During its Made by Google event in San Francisco, Google announced that it has renamed its mobile virtual reality headset to Daydream View in preparation for its launch in November.
Much like Samsung's Gear VR, the Daydream View requires a powerful smartphone to work. Google's headset however comes with its own array of sensors that complement the ones in the phone in order to maintain better head tracking and low latency.
The Daydream View has been designed with comfort in mind. The headset is made of fabrics and soft microfibers so it is 30% lighter than competing metal and plastic devices. The headset is also designed to be donned by users wearing spectacles without having to take them off.
The device comes with its own Daydream Controller which can be used to control your character or apps while in virtual reality. The controller consists of a clickable touchpad and two buttons called APP and HOME. The HOME button is reserved for system operations while the APP button is meant to be used freely by applications. The controller also includes rotation and orientation sensors.
The Daydream View seems to be well covered on the software front as Google has already secured promises from 50 partners to release compatible virtual reality experiences before the end of the year. And of course Google's products will be at the forefront of this wave, with support for Google Play Movies, Street View and YouTube being available on launch day.
The Daydream View will be available in three colors: Snow, Slate and Crimson. The headset will be available for order in November for $79 in the slate color, with crimson and snow coming later. Google's newly announced Pixel phones will be the first supported devices and support for other smartphones will come soon after.
