Google hires former Samsung VP for virtual reality

Google wants to leave no stones unturned to realize its Daydream project, Google’s next-gen mobile VR ecosystem, Variety reports. Expanding on its robust team that will be tackling smartphone-based virtual reality, the company has hired Matt Apfel, a former VP of content strategy for Samsung’s Milk VR (now Samsung VR). Apfel left Samsung in March and will now work on content for Daydream.

Daydream, announced during Google’s I/O developer conference this year, is the company’s move to bring VR to the masses by deeply integrating VR capabilities into newest Android phones.

This will technically allow any Android smartphone manufacturers to create handsets with VR capabilities in the future, and should make things much easier for third party VR content creators, as Daydream is supposed to rely on its own app store dedicated to VR entertainment. Manufacturers will, however, have to make sure they adhere to a certain set of standards, making headsets that are classed as “Daydream ready”.

Google has been working aggressively over the past couple of years to craft tools and platforms for creating VR content. Google Cardboard was an easily accessible, if not highly rudimentary, avenue to show off that content, but Android Nougat’s technical improvements will likely give users a much more pleasant VR experience with Daydream.

Daydream will reportedly be launching later this fall.