U.S – Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL) is making tremendous efforts to add content to its Daydream virtual reality gear for Android devices. Following after Hulu and HBO, Netflix is adding its VR app to the Daydream View headset.
The app is ready to download for free on the Play Store, and it requires the regular subscription or account to the streaming service to use. However, the system is only compatible with Daydream, so no Cardboard VR, Gear VR users will be able to enjoy it.
So far there is only a handful of Daydream-ready phones, including Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL devices, and LG’s G5 flagship phone. Upcoming Daydream-compatible phones include devices from Samsung, HTC, ZTE, Huawei, Xiaomi, Alcatel, Asus, and Motorola.
How is Netflix VR on the Daydream view?
Netflix VR for Daydream looks similar as Netflix on Android TV. It features a gigantic virtual screen and an elegant digital environment to watch the shows.
There is a virtual interface to access the content, and users can scroll around it via the Daydream controller. If the user has seen the Android TV client with its remote or a game controller, he should know what is coming.
Netflix VR is a stand-alone application, so it packs the every content of the service. It means it could be redundant if the user also has Netflix on a smart TV, computer or another more conventional fullscreen.
Daydream is still a very young hardware
Google’s new VR platform launched back in October at the company’s big hardware event. It is still a young platform, but the tech giant wants it to grow.
Daydream addresses one of the biggest problems of the VR industry: while each big player (like HTC Vive and Oculus Rift) is exclusive to its own games, videos, and store fronts, Daydream aims to include any Android device into the same friendly ecosystem.
Daydream is a step above the $25 Cardboard, but it does not compete against the Rift or the Vive, both offering high-end VR experiences for over $500 per gear.
Instead, Google’s VR platform has a price tag of $79, a lower price than Samsung’s Gear VR, which is probably the best mobile VR headset around at the moment.
DayDream View is available at various U.S. retailers like BestBuy and Verizon, as well as Amazon or Google’s own digital store.
Source: Google Play