It looks like Google Daydream is dead. Google has confirmed that the new Google Pixel 4 smartphones will not support the Daydream virtual reality platform and will no longer sell Daydream View headsets.
A Google spokesman said in a statement, “Over time, smartphone VR has been limited to becoming a viable solution in the long run. “We have found clear limitations that limit smartphone VR to be a long-term solution. Especially when you ask people to put their phone in a headset and not have access to the apps they use all day, it creates a lot of friction. ”
It's a good thing Google Daydream is dying with Pixel 4. Daydream started off as a platform with the first Pixel phones and was supported by several smartphone manufacturers next year. In other words, adoption seems to be relatively slow, and no new phone officially supports the platform, including the Pixel 3a, which was released earlier this year.
Of course, the launch of Daydream as a platform does not mean that virtual reality is a general dying concept. Most major technology companies are investing large amounts of cash in augmented reality technology, many of which are mobile based. For example, Apple is putting tremendous effort into ARKit, a set of developer tools for implementing augmented reality experiences on the iPhone. Google version is ARCore. Most of these AR experiences allow you to use a phone like the Wayfair app to see how your furniture will look at home.
Most of today's best virtual reality experiences are connecting your headset to a high-performance computer for advanced gaming, or playing slightly lower-power games on standalone headsets like the Oculus Go. Virtual reality headsets may not have reached the mainstream in the way some companies like Oculus liked, but there are great apps in certain niches like immersive games.
After a while you have to wait and see if Google is trying virtual reality again. The company has spent time and time with messaging, so I'm not used to killing apps and platforms and trying again later.
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