Daydream View 2017: Comfort isn't everything - CNET

Samsung Gear VR vs. Daydream View. Plastic vs. fabric. Velcro vs. elastic. James Martin/CNET. Google provides the underlying software that ... XMobile DaydreamView2017:Comfortisn’teverything ThemostcomfortableVRheadsetyet,butnotthebest. SeanHollisterOct.17,20176:00a.m.PTSeanHollisterSeniorEditor/ReviewsWhenhisparentsdeniedhimaSuperNES,hegotmad.WhentheytradedaprizeSegaGenesisfora2400baudmodem,hegoteven.YearsofInternetshareware,eBay'dpossessionsandvideogametestingjobsafterthat,hejoinedEngadget.HehelpedfoundTheVerge,andlaterservedasGizmodo'sreviewseditor.Whenhe'snotmadlytestinglaptops,apps,virtualrealityexperiences,andwhatevernewgadgetwillsupposedlychangetheworld,helikestokickbackwithsomegames,agoodNerfblaster,andabottleofTejava.Seefullbio5minreadCNETeditorspicktheproductsandserviceswewriteabout.Whenyoubuythroughourlinks,wemaygetacommission.ShopforGoogleDaydreamView(2017,charcoal)Seeallprices$42ateBay$47atAmazon"Icouldwearthisforhours."It'snotthefirstthingIthinkafterstrappingmyselftoaVRheadset.I'vetrieddozensandgenerallymythoughtsrangefrom"Whywon'titstayonmyface?!?"to"MaybeI'llgetusedtothissomeday."ThenewDaydreamViewiscomfy. JamesMartin/CNETGoogle'sDaydreamView,updatedfor2017,istheexceptiontotherule.It'sthemostcomfortableheadgearI'veworn.IexploredanalienworldfortwohoursstraightonSaturday,andwatchedafull-lengthNetflixmovieinsidetheheadsetthisSunday.Andhonestly,Icouldhavekeptgoing.ButI'mnotgoingtotellyoutorunoutandbuya$100,£100orAU$150DaydreamView.Foralltheimprovementshere,therearestillseveralreasonswhyGoogle'sphone-VRplatformisn'taninsta-sell.Plus,itcosts$20,£30orAU$30morethisyear.Andthismightsurpriseyou:ifyouchoosethePixel2phone,Idon'tthinkthenewDaydreamViewisagoodchoiceforyou.(Spoiler:It'sthescreens,butIgomoreintoitdownbelow.)What'sDaydream?YouknowAndroid,theGoogleoperatingsystemthatpowersover80percentoftheworld'sphones?DaydreamisGoogle'splantobuildtheAndroidofvirtualreality.AnymanufacturercanmakeaDaydream-compatiblephoneandstickitintoaDaydream-compatibleheadset.UnlikeSamsung'sGearVR,whichonlyworkswithSamsungphones,Daydreamdevicesareinteroperable.SamsungGearVRvs.DaydreamView.Plasticvs.fabric.Velcrovs.elastic. JamesMartin/CNETGoogleprovidestheunderlyingsoftwarethatmakesitallwork,andbuildsafewdevicestosetagoodexample,justlikeitdoeswithAndroid.Caseinpoint:ThenewDaydreamView,theunusuallycomfortablefabricheadsetthatI'mreviewinghere.Betterheadset,butlimitationspersistIcan'toverstatehowmuchmorecomfortablethenewDaydreamViewreallyis.Iusedtheoriginalheadsetandthisnewversionside-by-side,swappingback-and-forth,andfoundthenewheadsetdoesn'tdigintomycheekbonesliketheoriginal.Withanewtopstrap,it'sfarbetterbalancedacrosstheentirehead,withlesslightleakingin--andunlikemanyheadsets,thelensesdidn'tfoguponmeonce.Andimportantly,fortheaverageuser,it'swayeasiertofigureouthowtoputiton.ImadeanentirevideotoexplainhowtheoriginalDaydreamView'sstrapsshouldsitonyourskull.That'snotaproblemanymore.Itstilldoesn'tfitoverglasses,butseveralcolleaguestoldmethefitwasbetterthantheoriginal. UpclosewithGoogle'supdatedDaydreamView +17more