It has now been announced via this year’s Google I/O developers conference that Lenovo is getting in on efforts to expand and improve the Google Daydream VR platform through the introduction of third-party standalone headsets. The announcement, taken alongside a similar announcement for the Vive brand from HTC, represents a fundamental shift in the mobile VR platform. Previous headsets , whether we’re discussing the wildly popular Google Cardboard or Daydream itself , required users to insert their mobile device into the headset itself. For Cardboard, application interaction and navigation was often limited to sometimes clunky Bluetooth controllers or a single button located on the headset. The Daydream headset, on the other hand, came with a controller that worked relatively well, but users were still forced to go through the motions of putting their device into the headset. That also meant taking the device back out if an important call or notification was received. The next generation of Daydream headsets is a step and a leap away from those inconveniences.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much information available about Lenovo’s headset as of this writing since it was only just revealed. The official device page and accompanying YouTube video don’t really provide much by way of details at all. That video does, however, seem to hint at performance similar to the more premium experience that can be had with PC-based VR entertainment solutions. Another key aspect to the headset, as presented by Lenovo, is the inclusion of what the company calls WorldSense. The concept mostly likely draws its name from sensors on the headset itself and the company claims the headset will give you “six degrees of freedom.” So users playing a game, for example, will be able to “duck” to avoid dodge balls, “lunge” to perform evasions, and move forward, backward, up, down, left, or right.
There is not a specific timeframe for when the devices from Lenovo will be available. That said, other manufacturers are expected to have their standalone Daydream experiences available by the end of 2017, so it may not be unreasonable to assume a similar time frame for competitors like Lenovo. In the meantime, if you’re interested in getting updates about it, you can click the “Notify Me” button at the bottom of the official product page.