Google Daydream SDK Launches Out of Beta, Adds Unity Integration

After announcing Daydream earlier this year, Google’s platform for high-end virtual reality on Android, the company has now says the Daydream VR SDK has reached version 1.0 and is now ready for download.

Building upon the prior Cardboard SDK, Google has now combined both Cardboard and Daydream development into the Google VR SDK. The company says the SDK includes “a simple API used for creating apps inserted into Cardboard viewers, and the more complex API for supporting Daydream-ready phones and the Daydream controller.”

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See Also: Google’s (Day)dream: ‘Hundreds of Millions of Users in a Couple of Years’

The Daydream side of the SDK is a foundation for VR developers, handling important basic functions that every VR app needs, like stereo rendering, spatial audio, head tracking, lens distortion, and asynchronous reprojection.

Developers can get the Google VR SDK over at the Google VR developer site. In addition to the Unreal Engine Daydream integration which has been improving since its launch alongside the Daydream announcement, the promised Unity integration has finally arrived in the form of a ‘technical preview’ which developers can download today. Unity writes on their official blog:

Unity’s native support for Daydream aims to solve the hard problems for you. To get optimal performance and latency from the platform we have done a deep integration with the Daydream SDK to leverage the platform’s asynchronous reprojection and VR performance mode. We have also made it easy to switch in and out of VR mode so that your applications can easily expand to the Google VR audience.

While the Daydream Unity technical preview is currently a separate package, the company says it will ship as part of the standard Unity package at a later date.

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See Also: Existing Phones Unlikely to Qualify as ‘Daydream Ready’, Says Google, VR Fans Should Wait to Upgrade

The timing of the Google Daydream VR SDK launching out of beta comes just ahead of an October 4th press event hosted by Google which is widely expected to see the announcement of new Daydream-ready phones from the company, amidst other news. This aligns with Google’s promise earlier this year that we’d see the first Daydream phones launch in Fall.

As part of the announcement of the Google VR SDK hitting version 1.0, the company teases, “Stay tuned for more information about Daydream-ready phones and the Daydream headset and controller coming soon.”

The post Google Daydream SDK Launches Out of Beta, Adds Unity Integration appeared first on Road to VR.

Google Daydream SDK Officially Leaves Beta

Back in May Google held its I/O conference announcing its next foray into the world of virtual reality (VR) with its smartphone powered Daydream head-mounted display (HMD). A much rumoured update to the far simpler Google Cardboard, Daydream will be going head-to-head with Samsung’s successful Gear VR headset. In preparation for Daydream’s release at some point this year the company has now announced that the Google VR SDK 1.0 has now left the beta phase.

Google already has developers working on Daydream, such as Resolution Games with Wonderglade, CCP Games with Gunjack NEXT and nDreams with two unannounced titles. For developers interested in working on Daydream the release of Google VR SDK 1.0 means it’s now easier to start as the SDK should simplify VR development tasks.

Daydream HMD

The SDK features compatibility with the Daydream controller, and if you’re used to working with middleware development engines, Unity or Unreal Engine, those have been integrated too. Both Unity and Unreal Engine announced support for Daydream at Google I/O, and this new release sees improvements to compatibility. Unity now natively supports Daydream with the SDK 1.0 adding head tracking, deep linking, and easy Android manifest configuration. For Unreal Engine the update introduces Daydream controller support in the editor, a neck model and new rendering optimizations among other improvements.

Currently only one smartphone supports the Daydream Development Kit, the Nexus 6P but more devices should be coming soon. Google has also opened applications to its Daydream Access Program (DAP) so that the company can work closely with developers creating content.

Head to the Google developer site for the SDK download links, and keep reading VRFocus for all the latest Daydream updates.

Google stellt Daydream View am 4. Oktober vor (Gerücht)

Auch wenn Google sich noch nicht selbst dazu geäußert hat, berichtet Android Police, dass das Unternehmen ein Event mit Hardware Fokus am 4. Oktober ausrichtet, welches besonders für VR-Nerds interessant sein könnte.

Google stellt Daydream View am 4. Oktober vor?

Google Daydream Headset und Controller

Google Referenzdesign VR-Brille & Controller

Während Google am 4. Oktober auch zwei neue Google Smartphones und einen Chromecast mit 4K Möglichkeit vorstellen wird, soll das Unternehmen wohl auch ein eigenes Daydream Headset präsentieren, welches den Namen Daydream View tragen soll. Es ist auch davon auszugehen, dass die neuen Smartphones von Google Daydream Ready seien werden. Wenn Google sein eigenes Daydream Headset vorstellt, dann wird Google auch seinen eigenen Daydream Controller zeigen, denn dieser gehört fest zu dem System. Aktuell sind dies aber alles nur Gerüchte, bis Google es selbst bestätigt.  Interessanterweise ist das Event genau einen Tag vor der Oculus Connect 3. Möchte Google damit eventuell Oculus den Wind aus den Segeln nehmen?

Ganz unbegründet ist das Gerücht aber nicht. Android Police ist eine zuverlässig Quelle und Google hatte bereits gesagt, dass die ersten Headsets noch in diesem Jahr erscheinen werden. Bisher hat Google aber nur das Referenzdesign gezeigt, was aber nicht ausschließt, dass das Unternehmen nicht auch selbst ein Headset auf den Markt bringen will. Dies wird sich aber vermutlich stark am Referenzdesign orientieren.

[Quelle: Android Police]

Der Beitrag Google stellt Daydream View am 4. Oktober vor (Gerücht) zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

Lenovo Planning Google Daydream Products

Chinese tech company Lenovo has been a strong supporter of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (VR) technologies. Back in January it sold 10,000 of its own VR head-mounted displays (HMDs), then in April announced its first VR-Ready PC’s in partnership with NVIDIA, and in June Lenovo announced the first Tango enabled device the Phab 2 Pro. The company has now teased further plans with Google and its Daydream headset.

In an interview with CIO, Jeff Meredith, general manager and vice president of Lenovo’s Android and Chrome Computing Business Group said: “We have some Daydream products on the roadmap.” No further details were given on what products these might be, but the two most likely are Daydream compatible smartphones or the Daydream HMD itself.

Daydream HMD

When Google officially announced the HMD back in May at its I/O conference manufacturers that were announced included Samsung, HTC, ZTE, Huawei, Xiaomi, Alcatel, Asus, LG, HTC, Mediatek, ARM, Qualcomm and Imagination Technologies on the smartphone side. And in a similar fashion to its Cardboard device, Google has created a reference design for Daydream so that multiple companies can manufacturer their own HMD to Google’s specifications.

As well as companies for the hardware side, Daydream will also get content from a range of service providers that include the New York Times, Netflix, HBO Now, Hulu, EA, and Major League Baseball.

Further details on Lenovo’s VR road map might not be that far away either. With Daydream supposedly arriving in November and last month Bloomberg reported that Google could be debuting the device “in the coming weeks”, Google might be wanting to make a further announcement before the launch of Sony Interactive Entertainment’s (SIE’s) PlayStation VR in October.

For all the latest VR news on Daydream and Lenovo, keep reading VRFocus.