I’ve been excited to get my hands on Samsung Galaxy XR, aka Project Moohan, ever since my first brief hands-on at Google I/O in May. So when Samsung invited me to New York City to demo its Android XR headset, I was ready to dig deeper into Samsung’s answer to Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest Pro.
I left my 30-minute demo disappointed, not by the headset, but because it only scratched the surface. I enjoyed a spatial 3D tour of NYC in Google Maps with Gemini as my guide and saw 2D YouTube videos converted into 3D using AI — just like I did during my last hands-on.
More than hardware
But hardware only takes you so far. The Meta Quest Pro failed despite great hardware for the time, because no one wanted a $2,000 “laptop for your face” with only a handful of app partners and use cases. And Apple Vision Pro has its own app and gaming shortcomings, though it’s sold much better.
So if you can feel immersed in a $300 Quest 3S, why spend $1,799 on Galaxy XR? The answer is apps: You need a mix of productivity, gaming, streaming, social, and browsing software, available to use simultaneously, to keep people in the headset all day, multiple days per week.
I wish I could have taken off the kiddie gloves and really put Android XR through its paces. However, my Galaxy XR demo — along with multiple demos on stage and in the press lounge that went more in-depth — proved that Samsung has pulled off something impressive and compelling, with Google’s software as the ace in the hole.
The only question is whether Galaxy XR does enough to break through the current state of XR apathy.
|
Category |
Specifications |
|---|---|
|
Processor |
Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 |
|
Memory |
16GB RAM; 256GB storage |
|
Display |
3,552 x 3,840, 29 million pixels Micro-OLED; 96% DCI-P3 |
|
Refresh rate |
60Hz, 72Hz (default), 90Hz |
|
Field of view |
109ºH; 100ºV |
|
Camera |
6.5MP; 18mm/ F2.0 |
|
Sensors |
Two passthrough cameras; six world-facing tracking cameras; four eye-tracking cameras; five IMUs; one depth sensor; one flicker sensor |
|
Mics & speakers |
Six-mic array with beamforming; two dual speakers (Woofer + Tweeter) |
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Audio codecs |
MP3, AMR-NB/WB, AAC/ AAC+/ eAAC+, Vorbis, FLAC, Opus, Dolby Digital (Plus, Atmos) |
|
Video |
Resolution: UDH 8K (7,680 x 4,320) @ 60FPS Codecs: H.263, H.264, HEVC, MV-HEVC, MPEG-4, VC-1, VP8, VP9, AV1 |
|
Battery |
2 hours general use, 2.5 hours video watching |
|
Connectivity |
Wi-Fi 7 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be); Bluetooth 5.4 |
|
IPD |
54–70mm |
|
Weight |
545g with forehead cushion (not including light shield) Battery weighs 302g |
Gemini is the key to the Galaxy XR experience
Before my personal demo, Samsung engineer Jin Park and Google XR Product Lead Max Spear gave a live demo of the headset on stage, and the main throughline of every app showcase was Gemini.
Gemini speedily opened apps, shared good pizza places nearby in Maps, generated a Halloween-themed video with an accompanying nursery rhyme via Veo 3, interpreted and explained the context for YouTube videos about golf and English architecture, and gave gaming walkthrough tips for Stardew Valley as Spear played.
Most ambitious was a game called Asteroid, directed by Bourne director Doug Liman, in which Gemini creates scripts and personalized responses for NPCs, voiced by actors and celebrities like Doug Perlman, Hailee Steinfeld, and D.K. Metcalf. Park spoke to “Metcalf,” and when she switched to Korean, so did Gemini, translating Metcalf’s dialogue while still using his voice.
The demo available to journalists was much less ambitious in scope, but I did get the chance to dive into a truly immersive version of Google Maps and have Gemini act as a tour guide. Last time, I explored Yosemite and learned the history of El Capitan; this time, I looked around New York City to find places to visit.
Something new to the experience was that Google has begun to create “full digital reconstructions of indoor spaces using just 2D imagery and AI.”
Basically, so long as Google has enough user-provided photos of a restaurant, museum, or attraction, you can warp inside it and then drag yourself around the space using gesture controls, seeing what a place looks like “in person” before you visit it yourself. Spear said they have “over 1,000 of these available in New York City alone.”
I also dove into YouTube on Galaxy XR. Like last time, they showcased 180-degree and 360-degree videos that take full advantage of VR, as well as stereoscopic content with a 3D effect.
