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I spent $69 on a Daydream headset a month or so ago just to play with it, only to find out it didn't work with my phone. I kept it just in case. Then Google can

I spent $69 on a Daydream headset a month or so ago just to play with it, only to find out it didn't work with my phone. I kept it just in case. Then Google cancelled it. It'd be nice if they opened up that code as well...

whywhywhywhy 7y ago
You should give an Oculus Quest a try if you ever get the opportunity. VR isn't really about the 3D effect it's about having your head and hands tracked in a 3D space and what can come from that level of interaction. Daydream never really offered this and after using a decent amount of VR I find that the most important part of the experience.
- russellbeattie 7y ago
  Actually, buying the Quest is what made me decide to grab a Dream headset. After playing with WebVR/WebXR demos, I thought wow, I should grab a Dream headset and see what my phone can do. This was at the end of September. Then I realized it wasn't compatible, but figured I might get a new Pixel when they launched, so I kept it just in case... Whoops.
deckar01 7y ago
Daydream didn't support 2:1 ratio displays for some reason. Most of Google's own flagship phones moved to that ratio. All they had to do was add black bars to the side to simulate 16:9, but they never did. I actually got Daydream to work by hacking the phone's hardware configuration to trick it into thinking the display was 1920x1080, but it caused the Android Moto launcher to freeze and crash too often. I purchased a Moto Z³, because I though it was daydream compatible only to find out Moto Z didn't mean the Moto Z line of phones, it meant a specific old model. Still waiting on a VR headset for it. The screen on my phone is leagues better than the one they put on the Oculus Go I am using.
- moron4hire 7y ago
  Nobody is making phone-slot-in headsets that are more than just "plastic Google Cardboard" anymore. Both Daydream and Gear VR are out, and there are no other projects in the works. You will not get that headset. Your best bet is to use a Daydream View (hopefully purchased on eBay so you're not paying $70) as a comfortable, well constructed Google Cardboard.
  - russellbeattie 7y ago
    No. That was the point of my comment. Dream doesn't work like cardboard. They're completely different. The Dream headset only connects to specific phones and requires its own driver. Cardboard doesn't work with it at all.
    - moron4hire 7y ago
      That is not true. Turn off NFC on your phone and it can't scan the internal tag to try to use Daydream. You can then use any cardboard app you want.
      - russellbeattie 7y ago
        Oh! Thanks for the tip! Will try it out!
      - russellbeattie 7y ago
        Just an update - Cardboard doesn't work as the DayDream headset doesn't have the "button press" mechanism which taps the screen, and since Bluetooth doesn't work, it doesn't work at all.
moron4hire 7y ago
Where did you buy the headset that they didn't list the phones that are compatible with it?
- russellbeattie 7y ago
  Why would I have ever thought that Google would artificially limit compatibility? It never crossed my mind. I just assumed the listed phones were popular examples - and since mine had the same version of Android as the Pixels/Galaxies, I didn't worry about it. When did you decide to become an internet troll?
  - Tepix 7y ago
    It says so on the box: "Requires a Daydream-ready phone, see full list at g.co/daydream" It also explains why: Daydream-ready phones are built for VR with high-resolution displays, ultra smooth graphics and high-fidelity sensors for precise head tracking. These requirements were created to ensure a good experience, not to troll you.
  - moron4hire 7y ago
    I'm not trying to troll you, I'm legitimately asking. Everywhere I've seen it for sale has very prominently listed for which phones it's compatible. It's more warning than you will get when buying an NVMe SSD only to find out you have purchased the wrong connector version for your PC.

whywhywhywhy 7y ago

You should give an Oculus Quest a try if you ever get the opportunity. VR isn't really about the 3D effect it's about having your head and hands tracked in a 3D space and what can come from that level of interaction. Daydream never really offered this and after using a decent amount of VR I find that the most important part of the experience.

russellbeattie 7y ago
Actually, buying the Quest is what made me decide to grab a Dream headset. After playing with WebVR/WebXR demos, I thought wow, I should grab a Dream headset and see what my phone can do. This was at the end of September. Then I realized it wasn't compatible, but figured I might get a new Pixel when they launched, so I kept it just in case... Whoops.

deckar01 7y ago

Daydream didn't support 2:1 ratio displays for some reason. Most of Google's own flagship phones moved to that ratio. All they had to do was add black bars to the side to simulate 16:9, but they never did. I actually got Daydream to work by hacking the phone's hardware configuration to trick it into thinking the display was 1920x1080, but it caused the Android Moto launcher to freeze and crash too often. I purchased a Moto Z³, because I though it was daydream compatible only to find out Moto Z didn't mean the Moto Z line of phones, it meant a specific old model. Still waiting on a VR headset for it. The screen on my phone is leagues better than the one they put on the Oculus Go I am using.

moron4hire 7y ago
Nobody is making phone-slot-in headsets that are more than just "plastic Google Cardboard" anymore. Both Daydream and Gear VR are out, and there are no other projects in the works. You will not get that headset. Your best bet is to use a Daydream View (hopefully purchased on eBay so you're not paying $70) as a comfortable, well constructed Google Cardboard.
- russellbeattie 7y ago
  No. That was the point of my comment. Dream doesn't work like cardboard. They're completely different. The Dream headset only connects to specific phones and requires its own driver. Cardboard doesn't work with it at all.
  - moron4hire 7y ago
    That is not true. Turn off NFC on your phone and it can't scan the internal tag to try to use Daydream. You can then use any cardboard app you want.
    - russellbeattie 7y ago
      Oh! Thanks for the tip! Will try it out!
    - russellbeattie 7y ago
      Just an update - Cardboard doesn't work as the DayDream headset doesn't have the "button press" mechanism which taps the screen, and since Bluetooth doesn't work, it doesn't work at all.

moron4hire 7y ago

Where did you buy the headset that they didn't list the phones that are compatible with it?

russellbeattie 7y ago
Why would I have ever thought that Google would artificially limit compatibility? It never crossed my mind. I just assumed the listed phones were popular examples - and since mine had the same version of Android as the Pixels/Galaxies, I didn't worry about it. When did you decide to become an internet troll?
- Tepix 7y ago
  It says so on the box: "Requires a Daydream-ready phone, see full list at g.co/daydream" It also explains why: Daydream-ready phones are built for VR with high-resolution displays, ultra smooth graphics and high-fidelity sensors for precise head tracking. These requirements were created to ensure a good experience, not to troll you.
- moron4hire 7y ago
  I'm not trying to troll you, I'm legitimately asking. Everywhere I've seen it for sale has very prominently listed for which phones it's compatible. It's more warning than you will get when buying an NVMe SSD only to find out you have purchased the wrong connector version for your PC.