This year’s 2017 Google Play Awards include new categories for top VR and AR apps, to which Google has nominated five apps each. The award ceremony will take place on Thursday, May 18th at 6:30PM PT during Google I/O, the company’s annual developer festival.
Ever since the reveal of Google Daydream at last year’s I/O event, and the launch of the first Daydream phone and headset late last year, Google has been making a big push for VR on Android.
Among 12 categories, the company had added two new ‘Best Experience’ categories for AR and VR to the Google Play Awards 2017.
Nominees were selected much like last year by cross-functional teams throughout Google who work hand-in-hand with the relevant categories and product areas. While category specific criteria can be found below, the common requirements across all categories focused on high star rating, technical performance and freshness, requiring a launch or major update since April 2016.
Here’s a look at the nominees:
Best VR Experience
Virtual Virtual Reality – Tender Claws
The Arcslinger – Big Red Button Entertainment
Gunjack 2: End of Shift – CCP Games
The Turning Forest – Media Applications Technologies for the BBC Entertainment
Best AR Experience
Dinosaurs Among Us – American Museum of Natural History
Crayola Color Blaster – Legacy Games