SeeallphotosStill,thenewDaydreamViewdoesn'treallymovetheneedletechnologically.Theincludedcontrollerisstillaneatwaytoaimagun,steeracarorpointlikeamouse,butyoucan'treachoutandgrab.Youstillcan'tusephone-basedVRonabus,trainorplanebecausethosemotionsfoolthesensorsthatkeepyourviewstable,andVRisstillahugedrainonyourphone'spreciousbattery.Immersion-wise,yougetaslightlylargerfieldofview,butthat'saboutit.NotatontodoinGoogle'sVRDaydreamhasover250appsayearinsince2016,buttherestilldoesn'tseemtobeatonofinterestingstuff.Samsung'sOculus-poweredGearVRhasadeeperappcatalogincomparison.I'mcurrentlytestingtoseeifIcanfindsomegems,butI'mprettysureYouTubeVR,GoogleStreetView(virtualsightseeing!)andmoviesfromNetflix,HuluandGooglePlayarestilltheprimarydraws.Thisisstillagadgetthatyou'llbeusingsparingly,probablyonyourowncouchorswivelchairathome,eveniftheheadsetfeelscomfy.Warning:SomephonesworkbetterthanothersButthemostsurprisingthingIdiscoveredaboutthenewDaydreamViewis:NoteveryDaydream-compatiblephonemakesforagreatexperience.You'dthinkGoogle'sownflagshipPixel2andPixel2XL phones,announcedalongsidethenewDaydreamView,wouldbethebestchoices,no?Notsomuch--becausethe5-inchPixel2comeswithasmall,comparativelylow-res1,920x1080-pixeldisplaythatdoesn'tlookgoodwhenblownupbytheDaydreamView'slenses.ItsuffersheavilyfromsomethingVRexpertscallthe"screendooreffect,"whereitfeelslikeyou'relookingateverythingthroughafinemesh.ItlooksworsethanthesamephonedoesontheoriginalDaydreamView.Idid*lots*ofcomparisontesting,andI'drecommendstickingwiththeoldDaydreamViewfor1080pphoneslikethePixelandPixel2.(Lookfordiscounts.)JamesMartin/CNETThe6-inchPixel2XL,meanwhile,usesanLG-sourcedOLEDdisplaythatproducesannoyingghostlyafterimagesneardarkobjects--waymorethanwithotherphonesItested.Ironically,thephonethat'sworkingthebestformesofarisSamsung's5.8-inchGalaxyS8,whichaddedDaydreamsupportearlierthisyear.It'sjustlargeenoughtotakefulladvantageoftheheadset'sfieldofview,cramsinenoughpixelstominimizethescreendooreffect,andkeepstheghostingtoaminimum.ButifyouownaGalaxyS8,youcanalsochooseGearVR.And,rightnow,GearVRmightbethebetterchoiceunlessyoucraveGoogleapps.ThejuryisstilloutI'mstilltestingthenewDaydreamViewwithmorephones,moreappsandgames,andmoreYouTubeVRinparticulartoseeifthere'sakilleruseImissed.AndIneedtodomoretestsagainstitsprimarycompetition,theSamsungGearVR.ButI'mprettysuremyadvicewillbethesameaslastyear:Wait.Watchthis:Google'sDaydreamViewiswaybetterthanCardboard 02:02Above:90-pluspercentofmyoriginalDaydreamViewvideoreviewisstillrelevanttoday.Oneyearago,whenIreviewedthefirstDaydreamView,theplatformwasn'tclosetoreadyforaveragebuyers.Theheadsetwasn'tcomfortableenough,thestrapsdidn'tstayput,youhadonlyahandfulofappstochoosefrom,andDaydreamphoneslargelydidn'texist--onlyGoogle'sownPixelandPixelXLwouldwork.ThenewDaydreamViewissuperior,butGooglehasfurthertogo.GearVRisprobablythebetterpickifyou'vegotaSamsungphone,withmoreappsandgamesI'drecommend,andbothGearVRandDaydreamcouldgeteclipsedbythe$199(£150orAU$255converted) OculusGoearlynextyear--whichdoesn'trequireaphone.Ifyou'recurioustotryVRwithyourPixel2XL,goforit.Butifyou'reconsideringthesmallerPixel2,I'dleaveitalone.Readnext:VRpromisedusthefuture.Toobadwe'restuckinthepresentAnd:VRcouldtrickstrokevictims'brainstowardsrecovery