What most intrigued me was how Google used AI to automatically add spatial layers to 2D videos, subtly transforming old 2D content instead of depending on a limited 3D library.
Google also added a spatial multiview mode to YouTube for watching multiple live sports games simultaneously. I can’t see this coming up very often, but it goes to show how multitasking is a key draw to Galaxy XR.
Otherwise, Samsung is promising that Galaxy XR will be the “only” XR device with Netflix, with a traditional VR theater view and resizable windows. We’ll have to wait and see what other streaming apps appear; in theory, any Play Store app should be available.
A mix of casual and enterprise use cases
As a Quest 3 owner, I’ve wondered how Galaxy XR would handle gaming. I knew Android XR supported Unity and OpenXR, but that controllers were optional. It was a nice surprise to see Galaxy XR’s independently tracked controllers — even if they cost $249 extra.
Any Play Store games should be playable in a windowed format on Galaxy XR. Samsung’s demo had Park playing Stardew Valley, asking Gemini for farming tips, and joining a Meet call with friends simultaneously, with Galaxy XR using its eye-tracking cameras to generate a lifelike avatar for her.
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Later, in the press lounge, Samsung reps played several experiences, using both the Galaxy XR controllers and a normal Bluetooth gamepad.
The headset already has several traditional VR games like Walkabout Mini Golf and NFL Pro Era. But they also demoed playing No Man’s Sky via cloud streaming, while also streaming music and videos in side windows. They made a point of showing that the Snapdragon XR2 Plus Gen 2 and its 16GB of RAM can easily handle multiple apps and tasks.
Other headsets have their own multitasking solutions, but Google’s polished apps and Gemini commands make Galaxy XR feel especially polished.
Google and Samsung have more lofty plans for Galaxy XR than just letting people casually explore Maps, watch YouTube, and play games. They brought a doctor on stage to show how Galaxy XR can be used to teach doctors how to intubate patients before attempting a life-saving tracheotomy in real life.
In another example, colorfully shown above, Samsung reps described how the ShapesXR app will be used to plan out the ideal packaging for cookies by placing them in a virtual storefront.
Most of these Enterprise use cases won’t apply to you or me, but they’ll theoretically help Samsung make enough money on Galaxy XR to subsidize it for VR superfans.
Waiting to put Galaxy XR through its paces
VR headsets have promised an “infinite desktop” space for productivity before. But Samsung has an advantage: “All apps built on the Android platform work right out of the box on Galaxy XR.” Only a few apps will be “Made for XR,” but early adopters won’t be waiting impatiently for the promise of new content. It’s all there to start, filling that “infinite” space.
The closest Android equivalent is DeX mode on tablets, filling a larger space with mobile windows, except that the workspace spans hundreds of inches instead of 11–13. And since you can use a controller or mouse/ keyboard in addition to pinch gestures, it’s an upgrade on taps and swipes.
The real question is whether people can afford to buy this in addition to a laptop, since wearing anything for eight hours a day can be onerous, let alone a one-pound headset. But if you’d normally consider buying a Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra for $1,300, the jump to $1,799 may not be that insurmountable to your budget.
I can’t predict how well Galaxy XR will sell, despite its tremendous potential. Samsung made sure to mention in its keynote and press release that it’ll make AI smart glasses soon, using Warby Parker and Gentle Monster designs. It felt like a reminder that glasses have become more popular, while headsets have fallen out of vogue.
Having already tested Google’s AR glasses prototype, I do think Android XR will work well for Samsung’s smart glasses. But they’ll fit the same casual, daily-life niche as the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses — a wearable smartphone. Galaxy XR has the display and power necessary for a much wider range of use cases.
While my Galaxy XR hands-on was disappointingly short, the live demos worked near-flawlessly on stage, and they convinced me that “Project Moohan” is an impressive device for anyone who can afford it. I’m looking forward to taking off the demo training wheels and seeing whether it’s something worth using for hours at a time.
The Samsung Galaxy XR launches at $1,799, available only on Samsung’s site or Samsung Experience stores. Anyone who buys it before 2026 will get 12 months of Google AI Pro, YouTube Premium, Play Pass, and NBA League Pass, plus 3 months of YouTube TV and an XR pack of experiences like Adobe Project Pulsar and Asteroid.
