You may already have GearVR for your Samsung phone, or another virtual reality headset — maybe even a Google Cardboard — but here at Giz, we feel like Google’s Daydream View is the best phone-based VR that you can enjoy right now. After we saw it announced and tried it out, we decided we wanted one. And thusly, we are here to tell you that Google’s very own virtual reality headset is on sale in Australia right now.
Google Daydream View VR Headset: Australian Review
There are a few really good things about Daydream View. Firstly, it’s one of the few comfortable VR headsets you can buy, mostly because of its really quite attractive fabric-wrapped design and wide, flat elastic headband. Secondly, Google’s Daydream interface — which gives you access to virtual reality Street View, YouTube VR and a bunch of short experiences like a Harry Potter Fantastic Beasts teaser — is nonthreatening and easy to understand. Thirdly, it’s really not that expensive at $119, considering you get the headset itself plus a Bluetooth-enabled motion controller to navigate around with.
Daydream View will support more than just the Pixel in the future, too — Google is pushing for other phone manufacturers to build their phones to a spec that supports its headset. That just means a certain amount of processing power and decent integrated graphics, a half-decent screen and Android 7.0 Nougat. LG’s V20 should be Daydream-ready, but isn’t officially supported — yet, at least. Maybe that’ll change in coming weeks and months.
If you’ve already invested in a Google Pixel, you’d be silly not to splash out a little bit more on its really-quite-cool VR accompaniment. The Daydream View is out now through both the Google Store and JB Hi-Fi’s online store for $119 across the board. [Google]