Skip to main content

Google reveals stand-alone mobile VR headset for its Daydream platform

Sundar Pichai stands in front of a Google logo at Google I/O 2021.
This story is part of our complete Google I/O coverage

Google launched its Daydream platform for Android in 2016, enabling specific Android phones to support virtual reality content. It followed that up with the Daydream View headset for those phones in October 2016. At Wednesday’s Google I/O keynote, it was revealed that Google is conjuring up a stand-alone mobile VR headset.

For starters, Daydream View requires a compatible smartphone to be physically inserted into the headset, which generates all the visual on-screen content. While the number of compatible phones is limited, Clay Bavor, vice president of Google’s Virtual Reality division, indicated that additional manufacturers such as LG have jumped on the Daydream bandwagon. LG will introduce a compatible phone later this year.

Recommended Videos

Samsung has its own Gear VR headset that works only with a handful of Galaxy smartphones, including the new S8 and S8 Plus, but come this summer, those two phones will also support Google thanks to a software update.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

But the big surprise in Bavor’s announcement was that Google is working on a stand-alone mobile VR headset that doesn’t require a smartphone, a PC, or the associated cables. Google worked with Qualcomm to create a reference design that will be used by Lenovo and HTC. That’s right, the creator of the popular Vive headset for PC-based virtual reality is working on a mobile VR headset too.

“Vive will be making a stand-alone VR product for the Google Daydream Platform,” an HTC representative said after the reveal. “Vive represents the best VR experience in market, whether it is PC-powered or stand-alone devices. We’ve been working with developers and consumers for years to ensure Vive offers the best VR solution, no matter what form it takes.”

Image used with permission by copyright holder

According to Bavor, getting into VR will be as simple as throwing the headset on. Since the hardware isn’t centered around a smartphone, the design is optimized for tether-free virtual reality. It uses what Google calls WorldSense, a precise positional tracking system that relies on a “handful” of sensors to keep track of the user’s surroundings. That eliminates the need for external sensors and a setup process to establish the playing area.

Of course, that also means users can move about and experience virtual worlds without having to worry about a tethered connection, or bumping into people and objects. Users will have the ability to jump, duck, weave, and do whatever they physically want without constraints. In turn, developers can create experiences that go beyond the traditional PC-based and phone-based limitations.

Lenovo and HTC aren’t coughing up the hardware specifics about their upcoming headsets, but they will share additional details soon. Both units will presumably rely on a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor based on the reference design mentioned by Bavor. HTC said that its model will provide “a deeper and more immersive portable VR experience than ever before.”

Headsets built by Lenovo and HTC will arrive in late 2017 to take on Microsoft’s Mixed Reality headsets for Windows 10. Lenovo said on Wednesday that it plans to offer an early preview of its upcoming Daydream-based headset, so stay tuned for that.

Kevin Parrish
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kevin started taking PCs apart in the 90s when Quake was on the way and his PC lacked the required components. Since then…
Need a budget-friendly laptop? Get this Asus deal at Walmart
The Asus VivoBook 15 laptop open on a white background.

You don't need to spend over a thousand dollars to end up with a dependable device from laptop deals -- you just need to be patient in waiting for a budget-friendly offer that will still provide reliable performance. Here's one: the Asus Vivobook 15 for only $299 from Walmart, following a $100 discount on its original price of $399. We're not sure when it will go back to its regular price though, so we highly recommend finishing your purchase quickly as that could happen at any moment.

Why you should buy the Asus Vivobook 15 laptop
Let's get this out of the way -- at its affordable price, you can't expect the Asus Vivobook 15 to match the performance of the best laptops. The device, however, will prove to be a trustworthy daily companion for regular tasks such as doing online research and typing documents, as well as watching some streaming shows when you're taking a break. It runs on the 12th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, Intel UHD Graphics, and 8GB of RAM, which will be more than enough for these activities. The laptop also ships with a 256GB SSD for ample storage space for your files, and it's got Windows 11 Home pre-installed.

Read more
Apple CEO should do a Steve Jobs on Siri delay, analyst says
Invoking Siri on iPhone.

Apple CEO Tim Cook should go public to explain the delay in integrating advanced Siri capabilities across its ecosystem, rather than Apple releasing the news quietly via a tech site last week, according to prominent Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

The tech giant showcased an AI-powered Siri at its WWDC event in 2024, as part of its Apple Intelligence initiative. While the virtual assistant does now have some AI smarts, the more advanced features -- including personalized responses, task completion across multiple apps, and on-screen awareness --have been delayed until next year at the earliest.

Read more
Nvidia claims RTX 5000 shipped better than 4000 but gamers are still waiting
The RTX 5090 sitting on a pink background.

Nvidia is trying to make its GeForce RTX 5000 series seem more impressive to the media by suggesting that the latest GPUs are selling better than the previous generation. However, many pundits aren’t buying the claim.

PC Mag pondered whether Nvidia has orchestrated a “paper launch” of the RTX 5000 series, suggesting that there might not be much of a product available for consumers. The majority of the people with their hands on the GPUs, especially the high-end models such as the 5090 and 5080 appear to be reviewers, influencers, and other determined enthusiasts as opposed to everyday gamers, who are still using prior generation GPUs at higher rates.

Read more