Daydream App Quality Requirements

  • Daydream apps must adhere to quality criteria to ensure comfortable and high-quality VR experiences for users and qualify as a Daydream app on Google Play.

  • Daydream app design requirements focus on user interaction, controller usage, and maintaining a stable and immersive VR environment.

  • Functionality requirements cover SDK usage, manifest settings, UI elements, app state management, and ensuring compatibility with the Daydream platform.

  • Performance and stability requirements ensure the app runs smoothly, loads quickly, and maintains visual quality without causing discomfort to the user.

  • Publishing requirements include content policies, VR-specific assets, accurate descriptions, age restrictions, and proper use of platform terminology.

Daydream aims to provide users with high-quality, interactive, VR experiences. Designing apps for VR is substantially different than for other platforms, particularly because poorly designed applications or performance issues can make some users feel nauseated.

These pages help you assess quality in your Daydream app through a compact set of functional and user interaction quality criteria. This helps you meet the expectations of Daydream users for high-quality, comfortable VR experiences.

Learn more about publishing Daydream apps in Google Play.

Design requirements

Area ID Description
App Design UX-D1 Users can focus on objects and read necessary text. (more)
UX-D2 App maintains head tracking. (more)
UX-D3 App has a stable horizon line. (more)
UX-D4 Camera movement must be user-initiated. (more)
UX-D5 App does not interfere with system-level recentering behavior. (more)
UX-D6 App recenter appropriately with respect to the experience. (more)
UX-D7 App's forward direction is consistent with the platform's global forward direction. (more)
UX-D8 App uses a neck model. (more)
UX-D9 App never goes to 2D monoscopic unexpectedly. (more)
Controller UX-C1 Controller must be used as a laser pointer when clicking on UI targets. (more)
UX-C2 App uses hand preference. (more)
UX-C3 Scrolling through large sets of items must be done by swiping on the touchpad. (more)
UX-C4 Cursor displays at the same depth as objects being targeted. (more)
UX-C5 App does not interfere with system controls. (more)

Functionality requirements

Area ID Description
SDK FN-S1 App uses a supported version of the Google VR SDK. (more)
FN-S2 App uses Daydream API calls to transition between activities. (more)
Manifest FN-M1 App manifest does not request the NFC permission. (more)
FN-M2 App manifest sets correct VR activity styles. (more)
FN-M3 App manifest sets hardware features according to the platform(s) supported. (more)
UI FN-U1 App hides the Status Bar and Navigation Bar while in VR. (more)
App state FN-A1 App pauses when the user exits VR. (more)
FN-A2 App closes from VR correctly. (more)

Performance and stability requirements

Area ID Description
Stability PS-S1 App installs and runs without crashing. (more)
Performance PS-P1 App loads quickly or provides feedback in VR to the user if the app takes longer than 3 seconds to load. (more)
PS-P2 App maintains high performance. (more)
PS-P3 App does not display a thermal warning during 30 minutes of usage. (more)
Visual quality PS-V1 App renders without unexpected distortion when viewed through a Daydream viewer. (more)

Publishing requirements

Area ID Description
Publishing PB-P1 App adheres to all existing Google Play Content Policies. (more)
PB-P2 App has a VR Icon. (more)
PB-P3 App has a 360° stereo photosphere. (more)
PB-P4 App content matches description. (more)
PB-P5 App is for users 13 years and older. (more)
PB-P6 App has the correct Motion Intensity level. (more)
PB-P7 App name must adhere to naming policy. (more)
PB-P8 App uses correct platform terminology. (more)
PB-P9 App does not use the Daydream logo. (more)
PB-P10 App must be able to be reviewed in full (more)
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Design Requirements