 The one thing just about all high-quality VR headsets have in common is that they feel like science fiction. The Oculus Rift is cyberpunk, the HTC Vive makes you look like an alien fighter pilot, PlayStation VR belongs on a 60s spaceship, and the Gear VR is your bleak corporate future. One company, though, is showing us something a bit more low-key — Google. This week, it's launching the Daydream View, which is more like the future as a comfy sweatshirt. It's the first headset to support Daydream, Google's new virtual reality platform. You might be thinking, wait, Google already has a virtual reality platform. It's called Cardboard, and it's about the cheapest, simplest VR you can get. The $79 Daydream View is powered by a phone just like Cardboard — in this case, the Google Pixel and Pixel XL. But there are three big differences. First, it's designed to be worn for longer periods of time, with a head strap and an ergonomic design. Second, it's got a miniature motion controller that lets you do way more in VR. And third, it's part of a Google ecosystem built around those first two things, which means the kind of games and experiences you'd expect from a full-fledged consumer headset. Or at least, that's what Google is promising. But like a lot of VR, we're still in a waiting game. At first glance, Google's hardware doesn't look all that remarkable, which is, in itself, sort of remarkable. The Daydream View is a simple, squishy pair of face goggles. To use it, you pull open an elastic band, pick up the controller that's strapped to the inside of the tray, and put a phone on it instead. An NFC chip in the tray tells the phone to launch the Daydream app, and the controller pairs with your phone via Bluetooth. Two plastic nubs on the inside of the headset center the screen, telling it how to focus. There are two Pixel phones, and the View works with both of them. But the 5.5-inch Pixel XL gives you a distinctly wider field of view. You'll clearly see the edges of the screen when you're using the smaller Pixel. So why should you care about how assembling the headset works? Because it's one of the single most important parts of mobile VR. While people are still getting used to VR, there are a million points that they might give up on using a headset. The Daydream View is supposed to be all about getting rid of those speed bumps. Technically, this headset has roughly the same parts and basic features as a Gear VR. But setting up the View feels a lot better, and it leaves the phone more accessible while I'm wearing it, which makes me a lot more likely to pop it in for a quick VR session. Most headsets have three straps, one on each side and one over the top of the head. Daydream View doesn't have that third strap, so it feels like there's not much holding it up. I learned to trust the design, and now it's very, very comfortable for me. But before that, I had a serious dent in my forehead from strapping it way too tight, and some people may never get past that point. Google has promised over 50 apps by the end of the year for Daydream View, but so far we've gotten to try less than a dozen. In their favor, all of them are good-looking and competently made. I could watch a full flat screen movie and send 360-degree clips in the special Daydream version of YouTube, for example. I spent many hours playing a dungeon crawler called Hunter's Gate. But there's nothing that you absolutely must try right this minute, and not much that feels incredibly clever or unexpected. But the difference is that it requires a smaller investment. And that means that whatever Google puts in the headset doesn't have to be quite so impressive to be worth it. That said, you can see a lot of potential. Like the design in general, the controller is something that seems obvious but actually opens up a world of new possibilities. In addition to a couple of buttons and a trackpad, its internal sensors let it track simple motion. Don't expect to move it around like a Rift or Vive controller, it's more like a very nice laser pointer. It has no absolute sense of position, and you have to get used to the controller drifting at some points. It's easy to reset, but it can be annoying in some games. But it's convenient, comfortable to hold, and most of the time, it's very precise. Google has given developers a great tool, so we're just waiting to see how they use it. If there's one big missed opportunity for Daydream, it's that despite being baked into Android, it doesn't really feel like part of Android yet. The promise of Daydream is that Google is controlling every level of hardware and software. Unlike a mobile platform like Gear VR, where Oculus is working on Samsung's flavor of Android. And one of Daydream's biggest advantages is being integrated into a major ecosystem. People don't have to create a new account to use it, or access VR apps only through a Daydream-specific portal. The Daydream interface is simple and effective, and it offers phone notification options. But there are barely any phone settings options in VR, or much connection with the rest of the phone, period. Google's hands-free personal assistant was a huge selling point for the Pixel, and it could be a great, almost full-fledged VR voice interface. But right now, it's not supported in Daydream. What we're seeing here is Google trying to set a VR standard, while still figuring out how VR works alongside everyone else. Developers have promised Daydream hardware, but we don't know what it looks like yet. Developers have promised VR games and experiences, but we're waiting to see them. There's the beginnings of a great Android VR interface, but it's just starting to develop. As we've said so many times before, VR isn't here yet. But at this point, Google has laid out a strong roadmap for where it could go. Now it just needs people to follow. I think you're editing a little more enjoyable. What was that? Oh, God. Is everything okay?