It’s day two of Google I/O and after the announcements yesterday the company has gone into further detail about its virtual reality (VR) plans. So today Google has revealed Daydream 2.0 Euphrates, the next version of its operating that’s been designed to work with mobile and the upcoming standalone head-mounted displays (HMDs).
Mike Jazayeri, Director of Product Management for Daydream came on to discuss Daydream, beginning by saying that ‘tens of millions’ of Daydream ready smartphones would be out in the wild by the end of the year due to companies like Asus, Motorola and Samsung all bringing out compatible devices.
He then went on to Daydream 2.0 Euphrates, the software that would be powering the next wave of experiences for the platform. Powered by Android O, Daydream 2.0 would have three key aspects to it, complete support for standalone devices, bringing more VR content front and centre, and making it easier to share experiences.
So there’s going to be a new UI manager that’ll give users complete access to the system whilst in VR, so a new dashboard will be able to open on top of any app allowing them to check notifications, change settings or switch apps with ease. On the Home screen a new curated list of content will be available, showcasing the latest apps, videogames and videos, which will continuously update.
And lastly Google Cast support will be added so that friends and family not in VR can still enjoy the experience. Users pull up the dashboard and simply select the casting destination, this even works switching between apps. Whilst casting onto a TV for example user will also be able to capture screenshots and videos to share.
VRFocus will continue its coverage of Google I/O, reporting back with all the latest announcements.