TL; DR
- Samsung has launched the Galaxy XR at $1,799, about half the cost of Apple’s Vision Pro, powered by Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2, Android XR, and Google’s Gemini AI.
- The headset combines voice, vision, and gesture input with Gemini AI for spatial awareness, multitasking, and 3D environments that sync with your Galaxy ecosystem.
- The Galaxy XR is on sale now in the US and South Korea. It ships with controllers, an external battery, and an Explorer Pack with bundled subscriptions like YouTube Premium and Google Play Pass.
Samsung has officially entered the mixed reality race with the launch of the Galaxy XR, revealed during its virtual “Worlds Wide Open” event. The device, developed in collaboration with Google and Qualcomm, runs on Android XR, marking the first major XR headset in the Android ecosystem.
The Galaxy XR starts at $1,799 for the 256GB Wi-Fi variant. It’s available now in the US and South Korea, with global availability expected later. Samsung also introduced an Explorer Pack, which includes XR apps and subscription bundles worth up to $1,140, valid through the end of the year.
Galaxy XR Hardware Overview
Weighing 545 grams, the Galaxy XR focuses on balance and comfort, featuring soft forehead padding, adjustable straps, and optional prescription lens inserts. It houses dual 4K micro-OLED panels (3,552 × 3,840 per eye) with a 90Hz refresh rate. Apple’s M5 Vision Pro is 120Hz by the way.
Under the hood, it features the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chipset, paired with foveated rendering to optimize workloads. It’s definitely not as fast as the M5 but should be fine for regular use.
The headset includes six external cameras for tracking, two color passthrough lenses, a depth sensor, and four eye-tracking cameras that support gaze control and iris-based unlocking (just like the Vision Pro).
Audio comes from built-in spatial speakers, and the included external battery pack provides around two hours of active mixed use (2.5 hours of video playback).
Samsung bundles tracked controllers for precision input, and the headset supports Bluetooth accessories like keyboards and mice for productivity use. You can also cast or stream content from compatible Galaxy phones and PCs.
Gemini AI Integration
Gemini AI drives most of the Galaxy XR’s intelligence. Instead of relying on menus or static voice commands, the headset can interpret voice, gesture, and visual cues together. You can point to objects, swipe through Google Photos, or ask Gemini to enhance or convert 2D content into 3D.
Gemini assists with productivity tasks such as summarizing documents, managing schedules, or joining video meetings with customizable Galaxy Avatars.
For entertainment, it supports immersive content from YouTube, Google TV, and Samsung’s XR experiences. Samsung also highlighted practical uses like AI-guided fitness, AR navigation, and collaborative workspaces that sync across Galaxy devices.
Ecosystem and Software
The headset runs Android XR, which gives it access to Android apps optimized for spatial interfaces. Key apps like Google Workspace, Maps, and Photos are reworked for mixed reality. Samsung confirmed full Unity support for developers at launch, along with upcoming SDK tools for third-party XR content.
Galaxy XR acts as part of a broader connected ecosystem, syncing with Galaxy phones, watches, and laptops through Samsung Flow and Quick Share. Users can move content between devices or project virtual screens for multitasking.
Galaxy XR Availability
The Samsung Galaxy XR is available now on Samsung.com and through select retail outlets in the US and South Korea. Color options include Graphite Gray and Arctic Silver. The Explorer Pack bundle remains available through December 31, 2025, offering early buyers access to premium content and free software trials.
Samsung has not confirmed an India release date, but availability across Europe and Asia is expected to follow before early 2026.
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