Last week, Recode published a report claiming Google had axed a project to develop a high-end stand-alone VR headset, separate from Daydream VR.
And while the report seemed legitimate, it now looks as though the company could be working on another stand-alone headset which includes an exciting feature.
According to a report from Engadget, sources at Google say the team is working on a headset that ‘blurs the line between virtual reality and augmented reality’.
What’s more, employees assigned to the project have apparently been told that Daydream VR is ‘not the company’s long-term plan for virtual and augmented reality’.
Related: What is virtual reality?
The Daydream VR software hub
Daydream was announced at Google I/O this year as the firm’s VR platform, and comprises of a software hub alongside hardware specifications for a headset.
It also includes phone specifications for manufacturers to work to in order to create a ‘Daydream-ready’ handset.
The software hub will run on the company’s upcoming Android Nougat mobile OS, while a Daydream headset is also said to be in the works over at Google.
But the new VR/AR project appears to be based on a separate VR platform, with the headset allegedly designed to work on its own, without having to connect to a phone or computer.
All of which seems to suggest that
The AR element would put the headset in direct competition with Microsoft’s HoloLens, which was released to developers this year and uses augmented reality rather than full virtual reality.
Since Google acquired startup Magic Leap, which is focused on overlaying digital elements into real-world situations, it makes sense that the stand-alone headset project would include a focus on augmented reality – although all of this is yet to be confirmed.
WATCH: Trusted Explains – What is VR?
Would you like to see an AR headset from Google? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.