A New Era Begins in Extended Reality
Samsung has officially announced the Galaxy XR, its long-awaited entry into the high-end mixed reality headset market. This device will be released in October 2025, and it will be a big step forward for Samsung and the whole extended reality ecosystem. It’s the first headset to use Google’s new Android XR operating system.
The Journey: From Project Moohan to Galaxy XR
It took almost three years to get to today’s announcement. Samsung said in February 2023 that it was working with Google and Qualcomm to make an XR headset. The Galaxy XR is the official name for that device, which was first known as “Project Moohan.” The long development time shows how big the project’s goals are: to make not just a device, but a whole new platform that can compete with Apple’s Vision Pro and offer its own unique benefits.
Cost and Availability
The price of the Galaxy XR, which is $1,799, is one of the best things about it. This is a big deal because Apple’s Vision Pro starts at $3,499, so the Samsung device is about half the price of its main competitor. You can now buy the headset in the US and South Korea through Samsung.com, Samsung Experience stores, and some Google stores. Samsung also lets you pay for things over 12 months for $149 a month.
People who buy early will get “The Explorer Pack,” which is worth more than $1,000 and includes 12 months of Google AI Pro, YouTube Premium, Google Play Pass, and access to NBA League Pass or regional alternatives, as well as special XR content.
Design and Comfort: Form Meets Function
Samsung has put a lot of thought into engineering to make sure users are comfortable. The Galaxy XR has an ergonomically balanced design that spreads the weight across the forehead and back of the head. This makes it easier on the face when you use it for a long time. The Galaxy XR is designed more like Meta’s Quest Pro, which is no longer available. It has a rear headstrap that carries most of the weight, unlike the Vision Pro, which puts all of the weight on your face.
The device weighs about 545 grams and has an open-periphery design that lets users see the real world naturally from the sides and below. Light blockers that can be attached with magnets are included for full immersion. The battery pack is not built into the headset, but is instead tethered, so you don’t have to charge it between uses. This keeps the headset lighter and more comfortable.
Field of View and Display Technology
The Galaxy XR has two 4K micro-OLED displays with a resolution of 3,552 x 3,840 pixels per eye. The displays run at a default refresh rate of 72Hz but can go up to 90Hz. What is the most impressive thing? A horizontal field of view of 109 degrees and a vertical field of view of 100 degrees. This wide view is twice as wide as the Apple Vision Pro view, which makes your digital workspace feel less like looking through a window and more like being in a natural environment.
The display also has fully automatic motorized lens separation adjustment that fits your interpupillary distance (IPD), so you don’t have to do any manual calibration to get the best visual comfort.
AI at the Heart: Gemini and Android XR
The Galaxy XR’s core philosophy is what really sets it apart: it was built from the ground up with artificial intelligence. The headset runs Android XR, and Google’s Gemini AI assistant is built in at the system level, not as an afterthought but as a main way to interact with it.
Gemini on Galaxy XR is different from other AI assistants because it doesn’t just follow your orders. It understands what you’re seeing and hearing. You can talk, gesture with your hands, or track your eyes to interact, which makes the experience feel more natural and intuitive. Gemini can help you keep track of your tasks, give you information about your surroundings, and let you do things across your apps through conversation.
Tracking and Processing Power
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chipset, which was made in collaboration with Samsung and Google just for this device, powers the Galaxy XR. This processor can handle up to 4.3K resolution per eye at 90 frames per second and can connect to 12 cameras at once for better tracking.
The headset has advanced tracking technology, such as hand tracking, eye tracking, face tracking, and an active depth sensor. During hands-on demos, people watching noticed that positional head tracking stayed “rock solid” even when testers moved around the room. This shows that Samsung and Google have made reliable inside-out tracking possible with computer vision technology.
Apps and the Software Ecosystem
The Galaxy XR is an Android XR device, so it can run all of the Android apps that are already out there. This gives users instant access to a huge library of mobile apps. But Samsung and Google have also put together a collection of XR-specific experiences, including apps from Adobe, Google, Calm, Fox Sports, and MLB.
Some of the demonstrated experiences are project-optimized versions of Google Maps with Gemini-guided navigation, YouTube with immersive 180- and 360-degree content, Google Photos exploration, Circle to Search integration, and specialized apps like NFL PRO ERA, Adobe’s Project Pulsar video editor, and a bunch of games and meditation apps.
Open standards like OpenXR, WebXR, and Unity are used to build the platform. This makes it easy for developers to move existing experiences and make new content. This open ecosystem approach is different from more closed platforms, which makes the Galaxy XR a good device for developers.
Controllers and other things
Samsung sells Galaxy XR controllers separately for $250, even though hand tracking lets you do a lot of things. These controllers have a standard layout with two joysticks, grip buttons, triggers, face buttons (X, Y, A, B), and menu buttons. Sales were strong at first—the controllers sold out within hours of being available, and buyers had to wait for them to be restocked.
Samsung is giving 30% off accessories until November 17, 2025. This brings the price of controllers down to $175 and the price of the official travel case down to about the same level. Samsung works with EyeBuyDirect to offer prescription lenses as an extra purchase for people who need vision correction.
Performance and Battery Life
The Galaxy XR’s tethered battery pack lasts about two hours for general use and two and a half hours for playing 2D videos. The battery can keep charging while the headset is being used, which means that the session can last as long as you want it to, but you have to stay connected to the power source.
The Galaxy XR is in a unique market position between Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest. It costs $1,799, which is almost $1,700 less than the Apple Vision Pro, but it has a lot of the same features. It costs and has more features than Meta’s Quest 3S, and it is aimed at professionals and enthusiasts rather than regular consumers.
Samsung and Google clearly want the Galaxy XR to appeal to prosumers, business users, and creative professionals who need powerful computing in a mixed reality setting. Gemini AI makes it especially good for productivity use cases, and the strong display technology and tracking systems make it good for creative applications that need a lot of power.
The Future of Android XR: What to Expect
Samsung’s vision for extended reality starts with the Galaxy XR. The company has made it clear that it plans to make more Android XR devices, including AI glasses, which are the next big thing in wearable technology. Google’s Android XR platform is made to work on more than just headsets, which means that in the future, XR experiences will become more important to Samsung’s ecosystem as a whole.
Conclusion: An Important Option
The Samsung Galaxy XR is a big step forward in the development of consumer extended reality technology. It offers a technically impressive device at a price point that, while still premium, offers a lot more value than other options on the market. The Galaxy XR is a smart choice for people who want powerful mixed reality features without the high prices of competitors. It has a strong focus on AI integration, an open ecosystem, great display technology, and a comfortable design.
As the market for XR devices grows and competition heats up, Samsung’s entry with Android XR could be what pushes this game-changing technology into the mainstream.
