Got a shiny new Pixel, or other Daydream-compatible smartphone? Been sitting on the fence about getting into Google’s VR ecosystem? Now might be the right time.
Daydream View, the first headset to support the platform, is currently $49 on the Google Play Store, which is $30 off the regular price of $79. It applies to each of the headset’s three color variants. This isn’t a permanent cut, though; the price may jump back up on Feb 25, 2017 at 11:59 PM PST.
If Google’s approach to shifting Daydream is anything like Samsung’s with Gear VR, then you can expect to see plenty of these types of sales in the weeks and months to come. Samsung and Oculus outright gave Gear VR away with purchases of new phones over certain periods of 2016, and Google already offered a free View units to anyone that pre-ordered its Pixel phone late last year.
It doesn’t appear that the sale is in effect anywhere else right now, though we’ve reached out to Google to ask if it has any plans for this.
The price cut will likely come as good news for developers putting their content onto the platform, as we’ve reported some seemingly sluggish sales for many of Daydream’s top apps within the first few months of launch. This is more than likely down to a low install base for the ecosystem — though Google hasn’t shared any official figures yet. Anything to boost those numbers will be welcome.
Still, you might want to hold fire on buying a Daydream View. In our review, we noted that the headset was a “finicky fit”, letting light in from the sides among other issues. The important thing about the wider Daydream ecosystem is that this won’t be the only headset to support it. In fact, Huawei’s own offering was revealed during CES this month and looks like a far more traditional solution. It could be a good idea to wait for that if you’re looking to get into Daydream.
