Samsung Galaxy XR: Everything you need to know

After dropping hints for over two years, Samsung, in partnership with Google, finally revealed its first-ever Android extended reality headset Tuesday night. The new device, dubbed Galaxy XR, will run you $1,800 and you can actually buy it today.

Due to its collaboration with Google, it’s not a surprise that the headset comes fully equipped with Gemini AI built in. “Android XR is the first Android platform built entirely for the Gemini era, and we are incredibly excited to take a significant leap forward today with the launch of Galaxy XR,” Sameer Samat, President of Android Ecosystem at Google, said.

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

What is the Galaxy XR?

The Samsung Galaxy XR is the first-ever Android XR headset, created by Google and Samsung. If Apple’s Vision Pro is the “virtual reality iPhone,” the Samsung is basically its “virtual reality Galaxy S phone” alternative. The headset looks like a pair of snowboard goggles, but it comes with a whopping total of 12 cameras and six microphones. And because it’s 2025, AI is a big part of the Galaxy XR’s upsell: It has Google’s Gemini AI assistant built in, so while you’re wearing the headset, it can see and hear everything around you.

Google’s “XR” designation stands for “extended reality,” which is effectively an “all of the above” term encompassing augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality. That means the Galaxy XR can put a virtual overlay on the real world (thanks to all those cameras), or it can completely shut out your space to immerse you in a totally virtual environment. In other words, you can customize your own workspace or turn your room into your own personal theater, or you can transport yourself to an international locale with a first-person “you are there” viewpoint.

What can you do with the Galaxy XR?

For watching videos on apps like YouTube, the headset offers a library of 180- and 360-degree VR content. You can also watch movies using Google TV on a large, resizable screen. Plus, if you have a question about whatever you’re watching, you can ask Gemini since it sees everything you see. And when you’re looking at your photos and videos, you can convert them to 3D so it feels like you’re back in the memory.

While using Google Maps, you can use Immersive View to go anywhere in the world (virtually, of course). Visiting somewhere historical? You can ask Gemini to tell you more information about the landmark. Spot a weird-looking plant or bug around your house? You can use Circle to Search to find out what it is while wearing the headset.

As for getting work done efficiently, you can arrange your most-needed apps all around your screen — for instance, your web browser, favorite music app, important documents and video conferencing app. And if things start to feel cluttered, you can ask Gemini to organize your windows. Even better, you can link your PC to your headset, as well as your keyboard and mouse.

The headset uses two passthrough cameras for real-time viewing, six world-facing tracking cameras and four eye-tracking cameras, as well as depth and flicker sensors. It also supports iris recognition so you can unlock the device and enter passwords within some apps.

What apps work on the Galaxy XR?

“Almost all” Google Play Store apps will be available on the Galaxy XR headset. That means hundreds of thousands of apps should be available on the headset on day one, including basic streaming apps (for watching things like Netflix, HBO Max or Peacock on that giant virtual display) as well as “new versions” of some of Google’s key first-party software, from Photos to Chrome and YouTube. And, of course, the aforementioned Google Maps is on board, too.

As you’d expect, Google is also focusing on gaming. In addition to the full panoply of Android games, the Galaxy XR’s PC Link also lets you use it as a monitor for PC-based games, too.

How does it feel to wear the Galaxy XR?

Engadget’s Sam Rutherford got some hands-on time with the Galaxy XR recently, and had some notable first impressions on its comfort and usability:

[I]t seems Samsung learned a lot from its rivals by including a much larger and thicker head cushion that helps distribute the weight of the headset more evenly. Granted, during a longer session, I still noticed a bit of pressure and felt relief after taking off the Galaxy XR, but it’s nothing like the Vision Pro, which in my experience gets uncomfortable almost immediately. Finally, around back, there’s a simple strap with a knob that you can twist to tighten or loosen the headband as necessary. So even without extra support running across the top of your head, getting in and out of the Galaxy XR is much easier and comfier than the Vision Pro.

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

While the headset may look pretty similar to the Apple Vision Pro, there are some bigger (and even better) differences.

For starters, the Galaxy’s micro-OLED display has 29 million pixels, compared to Apple’s 23 million pixels, and a resolution of 3,552 x 3,840, which offers a tad more detail than Apple’s model. Additionally, it has 96% of the DCI‑P3 color gamut, while the Vision Pro has 92%. However, Apple’s headset beats out the Samsung on refresh rate, going a full 120Hz versus the Galaxy XR’s 90Hz.

Since you’ll be wearing it on your head for an extended period, you’ll be relieved to know the Galaxy XR is a bit lighter than Apple’s XR headset by 205g (0.5lbs).

On the battery life front, Samsung is pledging up to two hours of “general use” and 2.5 hours of video playback, whereas the new M5 Vision Pro runs 30 minutes longer in both modes, per Apple.

Besides the obvious operating system differences, of course, the aforementioned price delta is perhaps the biggest advantage Samsung has over the Apple model: At $1,800, you can get almost two full Galaxy XR units for every $3,499 Apple Vision Pro.

How do I order the Samsung Galaxy XR?

You can order the Galaxy XR now via Samsung. While that $1,800 price tag is formidable, Samsung is offering financing options. And the headset’s price is actually less than that of Samsung’s flagship Galaxy Z Fold 7 foldable phone. Key accessories like the Travel Case and Galaxy XR Controller usually cost $250 each, though both can be bundled in for $175 apiece.

There are additional incentives, too. For anyone buying the Galaxy XR before the end of the year, Samsung is throwing in the “Explorer Pack” at no extra charge. That includes a year’s worth of Google AI Pro, YouTube Premium (including YouTube Music) and Google Play Pass; access to the new season of NBA League Pass; and access to the NFL Pro Era game, the Asteroid and Calm apps and Adobe’s Project Pulsar, a 3D compositing app.

Update, 11:58AM ET: Upon original publication, one instance of the price listed in this story was inaccurate because of a typo. It now correctly reflects the $1,800 price.