Google ending Daydream
Company will stop selling View VR headset holder, citing decreasing usage and lack of adoption by developers and consumers
The Daydream is over, as Google confirmed to Variety yesterday that it will no longer support the mobile VR platform.
"We saw a lot of potential in smartphone VR -- being able to use the smartphone you carry with you everywhere to power an immersive on-the-go experience," a Google representative told Variety. "But over time we noticed some clear limitations constraining smartphone VR from being a viable long-term solution. Most notably, asking people to put their phone in a headset and lose access to the apps they use throughout the day causes immense friction."
The confirmation came after Google unveiled its new Pixel 4 phone Tuesday without support for Daydream. The company said it will support Daydream for existing users, but will no longer sell the Daydream View headset.
The Daydream View had a commercial lifespan of just under three years, originally launching in November of 2016.
"There hasn't been the broad consumer or developer adoption we had hoped, and we've seen decreasing usage over time of the Daydream View headset," the representative said.
Google's move is not entirely unexpected. Earlier this year, Google's VP of Augmented and Virtual Reality Clay Bavor said the company was pivoting away from VR hardware to focus on "services and the bright spots where we see VR being really useful." However, Bavor added Google was still in "deep R&D" on new VR headsets in an attempt to build "the LEGO bricks that we're going to need in order to snap together and make some really compelling experiences."