Google’s Daydream ecosystem usually required grabbing apps directly in VR through the Daydream app or finding them yourself in the Play Store, but with an update starting to roll out today, that will no longer be the case. Users can browse Daydream-friendly apps, games, and experiences through a streamlined, Material Design compliant interface that’s not entirely dissimilar to the Play Store, though it uses square icons and scrolls vertically through categories, making it somewhat more akin to the Play Store’s specialized Music, Books, and Movies sections. On top of the new interface rolling out, Google has posted up a rundown of a few notable VR experiences that you can download through the new face of the Daydream app, and even put a few of those on sale at a discount for the holidays.
On special sale, Google is offering up a number of VR apps and games for half off between December 7 and December 12. Those include village simulator Beartopia, psychedelic and story-heavy So Let Us Melt, flight simulator Ultrawings, actual bullet simulator DRIFT, star-studded shooter The Arcslinger, and Fishing Star VR. These high-end VR experiences are a great introduction to just what Daydream can do, and are now more affordable than ever.
The press release about the new face of the Daydream app also includes some Google staff favorites. These include Why Don’t We, an intimate backstage experience with the band, and the similar Austin City Limits: Backstage. On the comedy side, Google points to The Confessional, a VR experience involving Judd Apatow, the director of Knocked Up and other hit comedy films. Rez Infinite is one of the featured games, a VR remake of one of the most famous experimental video games of all time. Flutter VR is also featured, letting you roam the rainforest and discover species of butterflies. Google also advertises Jump Start, a video initiative that gives qualifying entrants VR cameras to see what they come up with. The company also points out the YouTube Creator VR Lab, a place where viewers can check out the newest VR creations from influential YouTube creators whose work centers around VR.
