Review: How Google Daydream View compares to other VR options

By Mike Yawney

The Good:

Affordable
Lightweight
Easy to set up
Included remote

The Bad:

Only works with Pixel XL smartphones
Poor fit can allow light to leak in
No killer apps

Virtual reality (VR) has come a long way since Google first introduced the world to Cardboard just a few short years ago. The simple cardboard cutout let users have a virtual reality-type experience on their smartphones for about $20. It wasn’t great, but it was affordable and gave people a glimpse of what was to come.

Fast forward two years and we find ourselves with a handful of VR options. There’s the higher-end Oculus Rift and HTV Vive, which require powerful PCs to run. The more affordable PlayStation VR (PSVR), which lets PlayStation 4 users dive into VR using their home gaming console. And then there’s Samsung’s Gear VR, which like the Daydream View, uses your smartphone, but only works with Samsung devices.

Google’s Daydream View is the company’s new vision of affordable virtual reality, something that is lacking in today’s VR marketplace.

Daydream View is a soft cloth eye box which acts as a holder for your smartphone, turning it into a VR headset. It’s soft, lightweight and, unlike many VR experiences, a breeze to set up.

Users download the Daydream app from Google Play, insert their Pixel smartphone in the front of the headset, secure it with an elastic latch, and then put it on. After you tighten the elastic straps you’re ready to experience VR. There’s no port to plug your phone into, no fiddling with focus wheels like Samsung’s Gear VR. Setup is as simple as can be. Your Pixel smartphone automatically adjusts its settings once inside the Daydream headset.

Since the Daydream headset is made from cloth, it’s surprisingly comfortable. Most of the weight rests on your forehead, not on your nose, so it doesn’t feel front heavy like the Gear VR. There are also no hard plastic pieces digging into your head. You could wear it for hours, without feeling any discomfort — although you will get a nice VR headset imprint on your forehead. Comes with the territory of virtual reality.

What really sets Daydream View apart from the competition is the remote that comes with the headset. Designed to act like Nintendo’s Wii Remote (Wiimote), the motion controller makes it easy to not only navigate menus, but also to perform tasks within games. You can use it to throw sticks to virtual animals, put out fires with a fire hose or cast spells in Warner Bros. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. It by no means has the same full functionality as a Wiimote or the remotes for the Rift or the Vive, but it does the job.

daydream-remote

The overall VR experience of Daydream View is pretty good, albeit not perfect. While you can easily get lost in the VR worlds, a few things hold it back from being truly immersive.

I found the soft padding around the eyes lets some light leak onto the lenses and is a distraction. The cloth is fairly stiff and didn’t conform to my face. Maybe my head is too narrow? Unless you are in a dark room, this can be a problem.

The other issue comes from the field of view offered by the Daydream View. You only get around 90 degrees — That’s 20 degrees narrower than Oculus Rift or HTC Vive. You feel as if you are looking at virtual worlds through goggles, which takes away from the overall experience.

The selection of apps for Daydream View isn’t stellar right now, but there’s potential. You can go for virtual walks via Google Street View, tour art galleries and museums via Google Arts & Culture, or view user-made 360-degree videos on YouTube. Of course, there are a handful of games, but nothing that really shows off the Daydream View’s true potential. Google is promising 50 apps by year’s end, so the best is certainly yet to come.

Daydream View is a great affordable way to dip your toe into the world of virtual reality ($99 CDN), if you own or plan on buying a Pixel XL smartphone. It doesn’t work with any other device yet. Google says the Pixel’s specs prevent users from getting motion sickness, and it’s unclear which future phones will have the specs required to support Daydream View.

If you have no intention of purchasing a Pixel smartphone or want something a little more immersive, you may want to hold off to see where Google takes Daydream View or even consider splurging on a higher-end system like PSVR, Oculus Rift or HTC Vive. When it comes to VR,the old saying rings true: You get what you pay for.

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