Samsung's Gear VR is the place to go for its massive app collection, but with Daydream you're getting a more knitted-in connection to Google apps like YouTube, plus an excellent wireless controller. Just be ready for a truly sparse app library in Daydream. I've been using both, and here are the big differences you need to know. It requires a Google Pixel phone (will support other phones later on). To use Google's new headset, you need the Pixel or Pixel XL. Otherwise, no dice. But down the road, the Daydream View headset is going to work with other Android phones. Not all of them, but some. The Huawei Mate 9 is one of them.

It's smaller than Gear VR, and feels otterbox statement series iphone xs max case - black / clear like yoga pants, The comfy-cozy outer part is soft and somewhat reassuring, like a security blanket, And the headset is smaller, so it's easier to carry around, Just don't throw it in a bag with velcro strips unless you like the pulled-thread look, It's easy to put a phone in, Once a compatible phone is dropped into the Daydream View headset, it automatically connects, No plugs, no aligning parts, A magic wand is included, The best part of Daydream is a little remote control that's packed in, It works with motion control, like a little Wii remote, You could wave it like a wand, use it like a fishing pole, or turn it into a pointer, It even pops into the Daydream headset when not in use, But, it needs to be charged separately..

Google Daydream (left): very few apps. Gear VR (right): lots and lots of apps. It connects to YouTube, other Google apps and Google Play. YouTube launches right into Daydream and is one of the best apps at launch, with tons of 360-degree content and a cinema mode for other videos. Google's support for movies, photos and maps also give it a more essential Android-connected feel. There aren't many apps yet. Daydream only has a few dozen apps. Samsung's Gear VR has several hundred. Some, like the promotional app for the upcoming movie "Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them," are fun and free. More apps and partnerships should be coming, but with Daydream you'll be an early adopter.

It didn't fit me perfectly, The headset's design didn't fully block out light for me, and some of the apps looked distorted when I looked around, That didn't happen with Samsung Gear VR, But, the otterbox statement series iphone xs max case - black / clear lenses didn't fog up like they sometimes do with Samsung's tighter-fitting headset, Gear VR has a side-mounted touchpad, Daydream View has its own separate controller, It needs a Samsung phone, Gear VR connects with Samsung Galaxy S6 phones and later, and the Note 5 onwards, Other Android phones can't be used, Still, at the moment, Gear VR has more compatible phones than Google Daydream View, That should shift next year..

You need to plug it in via Micro-USB (or USB-C). Popping a phone into Gear VR isn't bad, but it's a bit finicky. Aligning the plug and inserting the phone isn't as seamless as Daydream. The latest Gear VR also supports USB-C for..well, yeah, the Note 7 doesn't exist anymore. But next year's Galaxy phone will have USB-C for sure. It's bigger and bulkier. Compared to Daydream, Gear VR is significantly larger. But, neither headset is pocket-friendly. A trackpad on the side of the headset controls apps.