Google is discontinuing its Daydream virtual reality platform, due to a lack of interest from both consumers and developers. The newly announced Pixel 4 and Pixel 4XL – which were officially revealed yesterday – will not support Daydream, and the Daydream View headset is no longer available to buy.
This is bad news for fans of virtual reality, but Google says that it will continue to support the Daydream app and store for existing users. But with the platform being discontinued, there'll be no new content added.
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In a statement to VentureBeat, Google said: "We saw a lot of potential in smartphone VR – being able to use the smartphone you carry with you everywhere to power an immersive on-the-go experience.
"But over time we noticed some clear limitations constraining smartphone VR from being a viable long-term solution. Most notably, asking people to put their phone in a headset and lose access to the apps they use throughout the day causes immense friction."
View to a kill
The company is no stranger to pulling the plug on apps and services. It goes on to say: "There also hasn't been the broad consumer or developer adoption we had hoped, and we've seen decreasing usage over time of the Daydream View headset. So while we are no longer selling Daydream View or supporting Daydream on Pixel 4, the Daydream app and store will remain available for existing users."
While Google may be killing off its virtual reality project, it will continue to focus on augmented reality in the likes of Google Lens and Google Maps.
