For all of you who have bought a Pixel or Pixel XL you may just be excited to hear that the Daydream View VR headset and controller will be launching in Australia (along with the US, Canada, UK and Germany) on November 10th for $119 AUD. Just like the Pixels themselves, Daydream will be exclusively available from Telstra or JB HiFi, and of course the Google Store.
Unfortunately, unlike our USA friends, there weren’t any deals offered to bundle a free Daydream View with early or preorders, effectively driving up the cost disparity between Australia and the USA even more. At the time or writing, only the Google Store had a page dedicated to the device, we’re sure that the other two will come online today.
As of right now, only the Pixel device is capable of running Daydream, with other devices such as the Axon 7 announced that they will be supporting Daydream but it is unclear when that will come online, or which version of Android is needed to run it.
So what will Daydream View bring to Android? Amongst the ‘big ticket’ items is the new Harry Potter spell casting game Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Google Street View, Google Play Movies, YouTube and various other VR experiences and Games for 3rd party developers. It looks as if the shelves of the Daydream store will be stocked on launch day, just a little sparsely. Check out the announcement page for all the details.
Several of us had the opportunity to use Daydream View at the Made by Google events we attended. From my experience, the Daydream platform is a significant step up from Cardboard but not quite as good as a PC based system like the Oculus. The Daydream Controller worked fantastically and really improved both the interaction experience and the reduction of nausea.
Will I be getting one? Yes, yes I will. Will I be getting one on Launch day? Perhaps not. Having just paid over $1400 on Pixel XL, I may have to put this on my stocking stuffer list.
Will you be getting a Daydream View? Let us know below.
Well I already have Samsung’s Gear VR and I used it a few times when I first got it and to show family and friends what is was like. It’s now sitting on the shelf in my walk in robe gathering dust. I think I’ll take the wait and see approach to Daydream View and see how it travels before I unload another $120 on something I don’t really need or won’t end up using much. It’s just a pity Google didn’t bundle it with the Pixel and/or provide a coupon in the box for a discount or something. Any… Read more »