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Google Play

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Google Play
Information
Platforms Cardboard, Daydream, ARCore, Android XR
Devices Android devices, Samsung Galaxy XR
Operating Systems Android, Android XR
Accessible Desktop, Mobile, VR
Developer Google
Website https://play.google.com

Google Play is Google's official Android App Store. The app store distributes both Daydream and Cardboard apps. The VR version of Google Play could be accessed through the Daydream Home portal. The VR version of the app store had a different interface from the mobile or desktop versions; an app became discoverable there only after its developer opted in to Daydream and it passed Google's Daydream review, while its availability in the 2D store was unaffected.[1]

Google launched the store under the Google Play name on March 6, 2012, when Android Market, Google Music and the Google eBookstore were combined into one service.[2] For virtual reality and augmented reality, it has been the distribution channel for Google's own XR platforms: Cardboard and Daydream apps, ARCore apps from February 2018, and, since October 2025, apps for Android XR headsets such as the Samsung Galaxy XR.[3][4][5] Daydream support ended with Android 11 in 2020, but Google said that many third-party Daydream apps might still be available as standalone apps in the store.[6]

Reviewed 27 September 2026. Checked every cited source for the launch, Cardboard, Daydream, ARCore and Android XR sections, the XR publishing rules and the motion intensity table against the Google, Samsung and press pages cited. About review dates.

General information

Launch

Google Play replaced Android Market on March 6, 2012. Jamie Rosenberg, Google's director of digital content, announced that "Android Market, Google Music and the Google eBookstore will become part of Google Play." At launch the store offered downloads for more than 450,000 Android apps.[2] TechCrunch described the change as bringing music, videos and e-books together with Android apps under a single brand.[7]

Cardboard apps

Apps for Google Cardboard, Google's low-cost smartphone viewer, are ordinary Android apps listed on Google Play. In February 2017 Amit Singh, Google's vice president of business and operations for AR and VR, wrote that more than 10 million Cardboard viewers had shipped worldwide and that there had been "160 million downloads of Cardboard apps on Google Play", with 30 of those apps passing 1 million downloads each.[3]

On November 6, 2019, Google said it was no longer actively developing the Google VR SDK and released an open-source Cardboard SDK, with libraries for building Cardboard apps for Android and iOS. Google gave the figure of more than 15 million Cardboard units worldwide in the same post.[8]

Google Play for Daydream

Google announced the Daydream mobile VR platform at its I/O developer conference in May 2016, together with a Daydream version of the Google Play Store for VR apps that was due in the fall of that year. Google named games from EA, Ubisoft and NetEase and video services including HBO Now, CNN, Netflix and MLB.com among the planned content.[9] The first Daydream headset, the Daydream View, went on sale on November 10, 2016, at US$79 in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany and Australia. Launch content included Hulu VR, Google Play Movies (in a virtual theater), The Guardian VR and Gunjack 2.[10] By February 2017 Google counted six Daydream-ready phones and 100 Daydream apps.[3]

Daydream apps were published through the normal Play Console. Developers had to opt in to Daydream from the Pricing and Distribution section, supply a VR icon and a stereoscopic 360-degree photosphere shown in the store listing in VR, and pass a Daydream quality review after publication. An app that failed the review lost its Daydream discoverability, but Google's documentation states that "Daydream opt-in and review do not affect the availability of your app in the 2D Google Play Store."[1] The VR icon had to be supplied as two 512x512 PNG files (foreground and background), and the photosphere as a 4096 x 4096 stereo 360-degree image of at most 15 MB.[11]

The Lenovo Mirage Solo, a standalone Daydream headset, could also run ordinary Android apps in a flat 2D window. UploadVR described this in May 2018 as a hidden feature: apps were pushed to the headset from the Google Play website, did not appear in the headset's library, and had to be launched through a link to their Play Store listing in a settings menu.[12]

End of Daydream

On October 15, 2019, Google stopped selling the Daydream View and confirmed that the Pixel 4 would not support it. Google told Variety, in a statement quoted by Road to VR: "There hasn't been the broad consumer or developer adoption we had hoped, and we've seen decreasing usage over time of the Daydream View headset." At that point the company said the Daydream app and store would remain available for existing users.[13] In October 2020 Google's support pages stated that "Daydream VR software is no longer supported", with support ending at Android 11; the service might still be reachable but would get no further software or security updates.[6] Google's developer documentation adds that, "as of November 2023, previously supported devices will no longer be able to download and install Google VR Services for new users."[1]

