Samsung Galaxy XR hands-on: It’s like a cheaper Apple Vision Pro and launches today

I watch the first few minutes of KPop Demon Hunters on Samsung’s Galaxy XR headset, I think Apple’s Vision Pro might be done.

It’s not because the Galaxy XR – which Samsung used to tease Project Mohan – is That much better than the Vision Pro. It’s that the experience is similar, but you get so much more for your money. Specifically, the Galaxy XR costs $1,799, compared to the Vision Pro’s astronomical $3,499. The headset launches today in the US and Korea, and to entice more customers, Samsung and Google are offering an “explorer pack” with each headset, which includes a free year of Google AI Pro, Google Play Pass and YouTube Premium, YouTube TV for $1 per month for three months, and a free season of NBA League Pass.

Did I mention it’s also significantly lighter and more comfortable than the Vision Pro?

Oh, and it comes with a native Netflix app. Who gets a Vision Pro now? Well, probably people who need Mac power for work and are really embedded in Apple’s ecosystem. But many other people will probably want this instead.

These were the thoughts going through my head when I got my second official demo of the Samsung headset ahead of today’s announcement. I got a demo of it a Moohan prototype last December, but this was the last version of that product. There are a few notable changes. The front end is more muted than I remembered from my last demo, and I finally got to try the removable lower light seal. But other than that, not much has changed.

The hardware still looks like a Vision Pro mixed with a Meta Quest 3. There are no creepy eyes on the front screen, although there is still a glass panel with several cameras to capture your surroundings and hand gestures. It houses micro OLEDs that support 4K resolution and refresh rates up to 90 Hz, which should make scrolling and gaming look smooth. Samsung promises a battery life of up to 2.5 hours, comparable to the Vision Pro.

There is no removable strap; it’s all lightweight plastic with a soft back piece and a dial that allows you to adjust the tightness. The materials don’t feel as premium as the Vision Pro. But plastic is easier to clean than cloth, and when I slide it on my head it is significantly lighter and the weight is more evenly distributed. (The first Vision Pro was extremely front heavy, but a new strap helps a lot.) It wasn’t until the end of the 30-minute demo that I started to feel any tension.

The experience in the headset is so similar to that of the Vision Pro that I can imagine Apple’s lawyers panicking. There is a high-resolution passthrough, although I wouldn’t call it crystal clear. The headset follows what you’re looking at and you pinch your fingers to select. One difference is that there’s a Quest-like cursor when you point at menus and XR elements, making it easier to see if the right thing is highlighted. Otherwise, the interface is a Google-flavored version of what you’ll find in a Vision Pro.

In terms of functionality, there’s everything from spatial photos and immersive environments to blowing up multiple browser windows for maximum productivity. There is also automatic spatial rendering for existing 2D content. As in, when I go to YouTube to watch a recent movie Vergecast episode, a 3D version by my colleague David Pierce jumps out from the video.

Google and Samsung would like to point out that this Android XR headset has Gemini. During a small keynote speech to the press, executives from both companies even emphasized that this device “has AI at its core.”

That means that if, for whatever reason, you decide to read a physical magazine with this headset on, you can circle through any interesting products you come across and view them in virtual Chrome. When you view an immersive 3D map in the Google Maps app, you can ask Gemini questions about your surroundings. When you view a photo or YouTube video, you can start a Gemini Live session, share your screen with the AI ​​and ask it questions. As I looked at a photo of a fluffy pooch at Machu Picchu, Gemini told me that I was actually looking at a llama and not an alpaca. Then it told me llama facts. While watching a 3D YouTube video of an Icelandic volcano erupting. Gemini incorrectly identified it as a volcano in Hawaii. So there are limitations.

I’m not convinced the average person will ever want these expensive, high-tech XR headsets. You could argue that the Galaxy But for those who do want headsets? On paper, the Galaxy XR headset is the much better value. You get a similar consumption experience. It’s almost half the price. (It costs less than a Z Fold 7!) It’s much easier to wear for long periods of time.

There’s a wide range of content and you get access to Google apps like YouTube and Maps, among others. If you think AI is a selling point, Gemini is integrated into this headset much more effectively than Siri is into the Vision Pro. And compared to gadgets like phones, tablets and computers, these headsets are much easier to use as standalone devices. But the most popular use case we’ve seen for these headsets so far is using them as your own personal theater. The Galaxy

And if you want to use it for productivity, you can cast the screen of a Samsung Galaxy Book laptop to the headset (although it’s unclear how this compares to casting a Mac to a Vision Pro), answer calls, or share files between the headset and other devices.

I want to emphasize all of this with a reminder that demos are not the same as living with a device. If we get a Galaxy XR headset in for testing, it’s possible we’ll find things that tip the balance back in the Vision Pro’s favor. I’m curious how the M5 Vision Pro – which goes on sale October 22 – will do. But if the Galaxy XR does as well in real-world testing as it does in demos, then there’s even less reason to buy a Vision Pro.

Correction, October 22: The headset uses micro-OLED, and not mini-LED as originally stated.