It’s been rumored for a while, but at Google I/O 2016, the company revealed that they do in fact have a virtual reality platform on the way, and it’s called Daydream.
The VR Platform is built on Android N, the next version of the popular mobile operating system that wants your help to find a name, and phones that are ready to handle Daydream, as well as headsets and VR controllers, are set to be commercially available in the fall.
For phones that have the technological capabilities (re: relatively new phones), the next version of Android will have a feature called Android VR Mode, which includes a virtual environment that will allow users to access apps and other content while using the headset. So far, it looks like VR-optimized versions of YouTube, Street View, the Google Play Store, Play Movies, and Google Photos are in the cards, as well as third-party apps from the NBA, HBO, Ubisoft, Netflix, Hulu, IMAX, and likely others as the platform becomes more established.
As for the headset, it doesn’t appear like its design is finalized just yet, but they did share a reference drawing of it and the remote (above). The remote appears to have two buttons on its front face and function much like a Nintendo Wii Remote. Beyond that, a lot of information about this project is still yet to come, so keep an ear to the ground on this one.
Check out the entire keynote address below, in which Google also announced new messaging apps Allo and Duo, an Amazon Echo competitor in Google Hello, and other technologies, and let us know in the comments what you’re most looking forward to.
Images: The Verge
