Google Announces Standalone VR Headsets at I/O 2017

Google today at I/O 2017 announced a new category of VR headsets they’ll soon support from manufacturers: standalone VR headsets. They don’t require a phone, a PC, or tethered connection to work and use a new headset tracking technology called WorldSense to enable positional tracking with built-in sensors and cameras. These devices will fall in the Daydream VR department and sit alongside Daydream View which requires the use of a smartphone such as a Google Pixel or, soon, a Galaxy S8.

Google says they worked with chipset maker Qualcomm to create a reference design for manufacturers to follow. Both HTC and Lenovo have signed on to build standalone VR headsets that will begin shipping later this year.