Google’s Daydream View headset is light, comfy, and stylish – like a well-made pair of cosy winter slippers, if you like.
Strap your slippers to your face though, and not much will happen, though you’ll probably bang your toe on the coffee table and curse yourself for doing something so silly.
Place Google’s swanky new Pixel-powered headset on your noggin though, and you’ll be greeted with a world of virtual possibilities.
At the moment, the content library is rather scarce, but that’s soon set to grow. In the meantime though, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite apps, along with a handful to check out in the near future:
BEST TO PLAY
FANTASTIC BEASTS (£FREE)
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Wonderglade is definitely aimed at little ones, but that doesn’t mean you can’t barge them out of the way for a minigame binge yourself. It’s okay, you’re bigger than them, and their reach is too small. You can do whatever you like.
Games range from minigolf, a marble maze, putting out fires with a hose, and wacking diamonds out of the air with a stick. Admittedly those are probably not the official names, but you get the picture.
Fun cartoon visuals, and different uses of the Daydream View controller make this a fun showcase for what Google’s headset is capable of. Think Wii Sports, and you’re on the right track.
Mekorama VR (£3.79)
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We spent more time marvelling at the beautifully crafted level design in Hunters Gate than playing the actual game itself, thanks to its third-person view which gives you the impression that you’re towering over a gigantic Warhammer-like tabletop game.
Stare too long though, and enemies will swarm you from all directions. Controls are simple – aiming at an enemy automatically fires projectiles at it, while clicking in the touchpad (which is also used to move around) releases a more powerful area-damage attack.
It can be a little tricky navigating with the touchpad at times, but overall this is well worth a play for the innovative controls and visuals alone.
Arcslinger (£7.49)
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Polyrunner is one of those ‘oh ,just one more go’ games which you swear you only plan on playing for a few minutes, but before you know it, it’s 3:35am, the cat’s meowing at the door, and your pizza is burnt to a lethal crisp in the oven.
Essentially, the only aim is to avoid obstacles while collecting powerups which net you extra points or change your speed as you hurtle along. There’s no real objective other than to stay alive as long as possible – one collision, and poof, you’re gone, showered in your own pixellated debris.
You’ve got the option to manoeuvre with the controller or by tilting your head, along with the ability to swap to a first person view. Perhaps best avoided after sinking 8 pints and hoovering down a kebab.
Twilight Pioneers (£free)
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This aptly-named title is unique, in that it offers simultaneous multiplayer gaming with only one headset required.
How you ask? Well, one person wears a headset, and is presented with a randomly generated explosive device, with all sorts of puzzles, switches, knobs and levers to tinker with.
The remaining headset-less people in the room, have access to a freely-available manual, which contains all the instructions for diffusing the bomb.
Communication between the headset wearer and their peers is, as you’d imagine, crucial. Throw a few drinks into the mix however, and it’ll all go very wrong. Probably.
PS – cut the blue wire.
Best to Watch
Invasion! (£free)
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This app does pretty much exactly what you’d expect it to do – namely serve up all of YouTube’s growing 360 content in one easy to navigate place.
Our favourites include the Natural History museum’s Rhomaleosaurus exhibit video. It’s one of those giant underwater dinosaurs with nasty-looking teeth, which comes to life before your very eyes, in a rather alarmingly realistic fashion.
Oh, and it’s also worth checking out the close-encounter with a shark too. We’re not sure why scaring ourselves with giant oceanic predators is fun, but it is.
Rose (£free)
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Eve: Valkyrie remains one of our favourite Oculus Rift and HTC Vive VR titles to date, which is why we’ve got high hopes for Gunjack: 2 – a slimmed down made-for-Daydream space shooter which promises plenty of deep-space dog fights, explosions and (hopefully) barrel rolls.
Netflix VR (£free)
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We don’t nee to tell you all the great shows and Netflix original series that can be found in the streaming giant’s vast library, because chances are, you’ve already subjected your peepers to hundreds of hours of Netflix binges.
You’ll be glad to hear then, that a Netflix app for Daydream is incoming – though whether it’s identical to the log cabin house featured in the Samsung Gear VR version (pictured above) remains to be seen.
Either way, we can’t wait to watch Rick and Morty on a virtually massive screen while the rest of our household goggle at the latest episode of Strictly.
Classroom Aquatic (£TBC)
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If you fancy yourself a bit of an ‘ard nut then you’re probably going to want to see how long you can last in this first-person horror game before you’ve flung off your headset in a fitful panic.
From what we can gather, you’re stuck in a rather spooky mansion, packed to the brim with morphing, disturbing paintings.
As longs as you make sure you walk in the opposite direction to dark corners and refuse to investigate any odd noises, you should be fine.
Wands (£TBC)
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Source: stuff