The Moto Z and Moto Z Force smartphones are the first devices after the Pixel and Pixel XL  to be recognised by Google as ‘Daydream-ready’. Daydream VR is Google’s new mobile VR platform built into the latest version of Android.

Lenovo is currently rolling out an Android Nougat update for several Moto and Droid-branded phones. The latest version of Android includes deep VR integration of Google’s new Daydream platform. While many modern Android phones are due to receive the Nougat update, there are very few that currently meet the specifications for Daydream VR, some of which is outlined in the latest Android Compatibility Definition Document. Currently, only the flagship Moto Z and Moto Z Force phones (including the US Verizon variants known as the Moto Z Droid and Moto Z Force Droid) which use Snapdragon 820 processors have been recognised as Daydream-ready, and not the Moto Z Play, which has a slower Snapdragon 625.

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Daydream VR was first seen on Google’s own high-end Pixel and Pixel XL phones, and Lenovo, who acquired the Motorola Mobility brand from Google in 2014, is claiming their two flagship Moto Z models are the first from another manufacturer to be recognised as ‘Daydream-ready’. Indeed, they are now shown prominently alongside the Pixel phones on the official Daydream website.

You can read more on what we though of Google’s Daydream VR platform, their first Daydream certified phone the Pixel XL as well as its first VR headset ‘View’ in our detailed review here.

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The trial version of Microsoft’s Monster Truck Madness probably had something to do with it. And certainly the original Super Mario Kart and Gran Turismo. A car nut from an early age, Dominic was always drawn to racing games above all other genres. Now a seasoned driving simulation enthusiast, and former editor of Sim Racer magazine, Dominic has followed virtual reality developments with keen interest, as cockpit-based simulation is a perfect match for the technology. Conditions could hardly be more ideal, a scientist once said. Writing about simulators lead him to Road to VR, whose broad coverage of the industry revealed the bigger picture and limitless potential of the medium. Passionate about technology and a lifelong PC gamer, Dominic suffers from the ‘tweak for days’ PC gaming condition, where he plays the same section over and over at every possible combination of visual settings to find the right balance between fidelity and performance. Based within The Fens of Lincolnshire (it’s very flat), Dominic can sometimes be found marvelling at the real world’s ‘draw distance’, wishing virtual technologies would catch up.