Daydream is a discontinued virtual reality (VR) platform which was developed by Google, primarily for use with a headset into which a smartphone is inserted.

It is available for select phones running the Android mobile operating system (versions "Nougat" 7.1 and later)[1][2] that meet the platform's software and hardware requirements.

[3] To use the platform, users place their phone into the back of a headset, run Daydream-compatible mobile apps, and view content through the viewer's lenses.

Whereas Cardboard was used by running compatible apps and was accessible on most smartphones, Daydream was built into the Android OS itself and only worked on select phones that met the platform's standards, such as having specific hardware components.

It dedicated a CPU core to the user interface thread to reduce visual issues that could induce nausea.

VR Mode also performance tuned the motion sensor pathways to result in quicker input from the device's accelerometer and gyroscope.

[2] Daydream also included a new head tracking algorithm that combined the input from various device sensors, as well as integration of system notifications into the VR user interface.

She also praised the material, particularly its plastic sliders rather than velcro patches on the head strap, writing that it allows "a wider range of sizes and avoids gathering lint", and that the View's overall design "could almost pass for an airplane sleep mask", meaning that it "avoids looking ostentatiously high-tech or intimidating".

[23] Google CEO Sundar Pichai expected 11 Android smartphones supporting Daydream VR to be on sale by the end of 2017.

[4] A spokesperson said, "There hasn't been the broad consumer or developer adoption we had hoped, and we've seen decreasing usage over time of the Daydream View headset."

Most notably, asking people to put their phone in a headset and lose access to the apps they use throughout the day causes immense friction."