Google may have shipped over 5 million Cardboard smartphone adapters, but it seems the company is significantly elevating their commitment to virtual reality with the announcement made today at Google I/O. Daydream, the newly revealed Android-powered VR platform, is poised to offer all of the standard Android smartphone trimmings.
Today revealed on stage by Google VR team lead Clay Bavor, Daydream is reportedly getting VR versions of a number of classic Android apps including Play Movies, Google Street View, Photos, and YouTube—all optimized for the new ‘Daydream’ VR platform on Android. The company also announced Daydream apps in the works from third-parties.
Google Play Movies is said to come with high definition DRM video support that allows you to watch your own videos in a virtual movie theater, while Google Street View and Google Photos offers users the chance to view 360 photos.
“We’ve rebuilt YouTube from the ground-up for VR,” Bavor told the crowd at Google I/O 2016. “In it is voice search, discovery, your favorite playlist… all in VR.”
Among spatial audio and “improved VR video streaming,” standard YouTube videos will also be accessible “in a very different way.”
Google VR apps will be coming to the yet unspecified ‘Daydream Ready‘ smartphones this fall.
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