Samsung and Google had confirmed after the launch of Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ that both the smartphones would be soon supporting Daydream VR. The Daydream VR support for these Samsung flagship phones were also promised by the U.S. carriers like T-Mobile and Verizon, but there was no confirmation on global availability of Daydream VR.
The ASUS ZenFone AR includes Snapdragon 821 chipset, 8 GB of RAM and 5.7-inch QHD display. It is the first smartphone in the world to support Daydream VR (Virtual Reality) and Tango AR (Augmented Reality). When Samsung had introduced the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ smartphones in March which came with Snapdragon 835, 4 GB of RAM and QHD+ resolution supporting larger screens that of ZenFone AR, the flagship specs of these phones suggested that they are also capable of supporting Daydream VR. However, it was surprising to see that Samsung did not include the feature on Galaxy S8 duo on launch or release. Fortunately, Google has now confirmed that the Daydream VR will be supported by Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+
The Gear VR platform is a collaborative effort between Samsung and Oculus for Samsung smartphones. The agreement between the two companies reportedly did not allow Samsung to reach an agreement with the search engine for making the Daydream VR available on Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ smartphones. The Daydream headset and controller are presently available with a discounted price of $59 against its usual price of $79. However, Samsung Gear VR is priced at $129.
At the Google I/O 2017 event in May, it was made official that the Daydream VR would be soon coming to Galaxy S8 duo. through a firmware update this summer. By making Daydream VR available for Galaxy S8 duo, the popularity of Google’s VR would increase all the more.
The Daydream-ready update is rolling out now to @SamsungMobile Galaxy S8 and S8+. Explore new worlds with #Daydream. https://t.co/KaRNJEcURi pic.twitter.com/PEeC6RfyyZ
— Google AR & VR (@GoogleARVR) July 31, 2017
The above tweet from the official Google VR Twitter handle is another confirmation that Daydream-ready update would be soon coming to Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. The Huawei Mate 9 Pro and its Porsche Design edition, Motorola Moto Z, and ZTE Axon 7 are some of the other phones that will be soon getting the Daydream VR update.
As mentioned above, some of the U.S. carriers also confirmed on the arrival of Daydream VR. However, it was only when Google initiates the server-side support, Daydream VR can come to the Galaxy S8 duo. A simple way to confirm the arrival of Daydream VR is to clear the data of Google VR Service app. Doing so will enable Daydream VR on the S8 and S8+.
