On very effective hermitian $K$-theory

We argue that the very effective cover of hermitian $K$-theory in the sense of motivic homotopy theory is a convenient algebro-geometric generalization of the connective real topological $K$-theory spectrum. This means the very effective cover acquires the correct Betti realization, its motivic cohomology has the desired structure as a module over the motivic Steenrod algebra, and that its motivic Adams and slice spectral sequences are amenable to calculations.