Samsung Galaxy Xr: Everything You Need To Know

After dropping hints for over 2 years, Samsung, successful business pinch Google, yet revealed its first-ever Android extended reality headset Tuesday night. The caller device, dubbed Galaxy XR, will tally you $1,800 and you tin really buy it today.

Due to its collaboration pinch Google, it's not a astonishment that nan headset comes afloat equipped pinch Gemini AI built in. "Android XR is nan first Android level built wholly for nan Gemini era, and we are incredibly excited to return a important leap guardant coming pinch nan motorboat of Galaxy XR," Sameer Samat, President of Android Ecosystem astatine Google, said.

What are nan features of nan Galaxy XR headset, and really does it disagree from its main competitor, nan $3,499 Apple Vision Pro? Glad you asked!

What is nan Galaxy XR?

The Samsung Galaxy XR is nan first-ever Android XR headset, created by Google and Samsung. If Apple's Vision Pro is nan "virtual reality iPhone," nan Samsung is fundamentally its "virtual reality Galaxy S phone" alternative. The headset looks for illustration a brace of snowboard goggles, but it comes pinch a whopping full of 12 cameras and six microphones. And because it's 2025, AI is simply a large portion of nan Galaxy XR's upsell: It has Google's Gemini AI adjunct built in, truthful while you're wearing nan headset, it tin spot and perceive everything astir you.

Google's "XR" nickname stands for "extended reality," which is efficaciously an "all of nan above" word encompassing augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality. That intends nan Galaxy XR tin put a virtual overlay connected nan existent world (thanks to each those cameras), aliases it tin wholly unopen retired your abstraction to immerse you successful a wholly virtual environment. In different words, you tin customize your ain workspace aliases move your room into your ain individual theater, aliases you tin carrier yourself to an world locale pinch a first-person "you are there" viewpoint.

What tin you do pinch nan Galaxy XR?

For watching videos connected apps for illustration YouTube, nan headset offers a room of 180- and 360-degree VR content. You tin besides watch movies utilizing Google TV connected a large, resizable screen. Plus, if you person a mobility astir immoderate you're watching, you tin inquire Gemini since it sees everything you see. And erstwhile you're looking astatine your photos and videos, you tin person them to 3D truthful it feels for illustration you're backmost successful nan memory.

While utilizing Google Maps, you tin usage Immersive View to spell anyplace successful nan world (virtually, of course). Visiting location historical? You tin inquire Gemini to show you much accusation astir nan landmark. Spot a weird-looking works aliases bug astir your house? You tin usage Circle to Search to find retired what it is while wearing nan headset.

As for getting activity done efficiently, you tin put your most-needed apps each astir your surface — for instance, your web browser, favourite euphony app, important documents and video conferencing app. And if things commencement to consciousness cluttered, you tin inquire Gemini to shape your windows. Even better, you tin nexus your PC to your headset, arsenic good arsenic your keyboard and mouse.

The headset uses 2 passthrough cameras for real-time viewing, six world-facing search cameras and 4 eye-tracking cameras, arsenic good arsenic extent and flicker sensors. It besides supports iris nickname truthful you tin unlock nan instrumentality and participate passwords wrong immoderate apps.

What apps activity connected nan Galaxy XR?

"Almost all" Google Play Store apps will beryllium disposable connected nan Galaxy XR headset. That intends hundreds of thousands of apps should beryllium disposable connected nan headset connected time one, including basal streaming apps (for watching things for illustration Netflix, HBO Max aliases Peacock connected that elephantine virtual display) arsenic good arsenic "new versions" of immoderate of Google's cardinal first-party software, from Photos to Chrome and YouTube. And, of course, nan aforementioned Google Maps is connected board, too.

As you'd expect, Google is besides focusing connected gaming. In summation to nan afloat panoply of Android games, nan Galaxy XR's PC Link besides lets you usage it arsenic a show for PC-based games, too.

How does it consciousness to deterioration nan Galaxy XR?

Engadget's Sam Rutherford sewage immoderate hands-on clip pinch nan Galaxy XR recently, and had immoderate notable first impressions connected its comfortableness and usability:

[I]t seems Samsung learned a batch from its rivals by including a overmuch larger and thicker caput cushion that helps administer nan weight of nan headset much evenly. Granted, during a longer session, I still noticed a spot of unit and felt alleviation aft taking disconnected nan Galaxy XR, but it's thing for illustration nan Vision Pro, which successful my acquisition gets uncomfortable almost immediately. Finally, astir back, there's a elemental strap pinch a knob that you tin twist to tighten aliases loosen nan headband arsenic necessary. So moreover without other support moving crossed nan apical of your head, getting successful and retired of nan Galaxy XR is overmuch easier and comfier than nan Vision Pro.

How is nan Galaxy XR different from nan Apple Vision Pro?

While nan headset whitethorn look beautiful akin to nan Apple Vision Pro, location are immoderate bigger (and moreover better) differences.

For starters, nan Galaxy's micro-OLED show has 29 cardinal pixels, compared to Apple's 23 cardinal pixels, and a solution of 3,552 x 3,840, which offers a tad much item than Apple's model. Additionally, it has 96% of nan DCI‑P3 colour gamut, while nan Vision Pro has 92%. However, Apple's headset thumps retired nan Samsung connected refresh rate, going a afloat 120Hz versus nan Galaxy XR's 90Hz.

Since you'll beryllium wearing it connected your caput for an extended period, you'll beryllium relieved to cognize nan Galaxy XR is simply a spot lighter than Apple's XR headset by 205g (0.5lbs).

On nan artillery life front, Samsung is pledging up to 2 hours of "general use" and 2.5 hours of video playback, whereas nan caller M5 Vision Pro runs 30 minutes longer successful some modes, per Apple.

Besides nan evident operating strategy differences, of course, nan aforementioned value delta is possibly nan biggest advantage Samsung has complete nan Apple model: At $1,600, you tin get almost 2 afloat Galaxy XR units for each $3,499 Apple Vision Pro.

How do I bid nan Samsung Galaxy XR?

You tin order nan Galaxy XR now via Samsung. While that $1,800 value tag is formidable, Samsung is offering financing options. And nan headset's value is really little than that of Samsung's flagship Galaxy Z Fold 7 foldable phone. Key accessories for illustration nan Travel Case and Galaxy XR Controller usually costs $250 each, though some tin beryllium bundled successful for $175 apiece.

There are further incentives, too. For anyone buying nan Galaxy XR earlier nan extremity of nan year, Samsung is throwing successful nan "Explorer Pack" astatine nary other charge. That includes a year's worthy of Google AI Pro, YouTube Premium (including YouTube Music) and Google Play Pass; entree to nan caller play of NBA League Pass; and entree to nan NFL Pro Era game, nan Asteroid and Calm apps and Adobe's Project Pulsar, a 3D compositing app.