Google - Daydream View VR Headset - Slate

This is a very good vr device that is very polished on the software side -- but not so much on the hardware side. And this can become a very enjoyable headset with some customization. First of all, as many complained, overheating is an issue, I have no idea why google decided to use cloth as the back panel instead of you know, aluminum wire frame that is very good at dispensing heat. I mean I get the front where your face touches, it's very comfortable, but I don't think anyone wears the headset backwards. So to solve that, I cut two pieces from a wine cork and taped them to the back panel to create space. And as I am fortunate enough to be using a Moto Z instead of a Pixel, I removed the back panel of my phone and put it into the viewer. Now there's space between the phone and the back panel. Moto Z's heat are all concentrated on the bottom half of the phone, so I put a fan on my right side to circulate air. And now the phone can safely do its work relatively safely. Another bad design -- there's a reason why every single VR headset out there (oculus, vive) have a head strap across the top of your head. The headset is not that heavy but your phone, which you will of course put into the headset, is. So you either have to make the head strap very very tight, or experience Newton's first law of motion in quite an unpleasant way. To solve that, I took a headstrap that I didn't use in my google cardboard kit, and put it on top of the headset. Now the headset won't fall off as easily. So after doing all that, this headset is finally ready to use. As I mentioned at the start of the review, the software side is very well polished. So after you fix the hardware, it's a very fun device.

Google Daydream is a great entry point into the world of VR. They aren't knocking your door down with tons of games, but what's available is super cool. YouTube has some fantastic 360 degree videos. Since Google owns YouTube, I'd expect that library to grow steadily. I get a bit of motion sickness here and there but not to the point of souring the experience. Often the pointer gets out of alignment but a simple 2 second hold of the home button gets that fixed. For those expecting high quality, well developed games, this isn't anywhere near the level of Vive or Rift. Obviously comparing an $80 piece of hardware to stuff that is $600 and up isn't realistic. I think at this price point, Daydream is a solid experience worth checking out.

I must confess that when I purchased the Daydream View, it was on sale and I had two Best Buy coupons to help drive the cost down. The discounts helped encourage me to try it. I'm glad I did. Right now, the headset works with a limited number of phones, including my Moto Z Force. Setup was easy, unpacking the headset, pairing the remote with the phone and downloading the Daydream app, if it's not already installed. I would regard the Daydream VR a work in progress, with a limited number of Daydream compatible apps, I believe that there are about 50-60 at present. There are a number of free apps and I've been having a blast with them. Google Street View not only allows you to take a tour of monuments like the Taj Mahal, it also allows you to go to a specific location and tour. One of my first uses was to visit the place where I grew up to see how things changed. Netflix and Hulu are both lots of fun, like sitting in a movie theater and watching your show on a big screen. The goggles also add some depth to the experience. Along with the conventional shows, Hulu also adds a limited selection of VR videos, they are short but spectacular. One of the National Geographic videos put you right in the midst of a herd of elephants and eyeball to eyeball with a bull elephant. That was startling. There are a number of game apps, but I'm not good at game playing so I can't speak to them. I do highly recommend the Google Cardboard camera app. It enables your phone to take 360 degree photos. I tried it outside my place of work and the results were awesome.

If you happen to own a Daydream compatible smartphone, the VR headset is a really great first step into VR. I never sensed any slowdown in head tracking or in the remote. As a product itself, it is impressive. But the product is really nothing more than the apps it supports, and unfortunately the available apps are pretty limited. The Google maps app and Youtube vr videos show how this could truly be an essential piece of tech in the future. However, the game selection wasn't great. (I found one game I bought particularly frustrating, an "archery" game that utilized head tracking to aim instead of the controller.) On the smaller Pixel, the individual pixels are very noticeable. I've heard this is better with the XL, but I was unable to test that. The "VR" apps from Netflix and HBO are nothing more than virtual movie theatre viewing experiences which display at an effective size that equates to a very large screen. However, the quality of the movies is severely degraded by the size of the pixels. It might be useful on a plane, but it's not going to be a substitute for anyone's regular movie/TV viewing. Obviously it's worth noting that most of the apps are very processor heavy and burn through battery life (and may also literally burn as the phone gets very, very hot). The price point at $49 is really pretty low considering the tech it features (NFC, Bluetooth), but whether you actually get $49 worth of use is questionable.

The Daydream View is a decent entry point for VR if you already have a compatible phone. The hardware uses soft cloth-covered materials compared to the hard plastics of the GearVR. This headset and included remote control only tracks rotation and acceleration, so it will not translate positional movement like PC-based headsets such as the Vive and Oculus CV1. The controller has a clickable touchpad along with menu buttons. It would have been nice to have a trigger similar to the GearVR. In terms of software, the main hub is well realized. The support for google apps such as youtube is nice. Games are a mixed bag, but there are certainly some gems like "Along Together" that showcase what can be done with the hardware. Overall, the Daydream View is a nice first step for Google and is a great entry point to VR until the wave of self-contained headsets with positional tracking come to the market.

The headset is comfortable. It is a bit warm. I would like it to be vented more somehow. It can fog up. You kind of need to warm it up a bit before you use it to prevent it by putting it on early or tucking it in your sweater. The way the phone sets in is kind of poorly designed. The backing flap can kind of keep some heat in the phone to make it hotter than it needs to be. Samsung VR headsets can be open in the back which lets them breathe some and allows for camera use (good way to take a hands free selfie). the clasp can cover power or volume buttons. Phones that this happens on need to disable them in daydream mode. Overall the experience is good. The controller is good. I like that you don't have to use controls on the headset itself. Allows for a sort of motion gaming experience to go along with the VR.

Purchased as a gift for my boyfriend, this portable VR headset has already been very valuable to him in the classroom and and school events. He's an art teacher, so he uses the art-related-apps to have students look at museums they may never visit, or to step into paintings. Although his students rather play games on it, it's a pretty interesting educational tool, and the portability is fantastic for school recruitment events. (Plus the VR is a great way to get the kids interested.) We also have the Playstation VR, which has a lot more games available, but when it comes to easy of portability and educational use, I think this is a pretty awesome little headset. (Plus the washable cover is amazing. People sweat in these things and get them so gross that washing it is a fantastic feature, and I also recommend getting a pack of screen-wipes.)

This is the Daydream version 1.0. Its a nice headset. I love the fabric on the outer shell. The headset is reasonably comfortable to wear. I like how the software and hardware work together to center the stereo images so there is no fussing with getting the exact placement of my phone in the headset. While this headset is nice enough, the Daydream software is basically Cardboard with a remote and a nicer headset. Daydream is a nice way to experience VR but it isn't a match for PC or console powered VR such as Oculus Rift. My phone inevitably gets too hot after a few minutes of VR. The software often lags which quickly becomes frustrating.