Google's Daydream VR offers one of the best mobile virtual reality experiences around, and today, a few big improvements for the platform were announced to take it even further throughout 2018 and beyond.
First up, Google has some cool stuff coming for the Lenovo Mirage Solo — the first standalone Daydream headset. The Mirage Solo is capable of six degrees of freedom tracking (6DoF), meaning Daydream accounts for your motion up, down, left, right, forwards, and backward. To take advantage of all that tracking, Google's created new 6DoF controllers.
The controllers use optical tracking to follow your movements, meaning there's no need for external cameras or sensors of any kind. It's possible we'll see a consumer version of this announced at Google's October 9 event, but for the time being, they're only being offered to developers.
Sticking with the Mirage Solo, Google also announced a new See-Through Mode. Using Google's WorldSense technology, See-Through Mode allows you to see everything in front of you in real-time even with the headset on. Along with the basic convenience this should bring, See-Through Mode also allows for powerful AR experiences — such as adding virtual furniture in your living room to see how it'll look.
Last but certainly not least, all Daydream devices can run standalone Android apps and games starting today. Apps are run in a big-screen mode rather than in full 360 VR, but even so, it's a great addition that gives users a lot more VR experiences right out of the box.
