However, Google will launch its Daydream Android platform for virtual reality in fall 2016, after previewing it at the firm’s I/O conference back in May.
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“Sources said the headset now in development will not require a computer or phone to power it”, Engadget writes.
Clearly, Daydream is not Google’s long-term vision for AR and VR. The company is rumoured that the mixed headset is not based on company’s Daydream. The main focus is that it is more in line with augmented reality system than VR headsets. For example, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive both have an FOV of 110 degrees, which is three to four times wider than the FOV on Hololens. “In this instance, Google is shifting more resources behind mobile VR – tools for companies to build apps, games and services on smartphones that use the nascent media – rather than expensive hardware”, the report reads.
A report published in the Uber Gizmo said, “A report earlier from Recode revealed that Google’s plans for their own dedicated VR headset had been killed. We had been hearing rumors about a standalone VR headset for a while now, but according to the report, Google made a decision to give up on it to focus on Daydream, their VR platform which would lead to the creation of Daydream-compatible handsets”.
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The mixed reality headset will come with a pointer for interacting with Virtual reality and augmented reality applications. Now, another report (via Engadget) says that Google is indeed still working on a standalone headset, albeit one “that blurs the line between virtual reality and augmented reality”. However, while the original headset has been scrapped, a new high-end one is under development, with employees having been assigned to its development over the past couple of months. The device apparently features a built-in display and doesn’t require a smartphone or computer to power it. However, reports surfacing on the Internet reveal that the company has cancelled the project, on the other hand, some reports suggest that a standalone headset which merges augmented and virtual reality is in the works.
