Google's virtual reality headset, the Daydream View, will be available in five countries from November 10, 2016, priced $79 in the USA. The device is an exclusive gateway to Google's Daydream VR platform and all of its content.
Unveiled at Google's latest major conference, October 4, 2016, in San Francisco, this new virtual reality headset promises to plunge users into a whole world of virtual reality content via the Daydream platform. To access this content, users will need a Daydream View headset as well as a compatible smartphone. For the moment, the only compatible phones are Google's new Pixel handsets.
The headset will be available November 10 from the Google Store and retailers in the US ($79 USA), Canada ($99 CAD), the UK (£69 GBP), Germany (€69 EUR) and Australia ($119 AUD).
The system promises spectacular content, including 3D video from sites like YouTube, Google Play Movies and Hulu, as well as loads of games. There's even access to Street View for virtually visiting more than 70 countries. In a different genre, the platform also features news apps like The Guardian and The Wall Street Journal.
The Daydream View headset is actually a fairly basic piece of kit. Like Google's rudimentary Cardboard viewer, it's designed for use with a smartphone, which slots into the device. The Daydream View is, however, sturdier than the cardboard version and has a remote control with trackpad, gyroscope and accelerometer.
This kind of 3D headset is a world away from more sophisticated models like the Oculus Rift or the HTC Vive, for example. Still, such devices seem to have a bright future ahead. Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi recently launched a very similar device, the Mi VR Glasses, compatible with all of the brand's smartphones and featuring a remote, selling for just $38.
Microsoft recently announced the upcoming release of various virtual reality headsets from partner manufacturers like Acer, HP and Lenovo, all priced under $300 and designed for use with Windows computers.
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