ARCore apps

Google released ARCore 1.0 on February 23, 2018, and from that date developers could publish augmented reality apps to the Play Store. Google said ARCore then worked on 100 million Android smartphones, starting with 13 device models from Google, Samsung, LGE, ASUS and OnePlus.[4]

ARCore's runtime is itself distributed through Google Play. Google's documentation says that "all AR features are stored in an app called Google Play Services for AR that is updated separately by the Play Store." Apps marked AR Required are only offered by the Play Store on ARCore-supported devices, and installing one makes the store install Google Play Services for AR automatically. Apps marked AR Optional can be installed on devices without ARCore support, and the store does not install the AR service with them.[14]

Android XR

Google Play became available on headsets with the launch of Samsung Galaxy XR, the first Android XR device, in October 2025. Matthew McCullough, Google's vice president of product management for Android developer, wrote that "in most cases" an existing mobile app would run on Android XR "with little to no additional development through Google Play".[5] Samsung's launch release put the headset on sale on October 21, 2025, in the United States and October 22 in Korea at US$1,799.99, and said that "All apps built on the Android platform work out of the box on Galaxy XR"; its footnotes add that some apps may have to be downloaded from the Google Play Store and may require a subscription or payment.[15] Buyers who purchased the headset before the end of 2025 received "The Explorer Pack", which included 12 months of Google Play Pass along with Google AI Pro and YouTube Premium.[16]

Before the headset launched, a Play Store section headed "immersive experiences made for your XR headset" appeared, listing titles such as Asteroid, Vacation Simulator, NFL Pro Era, Naver CHZZK XR and Virtual Desktop.[17] In November 2025 Android Authority reported a dedicated XR section under "Other devices" in the Apps and Games tabs, and an XR headset chip in app listings (alongside the existing chips for watches, tablets, TVs, Chromebooks, cars and phones) that shows screenshots, reviews and other details specific to XR.[18]

Publishing for Android XR

Google's developer documentation says that existing apps on the mobile release track "are automatically discoverable on Google Play for Android XR users, as long as the app doesn't include any unsupported features for Android XR." Developers whose XR app differs substantially from the phone app can instead publish a separate build to a dedicated Android XR release track under the same app entry. Apps on that track must declare the android.software.xr.api.spatial feature (apps built with the Jetpack XR SDK) or android.software.xr.api.openxr (apps built with OpenXR or Unity) and are shown only to Android XR devices that support the declared feature. Play Store distribution covers immersive apps on XR headsets and wired XR glasses; augmented experiences for audio and display glasses follow a separate development path.[19]

A post on the Android Developers Blog in October 2025 listed further Play Store rules for XR apps.[20]

Topic Google Play rule for Android XR apps
Large assets Apps built for Android XR may deliver asset packs through Play Asset Delivery up to a cumulative 30 GB, compared with 4 GB for on-demand or fast-follow asset packs on other apps[20]
Store previews Developers can add a 180-degree, 360-degree or stereoscopic spatial video, which the Play Store on Android XR devices displays as an immersive 3D preview[20]
Required features If a device lacks a feature an app lists as required, Google Play hides the app from that device[20]
Release tracks Mobile release track (for phone apps with added XR features) or the dedicated Android XR release track[20][19]

Motion intensity ratings

Daydream apps on Google Play carried a motion intensity rating, and Google's Daydream quality requirements asked that each app have the correct motion intensity level. Google's requirements describe virtual motion as "a major contributor to user discomfort in VR applications" and define it as a change in the position or rotation of the user's virtual head (and therefore the camera) without the user making that movement with their own head at 1:1 scale. The three levels are based on how much of this virtual motion an app uses.[11]

