Google I/O 2017: Standalone Google VR Headsets from HTC, Lenovo Coming Soon

One of the major drawbacks to using virtual reality (VR) headsets is being tethered to a smartphone or PC while immersed in an experience. However, yesterday at the annual Google I/O 2017 developer conference, Google unveiled an upcoming “revolutionary” standalone VR headset that aims to change that. The headset will be manufactured by HTC and Lenovo.

Prototypes of the upcoming Daydream-compatible headsets from HTC (left) and Lenovo (right). Images: Google.

The Daydream-compatible standalone headsets will utilize Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 VR platform and what Google is calling “WorldSense” technology, powered by its own Tango augmented reality system. On-board sensors in the headsets will enable inside-out tracking, which will remove the need to connect to any external hardware. Prices and release dates are to be determined.    

Read More

Clay Bavor, vice president of virtual and augmented reality at Google, wrote an essay on Medium that explains WorldSense in more detail.

The Daydream VR platform was introduced at last year’s I/O conference and already there are more than 150 VR apps in the Google Play Store. Google has been working on its standalone VR headset for more than a year.

To learn more about how WorldSense works, watch the video below.

About the Author

Sri Ravipati is Web producer for THE Journal and Campus Technology. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • stylized illustration of an open laptop displaying the ChatGPT interface

    'Early Version' of ChatGPT Windows App Now Available to Paid Users

    OpenAI has announced the release of the ChatGPT Windows desktop app, about five months after the macOS version became available.

  • group of college students looking at large screen of data visualizations

    Scalable Cloud Strategies: Values for Higher Education

    From a massive, 23-campus cloud-and-security transformation, to a small college's "lift and shift" entry into the public cloud, Unisys Higher Education Strategist Christopher Wessells knows how higher education leverages the cloud. Here, he examines some of the values scalable cloud strategies offer our institutions.

  • a digital lock symbol is cracked and breaking apart into dollar signs

    Ransomware Costs Schools Nearly $550,000 per Day of Downtime

    New data from cybersecurity research firm Comparitech quantifies the damage caused by ransomware attacks on educational institutions.

  • minimalist bookcase filled with textbooks featuring vibrant, solid-colored spines with no text, and a prominent number "25" displayed on one of the shelves

    OpenStax Celebrates 25th Anniversary

    OpenStax is celebrating its 25th anniversary as 2024 comes to a close. The open educational resources initiative from Rice University has served almost 37 million students in 153 countries and saved students nearly $3 billion in course material costs since its launch in 1999.