Google’s Daydream VR platform is getting its first major software revamp later this year, nudging the interface toward being a more full-featured operating system. The update, codenamed Daydream Euphrates, will roll out to all phones with Daydream support. As part of a larger move to support self-contained headsets that aren’t powered by phones, it will add a 2D panel that pops up on top of virtual environments, giving all users better access to normal Android functions in VR.

“The whole idea behind this is, we don’t want to take you out of the VR experience if you need to check notifications or change a setting or pause or do whatever,” says Mike Jazayeri, the Daydream director of product management.

The update adds more image and video…

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