Rating Summary Google's definition and examples
No Motion Sitting; just the user moves their head around, such as watching a film 0 degrees of virtual motion: user-controlled head movement with no disconnect between the virtual camera and the head pose, and instantaneous teleportation to a new location[11]
Moderate Motion Walking; users are using controllers to move forward / backward with limited acceleration, such as traveling in a car 2 degrees of translated virtual motion at any given moment, such as virtual walking on a flat plane or riding an elevator up and down[11]
Intense Motion Flying; users are moving in various degrees and directions, such as flying or riding a roller coaster Any virtual movement with 2+ degrees of motion, such as roller coasters, virtual flying, skiing, or driving cars over jumps and hills[11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Publishing Daydream Apps". Google VR. Google for Developers. https://developers.google.com/vr/distribute/daydream. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Élyse Betters (2012-03-06). "Android Market is now Google Play". 9to5Google. https://9to5google.com/2012/03/06/android-market-is-now-google-play/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Amit Singh (2017-02-28). "More ways to watch and play with AR and VR". The Keyword (Google blog). Google. https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/google-ar-vr/more-ways-watch-and-play-ar-and-vr/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Anuj Gosalia (2018-02-23). "Announcing ARCore 1.0 and new updates to Google Lens". Google Developers Blog. Google. https://developers.googleblog.com/2018/02/announcing-arcore-10-and-new-updates-to.html. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Matthew McCullough (2025-10-22). "Giving your apps a new home on Samsung Galaxy XR, the first device powered by Android XR". Android Developers Blog. Google. https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2025/10/giving-your-apps-new-home-on-samsung.html. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Abner Li (2020-10-02). "Google drops support for Daydream VR with Android 11". 9to5Google. https://9to5google.com/2020/10/02/google-daydream-vr/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  7. ↑ Chris Velazco (2012-03-06). "Goodbye Android Market, Hello Google Play". TechCrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2012/03/06/goodbye-android-market-hello-google-play/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  8. ↑ Jeffrey Chen (2019-11-06). "Open sourcing Google Cardboard". Google Developers Blog. Google. https://developers.googleblog.com/2019/11/open-sourcing-google-cardboard.html. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  9. ↑ Ginny Marvin (2016-05-18). "VR is coming to the Google Play store this fall with Daydream". MarTech. https://martech.org/vr-coming-google-play-store-fall-daydream/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  10. ↑ Darrell Etherington (2016-11-01). "Google's Daydream View VR headset arrives in stores November 10". TechCrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2016/11/01/googles-daydream-view-vr-headset-arrives-in-stores-november-10/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 "Daydream App Quality Requirements - Publishing". Google VR. Google for Developers. https://developers.google.com/vr/distribute/daydream/publishing-requirements. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  12. ↑ Ian Hamilton (2018-05-10). "How To Get Any Android App Running On A Daydream Standalone VR Headset". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/android-daydream-app-standalone-how-to/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  13. ↑ Ben Lang (2019-10-15). "Google Discontinues Daydream View Headset, Pixel 4 Won't Support Daydream". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/google-puts-final-nail-daydream-coffin-discontinues-view-headset/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  14. ↑ "Enable AR in your Android app". ARCore. Google for Developers. https://developers.google.com/ar/develop/java/enable-arcore. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  15. ↑ "Introducing Galaxy XR: Opening New Worlds". Samsung Mobile Press. Samsung Electronics. 2025-10-22. https://www.samsungmobilepress.com/articles/galaxy-xr-opening-new-worlds. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  16. ↑ Scott Hayden (2025-10-21). "Samsung Android XR Headset Gets Price, Specs & Release Date". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/samsung-galaxy-xr-headset-price-specs-release-date/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  17. ↑ Matt Horne (2025-10-17). "Google Play spills the beans on what apps and games are coming to Android XR". Android Authority. https://www.androidauthority.com/google-play-apps-games-android-xr-early-listings-3608434/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  18. ↑ Ryan McNeal (2025-11-13). "Google Play Store rolls out dedicated XR section for apps and games". Android Authority. https://www.androidauthority.com/google-play-store-xr-updates-3615625/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Package and distribute apps for Android XR". Android Developers. Google. https://developer.android.com/develop/xr/package-and-distribute. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 Jan Kleinert (2025-10-24). "5 things you need to know about publishing and distributing your app for Android XR". Android Developers Blog. Google. https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2025/10/5-things-you-need-to-know-about.html. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
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