Google's update to the Daydream VR platform includes an exciting new way to share VR experiences with those in the room with you. A quick click on the Chromecast icon will send everything the player sees to the closest television, which is a lot more fun than just watching someone with a headset on their face.
The big question now is which Chromecast will offer the best experience for this? And if you already have a Chromecast, is it time to consider an upgrade? After some extensive testing, it looks like the Chromecast Ultra is going to offer the best experience for Daydream users. Here's why!
Comparing the Chromecasts
On a high level, all Chromecasts work the same way. For watching television, these gadgets are made to stream things from the web so your phone doesn't have to do to. When streaming Daydream, things work a little differently. You're streaming video from your phone across your local network to the Chromecast, which means the rules are a little different.
The video feed you are sending from your phone is directly impacted by how good your local network is, but also by how much processing power your Chromecast has. In comparing the three Chromecasts we found the first to not be worth using for streaming. After 5-10 minutes of gamepl,ay there are noticeable audio lags and frozen images. Our options of the other two Chromecasts are explained here.
Chromecast
With a slightly more capable processor than the original, the audio sync issues all but disappear. There's a persistent delay between the headset and the television, which is to be expected. The important thing here is no stream time where the audio is occasionally multiple seconds behind the video.
Video artifacts and delays are noticeably less problematic on this Chromecast as well. This is generally a better option than the original Chromecast for stability reasons alone.
Chromecast Ultra
While designed for 4K televisions, your average high definition television will also benefit from the additional performance and features available in this design. The audio delay is just about the same on this version of the Chromecast, but video issues will go away entirely. You get a consistent high quality stream every time from this Chromecast.
To help improve things even further, you can use an Ethernet connection with a Chromecast Ultra to avoid any network connection issues left by adding a pair of wireless transmissions to this stream.
Are you ready to cast?
Have you been casting to the television with your Daydream? Have you been considering picking up a Chromecast Ultra? Let us know in the comments below!
