There were a lot of exciting announcements made by Google today, but unfortunately the company had some disappointing news to share, too.
Daydream VR has been discontinued by Google. The company confirmed the decision to Variety, saying that the Pixel 4 will not support Daydream VR and that it has stopped selling Daydream VR headsets. The Daydream app and store will continue working for existing users, though.
As for why it's killing off Daydream VR, Google explains that it "noticed some clear limitations" on smartphone-based VR and that consumer and developer adoption hasn't been as broad as the company would have hoped.
Here's Google's full statement on the matter:
"We saw a lot of potential in smartphone VR — being able to use the smartphone you carry with you everywhere to power an immersive on-the-go experience. But over time we noticed some clear limitations constraining smartphone VR from being a viable long-term solution. Most notably, asking people to put their phone in a headset and lose access to the apps they use throughout the day causes immense friction.
"There also hasn’t been the broad consumer or developer adoption we had hoped, and we’ve seen decreasing usage over time of the Daydream View headset. So while we are no longer selling Daydream View or supporting Daydream on Pixel 4, the Daydream app and store will remain available for existing users.
"We’re investing heavily in helpful AR experiences like Google Lens, AR walking navigation in Maps, and AR in Search that use the smartphone camera to bridge the digital and physical worlds, helping people do more with what they see and learn about the world around them."
Google launched Daydream VR three years ago, and it offered users a lower-cost way to try virtual reality that they could take anywhere. Because it's powered by your phone, Daydream VR doesn't require an expensive gaming PC, and the headset is much cheaper than most other units. Despite those benefits, Daydream VR never really caught on, and now it's disappearing for good.
Did you ever try Daydream VR?