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Google's Daydream VR experiment is over
Google is bringing the Daydream VR experiment to a close. The Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL smartphones it announced today don't support the platform, and it won't sell Daydream View headsets anymore. The Daydream app and store will still work for people with other Pixel devices, however.
Google brings Chrome to Daydream VR headsets
It's been a long time in coming, but Chrome browsing in VR is finally here. Google has released a version of Chrome that supports both Daydream View and stand-alone Daydream headsets like the Lenovo Mirage Solo. It can visit any website and includes Chrome staples like incognito mode, syncing and voice search, just in a wearable-friendly format. Google is also promising Daydream-specific features like a "cinema mode" when you watch online video.
BBC and Google take you under the sea in VR
It's easier to appreciate nature when you witness it first-hand, but that's rather difficult with the ocean unless you have a submarine at your disposal. The BBC and Google have a more practical solution: they've launched a BBC Earth: Life in VR app that illustrates the underwater ecosystem on Daydream View headsets and compatible phones. You can explore environments ranging from kelp forests to deep sea trenches, and life as large as whales or as tiny as plankton.
The best VR headsets and games to give as gifts
Virtual reality headsets were once so expensive that they would have only made suitable gifts for early adopters and serious gamers. By now, though, prices have dropped across the board, and there are enough compatible games that we're willing to recommend these headsets to a broader audience. The VR section of our holiday gift guide includes items at both the budget end of the spectrum (think: Samsung's Gear VR and Google's refreshed Daydream View) alongside higher-end offerings like the PlayStation VR and Oculus Rift and Touch bundle. Need some games to go with it? We suggest Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, Fallout 4 VR, Superhot VR and Rez Infinite. Need some accessories for someone who already owns a headset? Try the PSVR Aim Controller Farpoint bundle or the HTC Vive Deluxe Audio Strap.
New in our buyer's guide: Apple, Google and a little Sonos
Separate from our holiday gift guide, it was time for us to update our year-round shortlist of recommendations. Since our last round of additions, three months ago, we've reviewed a boatload of flagship handsets, with the iPhone 8/8 Plus and Pixel 2/Pixel 2 XL all making the list. (It's not that we don't recommend the iPhone X, but we recommend the 8 and particularly the 8 Plus for more people.) While we were at it, we also decided that the Sonos One, Google Home Mini, Apple TV 4K, second-gen Daydream View VR headset and the GoPro Hero6 were also worthy of this list. Find all that and more in the Engadget buyer's guide.
'Rez Infinite' arrives on your phone through Daydream VR
Rez Infinite is a sublime experience in virtual reality, but there's a catch: that requirement for PlayStation VR or a PC usually means you're tied down. That won't be an issue after today, provided you have the right hardware: Enhance Games has released Rez Infinite for Android. You'll need a Daydream-compatible VR headset with a controller (and the phone to match, of course), but you too can soar through virtual worlds and shoot enemies to a trance beat. And yes, the Infinite-only Area X is as visually intense as ever -- modern mobile hardware is clearly up to the job.
Google’s latest VR series takes you to the set of ‘Austin City Limits’
While Apple continues to expand its library of exclusive music documentaries, Google is now bringing a little music to its slate of VR series. Austin City Limits: Backstage takes you behind the scenes of the legendary music show and gives you backstage access to the performances, the crew and the artists that take the stage.
Google’s second Daydream headset is all subtle improvements
Samsung's Gear VR ushered in an age where we strap our phones to our faces for entertainment. But when it debuted last year, Google's $79 Daydream View managed to make the whole process look just a little less geeky. To coincide with the launch of its new Pixel smartphones, Google whipped up an updated version of the Daydream View that costs $20 more than the old one. So, what's actually new here? Quite a bit, as it turns out.
Google's new Daydream headset costs $99
Last year, Google announced the Daydream View, its first ever mobile VR headset. Not only was it powered by Android, it could also be used with a variety of different Daydream-compatible phones and it was covered in fabric. Today, the company announced the brand new version of the View, and this time, it comes in multiple colors: Charcoal, Fog and Coral. It's also available for $99, which is $20 more than last year's iteration.
Live from Google's Pixel 2 event!
It's already been a year since Google officially announced its pair of Pixel smartphones, the Google Home speaker and a host of other hardware products. Naturally, that means it's time to do it all over again. At an event in San Francisco, Google is expected to reveal the new Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL phones, updates to the Google Home line, a convertible Chromebook and more. We'll be there live bringing you the news as it develops with our up-to-the-minute liveblog, and we'll have hands-on and first impressions from the event afterwards. Keep an eye on this page for everything as it's announced -- Google's event kicks off on October 4th at 12PM ET / 9AM PT.
The Chinese Room made a VR parable for Google Daydream
Indie developer The Chinese Room is releasing its first-ever virtual reality game. So Let Us Melt is a sci-fi parable about a machine lost in a paradise of its own making. Exclusively available on Google's Daydream VR platform, the title sees the developer reuniting with Bafta award-winning composer Jessica Curry.
