Google Announces the Release of Their New $79 VR Headset

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The mobile headsets come in three different colors: slate gray, crimson or snow. Each one is $79 and comes with a portable controller.

Claire Canada, Staff Writer

In early October, Google announced the release of a new virtual reality headset called Daydream View. The cloth headset’s price is set at $79 and comes with a VR motion controller that would normally be in a much higher price range. Daydream View is revolutionizing the market and advancing virtual reality technology at an astounding rate.

Preorders start this month, with the headset coming in slate gray, crimson or snow colors.  The gear, according to Google, is made of a stretchy, breathable fabric that is supposed to provide a comfortable fit. It is a third lighter than the Gear VR and was designed so the user can use the set longer.

Daydream View is a mobile VR headset that uses conductive knobs that make contact with the phone’s screen to determine which pixels are aligned with which knobs. It is, as Google states, their best self-correcting software yet.

Although the headset itself is changing the market for VR gear, it is the controller that is drawing the most attention. The controller is palm-sized, portable and allows the user to swipe and click through the content being watched. It can be used for apps that let you draw, paint and swing it like a baseball bat or golf club.

YouTube has developed a VR app especially for the product that uses VR, 360 and 2D content. On Google Street View, 150 virtual tours are available and movies or shows can be purchased through the Google Play Store. These flicks will be in 2D but it is supposed to provide an extremely immersive environment perfect for horror movies.

By the end of this year, Google says there will be over 50 apps compatible with Daydream View; news apps, games, entertainment and education are some of the many to be available. Shipping will start in early November and buyers of the product can expect to get their headset soon after.