Posted on April 18, 2018
The virtual reality retail price wars appear to be heating up, with makers of strap-on VR viewers both high-end and budget cutting RRPs in the hopes of finally luring in all those curious potential purchasers who’ve managed to avoid the powerful lure of virtual reality thus far. With the recent drop in prices announced for HTCs Vive and Sonys Playstation VR, many consumers finally parted with currency and made the leap into VR entertainment. Those still waiting, who haven’t yet wandered around a 360° 3D digital landscape in search of virtual adventure, may no longer have an excuse thanks to Googles recent announcement of a new price point for its one-year-old Daydream View headset.
Get $50 off Daydream View through April 28th
Initially launching to varied reactions from industry pundits, product reviewers, and consumers themselves, Google Daydream was first priced at $99 and marketed as a less intimidating take on VR viewers. Constructed from a lightweight foam-and-fabric body, with an included handheld controller, the latest version of Daydream, temporarily priced at $49, is being praised for its portability and improved design.
Working with newer Android phones running Nougat OS (or better), the latest Daydream device brings the price of a high-quality VR entry point below $50. Daydream’s price is set to return to $99 on April 28th, making this a buying window many VR newcomers will want to pounce on. Concerns about Daydream expressed at its 2016 launch - limited content, only 90° viewing field, fabric and its potential to be stained by all sorts of fluids - are dissipating, too, as Google solidifies its sole non-cardboard VR hardware effort. Whether it’s roaming Google Earth, slipping it into a costumed cutie at VR Cosplay or creating digital artworks that float in a virtual environment that’s most enticing you to indulge in your first VR apparatus, Daydream is the most appealing and affordable entry point on offer today.
(Really, though, be careful of stains!)