Android getting a 'VR Mode' with headsets and phones coming this fall

Google has announced that it is creating its own standard for mobile VR today at Google I/O, the company's annual show for developers. The platform is called Daydream, and it's coming this fall.

Ars Technica has the details:

When used with a certified device, Android N can kick over into a low-latency "VR Mode," which ratchets up the entire processing pipeline. An "exclusive performance mode"— which we spotted in N Preview 2 — dedicates a CPU core to the UI thread to try to prevent nausea-inducing hiccups during heavy processing. The motion sensor pathways have been tuned as well, so Android N will get faster updates from the gyroscope and accelerometer.

The VR mode will decrease latency for head-tracking that's more comfortable than Cardboard. Google thinks VR should be "mobile" and "approachable for everyone." Google will release a series of specifications for phones that want to be "Daydream-ready," alongside a reference design for the headset and controller.

There are already a number of manufacturers making phones based on this standard:

There will also be many different headsets and controllers based on Google's reference design. The reference controller will sense where you're pointing and how the controller is turning for basic motion controls, and Google also announced that a number of media companies, including HBO, Netflix and Hulu, will have content ready for the platform.