleven degrees wider than last year’s headsets. There are a number of devices that the Daydream View supports, including the Pixel 2, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, the Asus ZenFone AR, and the LG V30. The fabric has been selected to be comfortable and light, allowing for extended VR sessions.
The new headsets are available in three new colours, Charcoal, Fog and Coral. The controllers for the new headsets are matched to the colours of the headsets, which were previously available only in Slate and White. On the content side, while there already are already titles that are exclusive Daydream, and developers are enthusiastically creating content for the platform, three of Google’s own VR applications, TiltBrush, Blocks and Google Earth VR are only available on the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive.
Virtual reality is a very personal experience, and Google has come up with an innovative way of sharing that experience with others. With a Chromecast, users can stream the content on the Daydream View headset to a television, so friends can view what is going on.
Unlike the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive, Daydream provides a “sit down” VR experience as against a roomscale VR experience. However, it offers more immersion than say the Google Cardboard because of the Daydream controller. The new Daydream VR headsets will be priced at $99, which is a $20 increase in price over the previous version. The pre-orders for the device have begun, and the device will be available from 19 October.
