The Daydream Spec

Just like the GearVR, since Google requires that phones meet a certain standard, so that it can optimize its SDK to ensure better performance and quality. For example, they require a phone to have a minimum of two cores in the CPU, where one core can be dedicated exclusively for VR. These requirements are somewhat hidden but are listed in their Android Virtual Reality Documentation.

Phone Compatibility

Unlike the GearVR, the Daydream headset is not exclusive to just Samsung, but it does require a very modern Android phone. Google has partnered with many distributors to make upcoming Android phones Daydream-ready. Check Wikipedia for a list of the constantly growing set of phones.

But even with this flexibility, Google can ensure you can create higher fidelity worlds with high performance, which as we know is ever so important with VR. And their key trick is being able to optimize at the Android Operating System level to make the consumer experience feel seamless.

As a result, it is expected that in the upcoming years there will be millions of people using Daydream as an affordable VR headset, just as there are with the GearVR right now.

The Future of High End Mobile VR and What Does that Mean for You as a Developer

While it is true that Daydream and the GearVR are technically competing in the space of high end mobile VR headsets, that is not necessarily a bad thing. Yes, each platform will have its own set of content, some of which may be exclusive to each platform. At the end of the day, both products are trying to make good quality VR as accessible as possible to the mass market and are doing a fantastic job at it already.

As a developer, what this means for you is that you should be making experiences that are capable of targeting both platforms, but also utilizes each platform's strength. For example, if you are making a social VR experience, you will want to target both platforms to have the largest audience. But you will also need to make sure that regardless of what headset a consumer uses, they have a very intuitive experience, which will depend on the input they can use. So if someone is using a Daydream Headset, you will want to use the controller as much as possible, unlike a GearVR user who uses the touchpad.

While this may not always be practical and costs extra time to make sure everything works, it’s a great goal to strive for and will give your VR experience a better chance to succeed in the high end mobile ecosystem.