Samsung’s Galaxy XR has been lurking around the internet for some time now, but an event this morning finally let the headgear step out into the open. The XR headset, made in partnership with Google, hopes to provide users with a “new way of interacting with technology.”
That said, Samsung’s very pricey (though not as expensive as Apple’s gear) headset seems like just another way to burn hours on Android. Major features include access to streaming apps, tailored gaming experiences, and a retread of the same old Google apps, plus additional Gemini integration, in case your cognitive capabilities are getting a little too sharp.
Visiting the Galaxy XR
There’s plenty of tasty tech inside the $1,800 (R32,000) Galaxy XR, however. Dual 3,552 x 3,840 micro-OLED displays convey images at up to 90Hz to your eyeballs, though it’ll typically operate at 60 or 72Hz. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chipset powers the show, and each headset comes with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. There’s no stripped-back version with a lower price tag.
A selection of cameras and sensors dot the Galaxy XR’s exterior, with two pass-through cameras (to keep you from bumping into furniture), six outward tracking and four eye-tracking cams, a handful of Inertial Measurement Units, and one depth and one flicker sensor handle your positioning in meatspace and in the virtually generated environment.
Dual speakers and six beamforming microphones handle audio duties, whether you’re listening to Michael Bay do his thing on your virtual cinema screen or issuing totally necessary orders to Gemini while your rump digs ever deeper into the couch. The Galaxy XR’s battery handles two hours of use on a charge, stretching to 2.5 hours if you’re simply watching a movie.
Folks with vision issues aren’t left out, though they’ll pay extra for new prescription lenses as well as the paid-for insert that’ll let them retain vision with Samsung’s 545-gram headset on their noggin. The battery weighs an extra 300 grams or so, meaning Galaxy XR wearers might as well have a Barred Owl sitting on their heads. Samsung’s headset is slightly less dangerous, at least.
If you’re wondering about the dollar value for the Galaxy XR’s price, there’s a reason for that. It’s only slated for South Korea and the US at the moment. We’d be surprised to see it launch here in significant numbers, but we’d also dearly love to get our hands on it — just to see what Samsung and Google have cooked up.
