At the Google VR Keynote at Google I/O, Daydream lead Clay Bavor has announced a new version of Daydream is coming with some major improvements for Daydream as well as some new, much requested features.
The upcoming 2.0 release for Daydream is called Euphrates, it’s got a number of new features for both the Daydream View headsets, as well as the newly announced, upcoming Standalone VR Headsets from HTC and Lenovo. The first is based on the new standalone headsets which obviously have no phone, not touchscreen. The standalone headsets will be based on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC, but won’t have touchscreen capabilities meaning the Daydream team has had to come up with new interaction dynamics for accessing things – and that means a new dashboard.
Dashboard
The new dashboard will allow you to see more content to allow for more discoverability of great content. New categories will allow you to easily find the content you want faster. Under each category, you’ll see a continuously updated stream of new experiences and content. The new dashboard will also let you use the Daydream controller to access notifications and interact with messages without leaving the Daydream VR experience.
Cast Support and Sharing
The Daydream team has of course been listening in to user feedback for the last 6 months since Daydream was announced. The main two features are for the inclusion of Cast Support and the ability to Share videos of your Daydream experiences.
The update for Daydream 2.0 will let you share your Daydream experience to any Chromecast target allowing everyone to watch and enjoy what’s going on in the VR world. It allows for more enjoyment together, although we hope it’s disabled in Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes. The Cast function works simply, letting you simply hit the Cast icon from the notification dashboard and choose your target – simple.
The next feature: Sharing, will let you share the experience of Daydream more broadly than the local experience that Chromecasting offers. Using the new sharing options, you can choose to capture and then share to social media your a video of what you’re seeing with all your Twitter or Facebook (or which ever social media platform you choose) friends.
Google says that Daydream 2.0 Euphrates will be coming later this year, at which time we may see more devices with Daydream support in the market.
I like the companion sharing idea, making the experience a bit more shared is needed… remember trying the earlier Occulus, I think my mates had more fun watching me nearly fall over than i did.
But if VR didn’t drain your battery fast enough, casting your screen as will certainly will!!
Cardboard
Daydream
Euphrates
Is someone playing alphabet games?