Google revamps Daydream VR headset, launches Pixel 2

Google released an updated version of its Daydream VR headset, along with the VR and AR-optimised Pixel 2 smartphone and a range of other products at its October 4 hardware event.

Google claims that, with the new Google Daydream View headset, it has kept “the best parts of the original and made them even better” – with high-performance lenses offering better image clarity and a wider field of view.

The headset can be paired with the Pixel 2 or any other Daydream-ready phone – for example Samsung’s Galaxy S8 and Note8, LG V30, Moto Z Force, and the Huawei Mate 9 Pro.

“There’s so much to experience on Daydream. Last year, we launched with 25 apps and games. Daydream now has more than 250 titles, so you’ll never run out of things to do,” said Google’s vice-president of virtual and augmented reality, Clay Bavor.

He promised a slate of new and exclusive premium content for Daydream, including: music performances from stars like Ed Sheeran in Austin City Limits Backstage; confessions from comics like Trevor Noah in The Confessional; and a new series with Discovery called Discovery TRVLR.

The new Pixel 2 phone is both Daydream-ready and has a camera that is calibrated and optimised for AR. According to Google it is capable of rendering AR objects at 60 frames per-second and can track objects even in low-light conditions.

Other hardware that Google unveiled yesterday included: two new Google Home products, the Google Home Mini and the Google Home Max; a high-performance Chromebook, called the Google Pixelbook; and Google Pixel Buds – wireless headphones that also offer help from the Google Assistant.