Google reveals Daydream View, a soft virtual reality headset that lets people enter the world of Harry Potter

The headset is made of the same materials that tee shirts and other clothes are made of

(Google)

Google has unveiled Daydream View, a soft virtual reality headset that it hopes will make VR go mainstream.

The company's headset – made of the same kinds of materials that go into tee shirts – works with Google's Daydream platform that is meant to make virtual reality more easy and cheap.

The headset and its controllers will go on sale in November for just $79. That doesn't include the screen – which is borrowed from a phone that's stuck into the front of the headset so that it can be strapped to people's faces.

Google will eventually unveil the headset in different colours, meaning that it can be more customisable. And it said also that it was built to be more comfortable, allowing people to wear it happily for longer.

It works especially well with Google's new Pixel phone, the company said, since that phone has special sensors and other features intended to make it a more comfortable experience.

The company also unveiled a range of new virtual reality experiences. Those included an exclusive experience from JK Rowling's Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, for instance, where people use the headset's controller as a wand.

It also showed other games like an interactive star chart that shows the skies, games where people cruise around stars shooting others and more straightforward viewing experiences.