Android XR could be Google’s Daydream redemption, and VR games can help

Android XR is Google's second chance at VR success, but will it be enough to take on Meta and Apple in the competitive market?

In his column "Gaming In Focus", MIXED guest writer Jamie Feltham regularly looks at current developments and shares his experiences from over 10 years in the XR industry.

It’s take two for Google. Years after the demise of Google Daydream, a likable attempt to bring VR content to a range of Android smartphones via a dedicated storefront, it’s taking another shot at the industry. Android XR, a version of its OS designed for multiple headsets including Samsung’s upcoming device, might just be the most exciting development for VR in 2025, if the company gets it right.

And, yes, that’s a big if.

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Daydream Redemption?

For industry diehards, it’s hard not to feel a sense of vindication. Daydream had a lot of issues – draining phone batteries, wonky 3DOF motion controllers, and a lack of smartphone support to name a few – but it felt this close to cracking it before Google threw in the towel. Prototypes for a pair of 6DOF controllers never made it to market, and Daydream died just as Quest began to take off. 

What could have been. Had Google not surrendered to its trademark flakiness, the industry might have two widely successful standalones in the market today. But I believe it is possible for the company to regain that ground. Or, at least, part of it.

Android XR almost certainly isn’t going to compete with Quest on price. I’d expect it to be closer to Vision Pro. It’s not going to have as expansive a library of apps, either, and it’s unclear if Google will fund Android-first apps to play the exclusivity game. These are all the caveats that Apple faced with Vision Pro, and they’ve led to an inarguably underwhelming first year for that device, even when you acknowledge it’s not a mass market product.

Avoiding a similar outcome will require a careful balance of responding not just to Apple’s fledgling VisionOS but Meta’s own Android fork in Horizon OS. Let’s look at how it can straddle that line.

A Smart Selection Of Apps

Let’s be clear about this: Google isn’t getting back into XR to make a games console. Neither did Meta, of course, but the company was smart enough to realize that’s where the enthusiasts that would build apps and buy headsets were going to come from in the industry’s nascent years. For VR, gamers are the essential base camp — an army of evangelists from which you can spread your good word and build your bigger ambitions in lifestyle and productivity upon.

It's to Android’s advantage, then, that Apple has neglected this demographic. You can even argue Google could offer a compelling alternative to the wealth of apps hitting the Quest store every week.

The key will be curation; not exactly the Play store’s biggest strength, I know, but it will be essential for Android XR to find its footing. A smart selection of classic Quest apps – comfortable staples, recent blockbusters, and some of 2025’s most promising titles – will be vital to getting off on the right foot with gamers looking for an alternative to Quest. 

You don’t even need to get every game — competing with Horizon OS shouldn’t be about numbers, it should be cherry-picking what’s come before to establish a strong foundation for the future. Walkabout Mini Golf, Eleven Table Tennis, Puzzling Places; even if gaming isn’t your core focus, you can’t afford to be the more expensive headset where you can’t have these essential experiences.

There’s already a very welcoming sign the company is doing this. Google is fully utilizing its best development asset, Owlchemy Labs, with the rollout of Android XR. The VR veterans’ top games, Job Simulator and Vacation Simulator, are both coming to the platform, and the team is even doing an Aperture Hand Lab/The Lab-style onboarding experience. An encouraging number of game developers also got to see Android XR ahead of the embargo lift last week.

This gives me hope that Google does consider gaming an important pillar for its platform. 

Hand-Tracking And Controllers On Equal Footing

There’s talk of Samsung’s Project Moohan supporting dedicated, 6DOF controllers, but the question of if they’ll ship with them remains unanswered. I cannot express how strongly I believe Moohan – and any new Android XR headset for the foreseeable future – needs to ship with controllers. At this point, you just cut yourself off from too many essential apps. Moss, Gorilla Tag, Ghosts of Tabor — significant revenue drivers that you won’t be able to support out of the box.

Hand-tracking, meanwhile, is the accessible future of VR. Already on Quest it has worked wonders to reduce the hesitancy of putting on a headset. I can pick up my Quest 3, strap it on, spend a bit of time browsing the store, then grab my controllers when I’m ready to jump into a game. I can show family members Puzzling Places and say “just pinch to grab a piece” instead of “oh, uh, it’s that long, trigger button on your index finger I think… oh you’re not holding it right, wait that’s the grip button… no I don’t know which one is X and which one is A.”

Android, then, should encourage a mix of the two approaches. Yes, controllers should come with every headset, but they don’t need to be used in every session. Have onboarding require hand-tracking to get players to learn to pick up the device without the controllers, bundle in a stand for players to leave them in when they’re using their hands, and have store listings that clearly define which inputs an app supports.

The result will be an ecosystem that feels friendly to newcomers and gamers alike. It’s also why you’re seeing devices embrace both mixed and virtual reality without either trying to step on the other’s toes.

Embrace Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2

At this point, talking about what version of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips headsets are using is akin to writing out a lengthy equation for a Cambridge maths whizz to solve. But here’s the important bit: Android XR headsets are running on hardware that’s more powerful than Quest 3. Perhaps not by a hugely significant amount – it’s still an XR2-branded chip – but enough to maybe make a noticeable difference in key areas, especially if paired with a possible foveated rendering solution from the integrated eye-tracking.

Offering a performance boost, however slight, over Quest 3 could be one of Google’s key means of winning over existing VR users. We’re likely a year or two away from Quest 4, and Meta’s own Horizon OS partner headsets – remember those? — are likely running on the XR2 Gen 2 (that’s the worse one because it doesn’t have the little +). In that time, Android can build up a library of apps running at higher refresh rates and resolutions that give enthusiasts a reason to choose Android over Horizon.

A Busy 2025 Ahead

Ultimately, it’s going to be tough for Android XR to get ahead in this market. Meta has a strong installation base that will only grow with partner devices, and Apple’s reputation alone hasn’t been enough to bring in scores of sales. Without offering a unique vision for how its platform will grow, Android XR risks falling into the Stadia side of Google ventures.

But, somewhere between the gulf of Meta and Apple’s market approaches there remains a golden opportunity to get a foot in the door. Google can seize this moment, but only if it does right by the developers – and consumers – that have gotten VR to where it is today. 

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Jamie Feltham has 10+ years of experience working in VR, first covering the industry for a number of publications including UploadVR, where he created the UploadVR Showcase. After handling biz dev for HTC Vive and global PR & marketing for Fast Travel Games, Jamie founded the VR Games Showcase, the premiere digital showcase for VR game announcements and updates. You can follow @VRGamesShowcase on YouTube to get ready for the next VRGS events. Jamie can be reached at jamie@thevrshowcase.com.

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