Google's Second-Gen Daydream View VR HMD Is A Bigger ...

In fact, we didn't realize the extent of the changes until we put the two headsets side by side. The original Daydream View features a soft ... 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GooglelaunchedtheDaydreamVRplatformlastNovemberalongwiththefirst-generationGooglePixelphones.ThecompanyalsoreleasedtheDaydreamView,whichwassupposedtochallengeSamsung’sGearVRasthepremiermobileVRheadset.Google’sfirstkickatthecanfellabitshortofthatgoal,butitspentthepast11monthsrevisingthehardware,andit’sreadyforanothergo.ThefirstrevisionofDaydreamViewheadsetisavailablethisweek,anditboastssignificantimprovementsovertheoriginalversion.GoogledippeditstoesintothevirtualrealitymarketearlywiththeGoogleCardboardplatform.However,Cardboardismoreofanexperimentthanaviablelong-termVRplatform.Itofferslimitedinput,noadjustability(IPD,focus,etc.),andofficialCardboardviewersdon’tevenhaveheadstraps.TheCardboardinitiativewaslimitedinitsscope,butifgaveGoogleasolidfoundationfromwhichtolearnaboutvirtualreality.Lastyear,thetechgiantsteppedupasamuchmoreseriousplayerintheVRindustrywiththeDaydreamplatform,whichboastedimprovedhardwareandhigherqualityexperiences.ThefirstversionoftheDaydreamViewheadsethadseveralredeemingfeatures,includingsoft-touchmaterials,lightweightconstruction,compatibilitywithmultiplephones,andanincluded3-degreesoffreedom(3DoF)motioncontroller.Despiteitspositivefeatures,theDaydreamViewheadsetcouldn'twrestthemobileVRcrownfromSamsungandOculus.Thematerialsweresoft,whichfeltcomfortableatfirst,buttheheadset’slackofanoverheadstrapmeantthatyouhavetotightenthebackstraptothepointwhereitwasuncomfortable,whichkilledtheexperience.Google’snewDaydreamViewheadset,whichcomesoutalongsideGoogle’snewPixel2andPixel2XLphones,doesn’tsufferfromthoseproblems.Image1of10Image2of10Image3of10Image4of10Image5of10Image6of10Image7of10Image8of10Image9of10Image10of10CosmeticChangesAtfirstglance,youmaynotnoticemuchofadifferencebetweentheoriginalandtherevisedversionoftheDaydreamView.Infact,wedidn’trealizetheextentofthechangesuntilweputthetwoheadsetssidebyside.TheoriginalDaydreamViewfeaturesasoftmaterialthatfeelsalotlikeacottont-shirt,whereasthefabriconthenewheadsetfeelscoarser,almostlikeadenimmaterial.Wehaven’tputtheheadsetthroughunnecessarilyroughuse,butweexpectthatthecoarsematerialwillholduptowearbetterthantheoldversion.Wegettheimpressionthatthenewmaterialwouldabsorblessmoisturethantheoldmaterial,too.Lastyear,GoogleofferedtheDaydreamViewheadsetinthreedifferentcolors:Slate,Crimson,andSnow.Thisyear,thecompanyisofferingthreedifferentcolors:Coral,Fog,andCharcoal.WereceivedtheFogvariant,whichisapaleshadeofgrey.Image1of6Image2of6Image3of6Image4of6Image5of6Image6of6ComfortImprovementsThenewDaydreamViewheadsetincludesarevisedfacialinterfacewithslightlythickerfoamanddenserconstruction.Bothcushionsappeartobemadeofthesametypeoffoammaterial.Thenewheadstrapisthemostnotableimprovement.GooglecametoitssensesandgavetherevisedDaydreamViewheadsetaremovableoverheadstrapthatoffersmuchmoresupporttohelpbalancetheheadsetonyourface.Whereaswefoundthattheoldheadsetbecameuncomfortableafterlessthan20minutesofuse,thenewheadsetallowedustorelaxandenjoytheexperienceformorethantwohourswithoutfrettingaboutanovertightenedheadstraporasaggingscreen.Image1of4Image2of4Image3of4Image4of4FunctionalChangesThecomfortandcosmeticupdatesarewelcomechanges,butGoogledidmoretoseparatetheoldandnew.Forexample,thelatchthatholdsthefrontcoverisasignificant,yetsubtlechange.Theoldlatchworkswellenough,butthenewdesignismoreconvenient.Thenewlatchhandleismadeofarubbermaterial,whichholdssecurelywhenyouneeditto,butitalsoslipsoutwhenyouwantitto.Theolddesignrequiresyoutopulltheelasticcordbacktocleartheedgeofthehook,whereasthenewdesignletsyougivethehandleagentletugforward,anditcomesrightout.Image1of4Image2of4Image3of4Image4of4GooglealsoredesignedthefrontcoveroftheDaydreamViewheadset.Theoriginalwasmadeofalightplasticmaterialthatfeelslikeit’shollowinside.Thecoverincludedfourrubbernubsthatprotectedthebacksideofyourphonefromscratches.WhenwetestedtheoriginalDaydreamViewheadsetwithaPixelXLsmartphone,wefoundthatthephoneranmightyhotafterashort15-20minutestintrunningVRgames.Googlehasaddressedthisprobleminthenewversionbyaddingametalheatsinkwith10verticalfinsintegratedintothefrontcovertohelpreducethetemperatureofyourdevice.Thenewfrontcoveralsonecessitatedasturdierhingedesignthatcansupporttheextraweight.Theheatsinkseemstodoitsjob.WewereabletoplayahandfulofgamesandwatchseveralYouTubevideosoverthecourseofanhourwiththesamePixelXLweusedintheoriginalView,anditwasonlymarginallywarmerthanwhenwestarted.TheOpticsSellThePackageUnquestionably,themostimportantchangetothenewDaydreamViewistheimprovedopticsdesign.Google’sfirst-generationDaydreamViewheadsetfeaturedtwo,small,roundlensesnotunliketheonesyouwouldfindinaGoogleCardboardheadset.Theygetthejobdone,butwithsignificantdistortionaroundtheperimeterofyourview.ThenewDaydreamheadsetincludeslargerlenses,whichfeaturecutawaystomakespaceforyournoseliketheViveandRiftheadsets.Google’snewlensesappeartobeFresnel,orFresnel-derivedhybridlenseswithmultiplesteppingstoreducedistortionwhenyoulooktowardstheedgeofthelens.Thenewlensescreatemildlensflaredistortions,butoverallyougetamuchclearerviewofthescreen.NewController?NotReallyGooglerevisedthecontroller3DoFcontrollerfortheheadsetrevision,butthechangeisnegligible.ThenewcontrollerfeaturesaprotrudingAppbutton,whereastheoldonehasaflatAppbutton.Thevolumebuttonsonthenewcontrollerarealsoslightlymoreprominent,too.Google’sfirstDaydreamViewfeaturedaspotbehindthefrontcovertostorethecontroller,butthenewversionneededroomfortheheatsink,soGoogleaddedaslotontherearoftheheadstraptostorethecontroller.PhoneSupport,OldAndNewWeknewthattheoldPixelphonesworkedinthenewDaydreamView,butnowwealsoknowthatthenewPixel2andPixel2XLarebackwardscompatiblewiththeoldView.Tobeclear,it'snotjustthey'recompatible;thedevicesallworkflawlesslywithoneanother.Althoughwemanagedtogetthenewsmartphonestoworkwiththeoldheadset,weadvisepickingupthenewDaydreamView.TheimprovementsthatGooglemadetotherevisedheadsetmeritapurchaseevenifyou’restickingwithanolderDaydream-readyphone.Thenewoneisthatmuchbetter.Googleisaskingalittlebitmoremoneyforthenewheadset.TheoriginalDaydreamheadsetsoldfor$79whenithitthemarket,whichwasafairpriceforwhatitoffered.Googleisasking$99forthenewversion,andwe'dsayitoffersabettervaluedespitethehigherpricetag. KevinCarbotte KevinCarbotteisaContributingWriterforTom'sHardwareUS.Hewritesnewsandreviewsofgraphicscardsandvirtualrealityhardware. Seeallcomments(1) 1Comment Commentfromtheforums Idon'tlikethedesign,itlookslikeasweatermorethanacoolgadget. Reply ViewAll1Comment BeIntheKnow Getinstantaccesstobreakingnews,in-depthreviewsandhelpfultips. ContactmewithnewsandoffersfromotherFuturebrands Receiveemailfromusonbehalfofourtrustedpartnersorsponsors ThankyouforsigninguptoTom'sHardware.Youwillreceiveaverificationemailshortly. Therewasaproblem.Pleaserefreshthepageandtryagain. 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