philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

Google Daydream VR platform announced

by Phil Lelyveld

At Google’s annual developer conference it introduced Daydream, a new VR platform that is integrated into its latest version of Android N.  Daydream includes several pieces: a set of standards for smartphones that will work to play virtual-reality content, reference designs for a Daydream headset that uses one of these smartphones (much like Samsung’s Gear VR) and an accompanying controller, and a range of apps that will include content coming from partners like HBO, Netflix, Hulu, and video-game makers Electronic Arts and Ubisoft.  Clay Bavor, who heads up Google’s VR initiative, said that VR should be mobile, approachable, and for everyone; which is why they have worked to address common VR experience issues like rendering digital imagery at high frame rates and in high resolution, and minimizing the latency between when you move your head and when images you’re looking at update. The Google Daydream initiative matters because they are working to promote and deploy a general purpose VR platform that works on consumer equipment that will be available at a low price point.  Phone manufacturers are working on sensors that will allow for phone-based lean-in experiences. They are also working to increase their processing power and screen resolution.  While much attention is focused on the high end Vive and Rift HMDs, improving the VR experience in this lower end phone-base solution in a nearly manufacturer-agnostic manner (i.e. no iOS iPhone version) may be VR’s bridge into the mass market.

See the full story here: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/601508/googles-plan-to-use-android-phones-to-dominate-virtual-reality/?utm_campaign=newsletters&utm_source=newsletter-daily-all&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20160519#/set/id/601516/