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Google launches Daydream with a new Harry Potter game

Google launches Daydream with a new Harry Potter game

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Google showed off its Daydream VR system for the first time today and with its debut came a better look at the games and content users will eventually be able to access. More than 50 Daydream apps are supposed to be released this year, with "hundreds" more coming after that. Google already listed several developers at its I/O event in May, but it's given some new, specific projects to look out for. That includes Gunjack 2, a sequel to EVE Online developer CCP's turret shooter for the Gear VR.

On the video side, Google previously announced apps from Netflix, HBO, and Hulu, as well as VR journalism from The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. A VR version of YouTube will include both 360-degree video streaming and support for watching traditional videos on a flat virtual screen, and Google has a slate of YouTube projects that we'll hear more about around launch. Google will also have a VR version of Street View that includes "tours" of 150 global landmarks, like the Taj Mahal and the Pyramids in Egypt, along with the ability to see any location in 360-degree VR.

Adding to the educational offerings, there's a virtual planetarium created in partnership with the makers of mobile app Star Chart. And in general crowd-pleasing news, Warner Bros. is releasing a short tie-in to the upcoming Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, set in the Harry Potter universe — it turns the Daydream controller into a wand and lets players cast spells.

Daydream will run on compatible Android phones, including the new Pixel and Pixel XL, along with Google's new VR headset the Daydream View. Users will also need Google’s headset and controller. The platform and hardware is set to launch in November for $79.