At Google’s I/O conference the technological giant unveiled Daydream, its virtual reality platform that’s being built on top of Android N. Google went on to say that Daydream-ready phones, VR viewers and controllers will be available later this year.
You can do some pretty awesome things with the Daydream controller. #IO16https://t.co/GMKIrNbPYS
— Google (@Google) May 18, 2016
Google’s previous venture into virtual reality territory was Google Cardboard, a cheap do-it-yourself VR headset, released two years ago, into which you could place a smartphone. Daydream will instead encompass both hardware and software, the latter being a software called VR Mode that gives users an entire ecosystem of VR apps. However unlike Google Cardboard, Daydream will only work with a few phones, specifically those than have a few special sensors and screens. The reason for the hardware requirements is to offer a more smoother experience.
VR Mode itself functions as the ecosystem for users to navigate between VR apps, in a VR setting. Google has created special VR versions of its own apps, such as YouTube, Street View, the Google Play Store, etc. Furthermore, Google has also brought onboard a number of other companies, such as Netflix and Ubisoft, so as to provide a platform for virtual versions of already successful apps and applications.
As for which smartphones will be Daydream ready, 8 hardware partners will be responsible for making the phones: HTC, LG, Huawei, ZTE, Asus, Xiaomi, Alcatel and Samsung. The phones will be the powerhouse of the VR experience, though they will have to be placed inside the dedicated VR headset. Users will also need the headsets controller.
Check out the rest of the news from Google I/O 2016!
