Google's big bet on virtual reality is launching on November 10
Ramin Talaie/Getty Images
The Daydream View will be available to purchase next week in the US, the UK, Canada, Germany, and Australia, the Californian technology giant announced on Tuesday.
It'll go on sale in the US at Verizon and Best Buy for $79, while in the UK it will sell for £69 at EE and Carphone Warehouse.
The Daydream View is Google's next big bet on virtual reality, and a successor to its dirt-cheap DIY Cardboard headset.
Like Cardboard, Daydream is powered by your Android smartphone - but you need a phone classified as "Daydream-ready" to ensure that it all runs smoothly. Right now, the only phone on the market that qualifies is the Google-made Pixel smartphone. Manufacturers are working on more, however, and it will likely come as standard in future premium Android smartphones.
It's a totally different approach to virtual reality to some of the other major players. Facebook-owned Oculus, Sony, and HTC all sell headsets that retail for hundreds of dollars, and which are reliant high-end computers or gaming consoles to run.
Daydream headsets, in contrast, are basically just a case that you slot your smartphone into and a motion-sensitive remote control.
As you might expect, the experience is much more basic than some of the competitors - but Google is betting that this is the best way to introduce people cheaply and easily to virtual reality.
On launch, there will be a range of apps available for Daydream, including VR versions of YouTube and Hulu, apps from The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, Google Street View, and a number of games.
"With Daydream View and a Daydream-ready phone like Pixel, you'll be able to kick back in your personal cinema, explore new worlds and get in the game like never before," Google VR director of product management Mike Jazayeri wrote in a blog post.
Here's the full list of prices and retailers:
- United States: Verizon, Best Buy; $79 (USD)
- Canada: Bell, Rogers, Telus, Best Buy; $99 (CAD)
- United Kingdom: EE, Carphone Warehouse; £69 (GBP)
- Germany: Deutsche Telekom; €69 (EUR)
- Australia: Telstra, JB Hi-Fi; $119 (AUD)
- Colon cancer rates are rising in young people. If you have two symptoms you should get a colonoscopy, a GI oncologist says.
- I spent $2,000 for 7 nights in a 179-square-foot room on one of the world's largest cruise ships. Take a look inside my cabin.
- An Ambani disruption in OTT: At just ₹1 per day, you can now enjoy ad-free content on JioCinema
- Reliance gets thumbs-up from S&P, Fitch as strong earnings keep leverage in check
- Realme C65 5G with 5,000mAh battery, 120Hz display launched starting at ₹10,499
- 8 Fun things to do in Kasol
- SC rejects pleas seeking cross-verification of votes cast using EVMs with VVPAT
- Ultraviolette F77 Mach 2 electric sports bike launched in India starting at ₹2.99 lakh