Google's mini Home speaker and Pixel 2 XL leak ahead of October event (updated)
If Google was trying to keep all its October 4th announcements under wraps, it just failed in spectacular fashion. Droid Life has obtained images and details for three of the headliners, and it's clear that there are a few surprises even if you've been following the leaks pretty closely. To start, that rumored tiny Home speaker has a name and a face. It's the Google Home Mini (at left), and it's basically what you'd expect: an Echo Dot-like $49 puck that ditches the higher-quality speakers in favor of a laser-like focus on Google Assistant. You won't get to swap coverings like you can with the full-size Home, but you will have the option of an eye-catching coral color in addition to more pedestrian charcoal (black) and chalk (white/silver).
The best VR headsets and accessories for dorms
We'll be the first to admit that a virtual-reality session isn't terribly conducive to bonding with new friends in the dorm. But, hey, a few of us here at Engadget are introverts, so you don't need to explain to us the value of strapping on a headset and momentarily blocking out the stress of classes and meeting new people. Included in our back-to-school guide are many of the usual suspects, like the Oculus Rift, PlayStation VR and Daydream View. We also recommend the optional Rift and Gear VR controllers, as well as games like Rock Band VR and Farpoint. Enjoy your escape from the real world, but remember to take a social break from time to time.
New in our buyer's guide: The OnePlus 5 and two Surface devices
This month's buyer's guide additions fill almost every product category: We've got a smartphone, VR headset, games console, notebook and a 2-in-1. Those last two both come from Microsoft in the form of the Surface Laptop and the new Surface Pro. At the smaller end of the screen-size spectrum, we have the new OnePlus 5 the Nintendo Switch and Google's Daydream View headset. Find all that in more in our buyer's guide, and stay tuned for even more updates in the coming weeks.
Raise the horns for Anthrax and Killswitch Engage in VR tonight
There really isn't anything like being on the floor during a heavy metal show. The smell of sweat, spilled beer and, ahem, greener substances combine to form one of the more unique aromas in live music. But as enticing as that may be, sometimes you just can't make it to a concert for one reason or another. If you're a fan of thrash, Live Nation and NextVR have something right up your alley planned for 9pm Eastern tonight: an interactive broadcast of Anthrax and Killswitch Engage's show from the House of Blues in Texas.
Sky VR now available on Google Daydream headsets
Sky has slowly been adding virtual reality content to its Sky VR app, but those Star Wars and David Beckham specials have only been available to viewers with Google Cardboard. Fast forward almost five months and the broadcaster has finally done something about that, today confirming that it's adding support for Google's other VR platform, Daydream, to its apps. It means that if you own one of Google's Daydream View headsets or are keen to invest in one, you'll now have more local content available to stream.
Live NBA is coming to Google's Daydream VR platform
NextVR has expanded its NBA virtual reality coverage, now offering it on more than one headset and in countries other than the US. Along with the current Samsung Gear VR offering, you can now catch broadcasts on Google's Daydream platform. In addition, viewers in Canada, the UK, Germany and Australia will be able to catch on-demand games and highlights, though live broadcasts are limited to the US.
The team behind 'That Dragon, Cancer' made a VR radio play
The folks behind the heartrending, award-winning autobiographical game That Dragon, Cancer are back with a new project. Don't worry though, because it sounds like the polar opposite of that tragic tale. In the episodic virtual reality game Untethered (told you it was different), you play a talk radio DJ. Ands such, you can talk to other characters in the game by speaking aloud. What good would a DJ-starring game be without that ability, anyhow?
Go full 'Westworld' with HBO Now in Google's VR headset
Just bought a Daydream View? Well you're in luck, because Google has released a flurry of new apps for its Daydream VR headset. The headline addition is arguably Gunjack 2: End of Shift. Previously announced with the working title Gunjack Next, Gunjack 2 is the spaceship battling sequel to Gunjack, one of the best-selling VR games to date. Developed by EVE Online creators CCP, the game lets players use the Daydream motion controller to shoot down aerial adversaries, promising daily procedural missions and a cinematic, cut-scene led story.
Red and 'Snow' Daydream View VR headsets ship today
In addition to HBO Now support and a ton of new games, Google is finally shipping Daydream View headsets in new colors. Customers in the US, UK and Australia can order the "Crimson" (red) and "Snow" (it depends who you ask) editions of the View from the Google Store. Those that pre-ordered their colorful headset should see their orders ship today. Neither color comes as a surprise -- they were both announced at the headset's launch -- but up until now you've only been able to pick up the View in gray. Aside from the now colorways, the headsets are identical to the version that's been on sale for some time, and appropriately come with the same $79 (£69) price tag. Daydream View is compatible with Google's Pixel and Pixel XL, and Lenovo's Moto Z and Moto Z Force.
