Google Daydream and Cardboard: VR User Experiences

google-daydream-and-cardboard-vr-user-experiences photo 1

GOOGLE DAYDREAM: USER-FRIENDLY
Google Daydream is a beautiful, soft headset with a usable remote control. The Daydream provides interactive, virtual reality (VR) video experiences. By just dropping in their phones, users can alter their realities.

As it is much less bulky, strappy, and developer-focused, Daydream is a minimalist's dream in terms of physical design. It provides the user with a trendy feeling —the ultimate "cool" user experience. Daydream costs $79.99 on the Google store, which is pretty affordable for a VR hobbyist.

Daydream has a user-friendly, accessible design.

WHAT ABOUT GOOGLE CARDBOARD?
But Google also released the Google Cardboard that is compact, fun, and user-friendly. Google Cardboard is cheap (or free), created through a few folds, and lighter than Daydream. Cardboard also allows anyone to capture the world in VR —and is accessible to more users than the Daydream.

USER ANALYSIS:
Daydream and Cardboard's users are different. Daydream's users are technology and VR enthusiasts who are interested in actively creating or interacting with VR. Cardboard's users are anyone —your grandmother to best friend.

google-daydream-and-cardboard-vr-user-experiences photo 2Google Cardboard is usable for anyone.

HOW IS DAYDREAM DIFFERENT?
Daydream and Cardboard seem similar on the surface-level but are completely functionally different. Cardboard's function is to provide a fun, novelty introductory VR experience. Daydream provides high-level VR experiences that users can customize, without needing hardcore developer skills required for the Oculus Rift DK2.

google-daydream-and-cardboard-vr-user-experiences photo 3Daydream is far more user-friendly to the average hobbyist than the Oculus DK2.

WHY IS DAYDREAM BETTER?
So what are the benefits of the Daydream? I had the chance to test the Daydream in the Google Pop-Up Store in SoHo. Scrolling around with the remote, I accessed the "Fantastic Beasts" game. Daydream's remote allowed users to select buttons on the screen easier than on the Cardboard. Also, Daydream's VR features were pixel perfect and far more interactive, in terms of video, compared to Cardboard. Daydream has VR social apps, whereas Cardboard's function focuses mostly on VR games. Overall, Daydream is far more sophisticated and offers more of a technological range than Cardboard.

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