Tech

Google Daydream View VR headset available in November for $79

Google showed its VR future for the masses during a hardware event in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday. Available in November, View will ship free with the Pixel while supplies last.

Written by Jake Smith, Contributor Oct. 4, 2016 at 10:13 a.m. PT

Google Daydream View launches in November (James Martin/CNET).

Google announced at an event in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday the Daydream View, its first virtual-reality headset for the Daydream VR platform. It'll begin shipping in November for $79.

Google announced Daydream VR in May at Google I/O, and Tuesday's announcement marks the first hardware for the platform. Google is joining a race of hardware makers, including Samsung and Facebook, trying to make virtual reality mainstream.

Gallery: Daydream View is Google's first VR headset

Daydream View, which pairs with the phone through NFC to beam content, uses a fabric cover for looks and comfort -- a deviation from the plastic finishes we've seen from Google's competitors.

Of course there's always a caveat. Google said Daydream View will currently only work with its new Pixel smartphone lineup also announced at the event. Google will ship a free Daydream View with a Pixel purchase while supplies last.

Google didn't provide any details on expanded support outside of the new lineup.

Google claims Daydream View is 30-percent lighter than most VR headsets on the market and boasts being hand washable. Daydream View even fits over eyeglasses.

The Daydream View will come in Slate, Snow and Crimson colors. Pre-orders start this month.

To connect to Daydream View, your phone drops in, auto aligns, and auto connects. The Daydream View does not have to be plugged in to anything, operating independently.
The Daydream View controller features gyros sensitive enough for drawing, Google claims. The controller can fit inside the View for storage when a phone is not dropped in.
Google announced new Daydream apps including: a Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them tie-in wand game; Star Chart, an educational astronomy app; a first-person space shooter game; movies in VR from the major streaming sites, and more.
Google Play Movies, Google Photos, Street View, Maps and YouTube will have Daydream support.
Google says 50 apps will be available by the end of year.

Google began its virtual reality efforts with the Google Cardboard, and now it's future looks to go well beyond that. In typical Google fashion, it will make the Daydream platform available to hardware partners for future products.

Google also announced Google Home to take on Amazon Alexa and a new Wi-Fi router.