Google Daydream View has been one of the most reliable virtual reality headsets on the market since its release back in November of 2016. Albeit the lenses are the only real functioning mechanism in the headset, it hasn’t disappoint anyone and they are reliable for mobile VR.
Three years ago when the Google Daydream was launched, the market for mobile VR was more mainstream than ever, and the future was looking more bright than ever. This took a swing for the worse when standalone virtual reality headsets became a real possibility, and something the masses wanted. The Oculus Go was just like mobile VR. You could consume a great amount of media on it, but the Go had tremendous upside. You never had to put your phone into the headset actually, and only needed it to initially set the headset up with your network and account.
The shift in virtual reality has been quick and unforgiving. Not many want to simply watch the virtual reality. Most want to be active participants inside of virtual reality and have a “real” impact on what we are seeing. In short, consumers want to be gamers inside of another reality, and high-end, high-spec headsets are delivering for them. The Google Daydream is not.
Amid speculation of Google soon scrapping virtual reality projects as a whole, they have dropped the Daydream headset’s price of a whopping 40%. This comes shortly after they have removed the option for renting and buying movies and TV shows through the headset itself. Along with this news, we have seen the news google and Samsung phones drop support for virtual reality. The end is near for mobile VR, and it is coming quick.
The trend that Google Daydream has followed is one that many other low-end headsets are likely to follow in the coming years. With high-end headsets making advancements with technology inside of the headset, the hardware that they require is only going to go down in price. That is the reason the Oculus Quest is only $400, rather than something north of $500 that you would expect from something as versatile and standalone as the Quest. In the near future we are going to see low-spec headsets tumble in price, and it will have lasting impact on all companies.
Because the Google Daydream is more affordable now more than ever, (previously as cheap as $99) more people are going to be introduced into virtual reality. Any person in a hint of marking knowledge knows that the lower the price point of your product, the higher chance of people using it. Now that virtual reality is going to be able to reach every corner of the world, we can expect even more advancements and more affordable high-end headsets.
The Google Daydream was the sacrificial lamb that had to go, so we could see the rest of the virtual world grow. It was an essential stepping stone in the industry.
