Samsung unveiled its first mixed reality device on Wednesday: the Galaxy XR headset, formerly known as Project Moohan. This device is Samsung’s direct response to Apple’s Vision Pro spatial computer, recently upgraded with the M5 chip. While the Galaxy XR shares a similar design with Apple’s headset, it costs roughly half the price. It is available for preorder at $1,799.99 in the U.S. and Korea, with shipments starting October 31. Early buyers can save up to $1,000 through an Explorer Pack offer that includes one year of Google AI Pro, YouTube Premium, Adobe Project Pulsar, and NBA League Pass subscriptions.
The Galaxy XR is just the beginning of Samsung’s line of Android XR devices. The company revealed plans for AI glasses, expected to launch later, made in partnership with eyewear brands Warby Parker and Gentle Monster. Google will also collaborate on launching at least one of these AI glasses models.
Android XR’s AI-Driven Experience
Samsung emphasized that the Android XR platform, co-developed with Google and Qualcomm, centers around artificial intelligence. On the Galaxy XR, Gemini AI is deeply integrated at the system level. Rather than simply responding to commands, Gemini acts as a smart, multimodal AI companion that understands voice, vision, and gesture inputs, creating more natural and intuitive user interactions.
For example, using the Circle to Search feature, a user can draw a circle gesture in pass-through mode to trigger Gemini to search for information about real-world objects seen through the headset’s cameras. Other AI-driven experiences include personalized navigation with Google Maps, content discovery and information surfacing on YouTube, and the ability to transform 2D photos and videos into immersive 3D visuals. The Galaxy XR also supports all Android apps compatible with mobile phones and tablets.
Developers can build new XR experiences using OpenXR, WebXR, and Unity, as Android XR is based on OpenXR standards.
Cutting-Edge Hardware Design
The Galaxy XR’s design resembles the Vision Pro but focuses on comfort and practicality. Weighing just 1.2 pounds, the headset features a frame that evenly distributes weight across the forehead and back of the head, reducing facial pressure for extended daily use. Its 0.66-pound battery is housed in a separate pack connected via cable, offering about two hours of use (up to 2.5 hours for video streaming). Users can keep the headset running while charging.
The headset’s detachable light shield lets users switch between immersive XR experiences and the outside world. Users can customize their lenses by purchasing separate inserts. For video pass-through, the Galaxy XR includes two high-resolution cameras, along with six tracking cameras for hand gestures and four eye-tracking cameras to monitor eye movement. It can capture 3D photos and videos with the external cameras, while internal eye-tracking cameras enable iris recognition for fast unlocking and app authentication.
Additional features include two 2-way speakers, six microphones, one depth sensor, and a flicker sensor, all designed for an immersive, responsive experience.
Performance and Display Specs
Powered by the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chip, the Galaxy XR includes 16GB of RAM and 256GB of built-in storage—unlike the Vision Pro, no higher storage options are available. It boasts dual micro-OLED displays with a stunning 3,552 x 3,840 resolution per eye (totaling 27 million pixels), 95% DCI-P3 color gamut, and refresh rates from 60Hz to 90Hz (default at 72Hz). Connectivity features include Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, ensuring fast wireless performance.
