Google announced its next entry into the virtual reality world at the recent I/O conference. The platform, which utilizes the power of Android N, is called Daydream.
Daydream will work on new phones available this fall. In essence, it is a combination of hardware and software that appears to provide viewers a more in-the-zone experience than Cardboard. Special phones supporting this new technology will come from Alcatel, Asus, HTC, Huawei, LG, Samsung, Xiaomi and ZTE, The Verge reports.
So how will Daydream work? On top of new and select Android N-powered smartphones, users need to get Google's VR viewers and motion controllers, which will also be available this coming fall.
At its core, Daydream is an ecosystem that houses everything Google does that is VR-related. It's VR Mode, Wired points, just another part of Android "the way texting and notifications are."
Clay Bavor, the company's virtual reality chief, explains that they aim to develop the best mobile VR experience in smartphones. "We've taken a very different approach. We've approached the whole thing much more like something you wear - a piece of clothing rather than this gizmo. [The] phone slips into it in seconds, and then you could be in another world," he tells.
At this point, prospects aren't able to behold actual prototypes yet, CNET reports, as the idea is shown through a sketch that showcases a headgear and a remote control. Bavor says they want to make Daydream "accessible, affordable and approachable" to everyone, and it's not difficult to realize that it all starts the moment consumers pick up the first supporting smartphones.
CNET says hardwares coming from partners will be under Google's strict eyes, in order to maintain a consistent Daydream experience across types of devices. The handsets, in particular, will require specific components such as special sensors, so we're curious to find out how the end product appeals to users.
