Google's VR platform Daydream may launch within weeks

At Google's annual I/O developer conference in May, the company announced Daydream, an Android-based, virtual reality development platform. Daydream will offer users a VR experience with just a smartphone, some apps, a headset and a controller.

However, none of that actually launched at the conference. The headset was merely a drawing of a reference design, and Daydream was given the somewhat vague fall launch window.

But now, according to a Bloomberg report published Tuesday, the launch may come sooner than you think.

Citing people familiar with the matter, the report claims Daydream will launch "in the coming weeks." Around that same time, new VR-ready Android phones, VR headsets and controllers will also be released. To prepare for the launch, Google on Monday will release a Daydream-ready version of Android.

Google is currently investing in VR video games, apps and films to build a cache of content for the upcoming platform, the report says. Some of the apps people will see on Daydream include YouTube and Hulu, as well as apps from HBO, the NBA and the MLB.

Google already has its toes in the VR waters. Its inexpensive Cardboard headset is one of the easiest ways to experience 360-degree videos, photos and apps. But Daydream is a far more important foray into smartphone-powered VR, where other companies such as Samsung are already heavily invested.

Though Bloomberg's report doesn't mention it, the "coming weeks" time frame for the Daydream launch overlaps with the upcoming IFA trade show, which takes place in Berlin from Sept. 2 to Sept. 7. We'll be covering IFA from Berlin, and will be keeping an eye on any Daydream-related news and gadgets that may appear there.