One of the biggest upgrades to Daydream View's 2017 model was the inclusion of the newer, Fresnel Lenses. These lenses are designed to be thinner, or flatter, but still, give the full range of optics when using them in VR. Both Oculus Rift, and Vive already use these lenses so it makes sense that Google would join in as well. But with great Lenses, comes great responsibility, or in this case, great glare.
The glare is caused by the manufacturing technique of Fresnel Lenses that create circular grooves in the glass. If the light from your phone shines just right it causes a circular light in your eye. It is frustrating but there are some tips to help.
Reduce the Brightness.
Most of the time you will see this glare at the start of your app loading, when there is a lot of bright white on screen, or when there is a lot of white text. White seems to be the biggest trigger and of course the brighter the white the more the glare. By reducing the screen brightness on your phone you can reduce the glare considerably and really, it's just good sense to keep your brightness lower after all the screen is only one inch from your eyeballs.
Tilting your head.
The angle the light hits the groove on the Fresnel lens makes all the difference on whether you get massive lens flare or not. By adjusting the position of your Daydris, or by tilting your head slightly, you can reduce the glare to acceptable levels. Don't worry you don't have to move it to uncomfortable angles, just enough to change the reflection or refraction so it doesn't hit your eye.
It's important to note the glare really isn't enough to stop you enjoying the Daydream but I have seen people choose to send theirs back and buy the original instead. Personally I don't think the glare is a reason to lose the heatsink and generally better build but if you truly can't live with it perhaps the OG Daydream View is for you.
Questions?
Glare within the headset is a new problem for Daydream, but it definitely doesn't need to be a deal breaker. What do you guys think? Have you had trouble with the glare or is it tolerable? Let us know in the comments.
