Huawei’s Daydream VR headset appears to be getting closer to becoming a real product, at least according to a recent FCC application revealing a so-called “virtual reality handle” or, more specifically, what appears to be a motion controller for the Daydream VR platform. The FCC documents include live photos with the controller as well as an instruction manual, suggesting that the Chinese OEM may be serious about releasing this product in the relatively near future.
The Google Daydream VR platform was first introduced in mid-2016 and it allows smartphone manufacturers with an interest in VR to follow Google’s guidelines and specifications in order to create ‘Daydream-ready’ handsets. Huawei was among the first hardware partner to join Daydream, with the Huawei Mate 9 Pro flagship becoming its first device to support the platform. However, earlier reports indicated that the Chinese OEM will not only adopt Daydream for some of its devices but is also working on its own Daydream VR headset similar to Google’s Daydream View. This mysterious device didn’t see much exposure over the past several months, but it now appears that Huawei may be ready to bring its Daydream View-like VR headset to the market soon. The Huawei ‘virtual reality handle’ certified by the FCC is a Daydream peripheral that looks fairly similar to Google’s VR controller, and appears to make use of a circular touchpad as well as three physical buttons. The FCC application doesn’t contain any information regarding the VR headset designed to sync with this controller, but it’s safe to assume that the Chinese OEM is working on a complete Daydream VR package for smartphone users.
It’s not clear whether Huawei’s VR solution will be compatible only with the OEM’s smartphones or if other Daydream-ready handsets could take advantage of it. Nevertheless, as of this writing, there are only two Huawei smartphones supporting the Daydream VR platform, namely the Mate 9 Pro and Porsche Design Mate 9, but some reports indicate that the newer Huawei Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro could also receive the Daydream-ready certificate at a later date. It remains to be seen when the Chinese tech giant plans on introducing its Daydream VR headset to the public, and with the FCC approval in tow, chances are that the product may be showcased during CES in January or at MWC in February 2017.
