Samsung Galaxy XR Is the First Android XR Headset (arstechnica.com)
(Wednesday October 22, 2025 @11:30PM (BeauHD)
from the new-and-shiny dept.)
- Reference: 0179852442
- News link: https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/25/10/22/1959251/samsung-galaxy-xr-is-the-first-android-xr-headset
- Source link: https://arstechnica.com/google/2025/10/samsung-galaxy-xr-is-the-first-android-xr-headset-now-on-sale-for-1800/
Samsung has officially [1]launched the Galaxy XR, the [2]first Android headset powered by Google's new Android XR platform . Priced at [3]$1,800 without controllers , the device features dual 4.3K Micro-OLED displays, a Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chip, extensive camera tracking, and deep Gemini AI integration. Ars Technica reports:
> Galaxy XR is a fully enclosed headset with passthrough video. It looks similar to the Apple Vision Pro, right down to the battery pack at the end of a cable. It packs solid hardware, including 16GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and a Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 processor. That's a slightly newer version of the chip powering Meta's Quest 3 headset, featuring six CPU cores and an Adreno GPU that supports up to dual 4.3K displays. The new headset has a pair of 3,552 x 3,840 Micro-OLED displays with a 109-degree field of view. That's marginally more pixels than the Vision Pro and almost three times as many as the Quest 3. The displays can refresh at up to 90Hz, but the default is 72Hz to save power.
>
> Like other XR (extended reality) devices, the Galaxy XR is covered with cameras. There are two 6.5 MP stereoscopic cameras that stream your surroundings to the high-quality screens, allowing the software to add virtual elements on top. There are six more outward-facing cameras for headset positioning and hand tracking. Four more cameras are on the inside for eye-tracking, and they can scan your iris for secure unlocking and password fill (in select apps). Samsung says the Galaxy XR has enough juice for two hours of general use or two and a half hours of video. That's not terribly long, but you may not want to wear the 545 grams (1.2 pounds) headset for even two hours. That's even a little heavier than the Quest 3, which has an integrated battery. However, both pale in comparison to the 800 g (1.7 pounds) second-generation Vision Pro.
[1] https://blog.google/products/android/samsung-galaxy-xr/
[2] https://arstechnica.com/google/2025/10/samsung-galaxy-xr-is-the-first-android-xr-headset-now-on-sale-for-1800/
[3] https://www.samsung.com/us/xr/galaxy-xr/galaxy-xr/buy/galaxy-xr-256gb-silver-shadow-wi-fi-sm-i610nzsaxar/?CID=afl-ecomm-rkt-cha-040122-url_Skimlinks.com&utm_source=url_Skimlinks.com&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=1&utm_content=2116208&rktevent=Skimlinks.com_TnL5HPStwNw-JDBjlPbSA1owReBvoAtQAw&ranMID=47773&ranEAID=TnL5HPStwNw&ranSiteID=TnL5HPStwNw-JDBjlPbSA1owReBvoAtQAw
> Galaxy XR is a fully enclosed headset with passthrough video. It looks similar to the Apple Vision Pro, right down to the battery pack at the end of a cable. It packs solid hardware, including 16GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and a Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 processor. That's a slightly newer version of the chip powering Meta's Quest 3 headset, featuring six CPU cores and an Adreno GPU that supports up to dual 4.3K displays. The new headset has a pair of 3,552 x 3,840 Micro-OLED displays with a 109-degree field of view. That's marginally more pixels than the Vision Pro and almost three times as many as the Quest 3. The displays can refresh at up to 90Hz, but the default is 72Hz to save power.
>
> Like other XR (extended reality) devices, the Galaxy XR is covered with cameras. There are two 6.5 MP stereoscopic cameras that stream your surroundings to the high-quality screens, allowing the software to add virtual elements on top. There are six more outward-facing cameras for headset positioning and hand tracking. Four more cameras are on the inside for eye-tracking, and they can scan your iris for secure unlocking and password fill (in select apps). Samsung says the Galaxy XR has enough juice for two hours of general use or two and a half hours of video. That's not terribly long, but you may not want to wear the 545 grams (1.2 pounds) headset for even two hours. That's even a little heavier than the Quest 3, which has an integrated battery. However, both pale in comparison to the 800 g (1.7 pounds) second-generation Vision Pro.
[1] https://blog.google/products/android/samsung-galaxy-xr/
[2] https://arstechnica.com/google/2025/10/samsung-galaxy-xr-is-the-first-android-xr-headset-now-on-sale-for-1800/
[3] https://www.samsung.com/us/xr/galaxy-xr/galaxy-xr/buy/galaxy-xr-256gb-silver-shadow-wi-fi-sm-i610nzsaxar/?CID=afl-ecomm-rkt-cha-040122-url_Skimlinks.com&utm_source=url_Skimlinks.com&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=1&utm_content=2116208&rktevent=Skimlinks.com_TnL5HPStwNw-JDBjlPbSA1owReBvoAtQAw&ranMID=47773&ranEAID=TnL5HPStwNw&ranSiteID=TnL5HPStwNw-JDBjlPbSA1owReBvoAtQAw
Still way too uncomfortable to wear a headset (Score:2)
by ffkom ( 3519199 )
Regardless of whether it is Samsung's or Apple's device, the "VR 3D experience" novelty wears off fast, while wearing a headset remains way to uncomfortable to be endured for as many hours as people like to play video games.
Re: (Score:3)
by thegarbz ( 1787294 )
> Regardless of whether it is Samsung's or Apple's device
Oh wow you had a chance to wear it for an extended period of time, and on launch day? How was it? Please give us a detailed review of the thing you have experience with using to the point where you have detailed information on it's comfort.
Been considering VR (Score:2)
Been considering VR for gaming, it seems like an interesting toy. I saw the pawn shop had a Quest 3 for $200 this weekend. Left it on the shelf because I remember the "requires a Facebook account" thing, although apparently that requirement has been axed now.
What would these other headsets give me above a Quest 3 for gaming? Not really interested in cameras, apps, or an integrated OS. I'd want something as lightweight as possible - physically and conceptually. If it's not strictly about i/o, I'd rather not
Re: (Score:2)
Maybe I'm in the minority, but I don't want anything touching my head or face that's been touching someone else's, esp. something from a pawn shop.
Re: (Score:3)
So buy a replacement facial interface. Aftermarket ones can be had for $15. There's no reason any part of a VR headset that has touched someone else's face needs to touch yours.
Re: (Score:2)
Disinfect with alcohol, and iodine antiseptic solution.
Re: (Score:2)
If you want to play VR games but avoid Facebook, the main options are PC VR (Steam has a huge library of games) or PSVR2 (which can also be used with a PC with an optional adapter). Those are headsets that you hook up to a PC or console, not a self contained system like Quest. They can provide much better graphics than Quest, but the games are mostly the same.
Comfort is an issue with most VR headsets. They're big and heavy enough, you don't want to wear them for hours at a time. The main exception is Bi