Google VR: Hardware and software requirements
This section provides an overview of both the minimum and recommended hardware and software requirements for using the Google VR SDK.
Below are the minimum platform requirements for devices to support the Google VR SDK, along with some important considerations:
You must have Android API SDK version 21 (also known as “Lollipop”) installed.
To develop Google VR applications, you must have a Cardboard- or Daydream-supported phone.
See Google’s documentation on Daydream hardware to learn how to set your Android phone up for Daydream development.
Minimum hardware and software requirements
This section provides an overview of the minimum hardware and software requirements for developing with the Google VR SDK.
| Device | Hardware | Software |
|---|---|---|
| Cardboard | - Devices running Android 4.1 or later with a gyroscope. - Devices running iOS 8 or later with a gyroscope. - A viewing device compatible with Cardboard. |
- Unity Cardboard integration requires Android Lollipop or greater. - iOS devices with the Google Cardboard application installed. |
| Daydream | - Daydream compatible devices. See the Google Daydream Hardware page for a list of devices compatible with Daydream. |
Recommended hardware and software requirements
This section provides an overview of the recommended hardware and software requirements for developing with the Google VR SDK.
| Device | Hardware | Software |
|---|---|---|
| Cardboard | - For Android, refer to the documentation provided with your Cardboard viewer for a full list of compatible devices. - For iOS, any iPhone 5 series or later phone. - A viewing device compatible with Cardboard. |
- Android 5.0 or later. - iOS 8 or later, with the Google Cardboard application installed. |
| Daydream | - Any device compatible with the Daydream specification. See the Google Daydream Hardware page for a list of devices compatible with Daydream. | Android 7 or later. |
You can find detailed information relating to Google VR development on the main Google developer site for VR. This site includes links to SDKs, instructional materials, and documentation on APIs and store publishing.
2018–03–27 Page published with editorial review
Google VR documentation updated for Unity XR API in 2017.3