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Samsung and Google have finally unveiled Project Moohan, which we now know will be called Galaxy XR. Although it copies a lot (and I mean, a lot) of homework from Apple Vision Pro, the tech giant has righted one of the biggest wrongs of that high-end VR headset by including controllers that will cater to gamers.
The Apple Vision Pro famously launched to an excruciatingly expensive $3,500, but despite blending a lot of the same features and specs, Samsung has managed to keep the cost of the Galaxy XR to almost half that. You can already buy Samsung's latest Galaxy device in the US or Korea, and in the States, it'll set you back $1,799 at Samsung. Options also exist to cut down the payments to monthly installments.
Rather bizarrely, Samsung has made absolutely no mention of other markets, and even if Apple Vision Pro staggered its launch to other territories, it's a bit strange that Samsung hasn't even mentioned wider launches yet. More on that as it develops, I guess.
Article continues belowThe Galaxy XR travel case and Galaxy XR Controllers are sold separately, which does throw a bit of a spanner in the works if you plan to use this headset predominantly for gaming. The controllers will set you back $249.99 at full price, although I'm seeing an introductory offer that brings them down to $174.99. While hand tracking is available, I wouldn't recommend it for most immersive VR games - many don't even support it.
That means for gamers looking to make the most of the new headset's gaming potential, you're all in for a hefty investment of $1,974 (right now, it'd be $2,048) without that discount on the controllers. For context, you could find an RTX 5070 Ti/5080 gaming PC for that cost, and although this headset is versatile and has a massively variable use-case, that's a huge price to pay for what most gamers will use as a secondary peripheral. By contrast, the HTC Vive Focus Vision is one of the priciest modern-day PCVR headsets, and it costs $999.99.
On the other hand, Galaxy XR does have some excellent specs and features, and you can tell that Samsung wanted to concentrate on gamers more than Apple Vision Pro has ever managed to. Straight out of the gate, the brand was quick to show a demonstration of PC Link working, which will let anyone with a gaming PC completely link their rig to the Galaxy headset, including the use of any connected mice and keyboards. You can link a Bluetooth PC controller to the headset as well and use that to play 2D games, although a live demonstration included someone playing Stardew Valley with gesture controls.
Memory | 16GB Memory |
Display | 3,552 x 3,840, 27 million pixels Micro-OLED 6.3‑micron pixel pitch |
Chip | Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 Platform |
Camera | 3D Photo & video capture |
Sensors | Two High-resolution Pass-through cameras, |
Optic (Iris) | Supports iris recognition and eye tracking |
Audio and Video | 2x 2 Way speaker(Woofer + Tweeter) |
Battery | Up to 2 hours of general use* |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7 |
Interpupillary Distance (IPD) | 54~70mm |
Weight | 545g* (w/ forehead cushion) Weight may vary depending on whether light shield is attached or not |
With companion controllers, this device lends itself a lot more to fully immersive VR gaming, and I'm happy to say that Samsung has shown off what might just be the best VR game ever made (objectively speaking, of course) - Walkabout Mini Golf VR. That seems like the tip of the iceberg, but thanks to the Android platform and the Google Play store, it's confirmed that there will be a wider library of VR games (presumably a similar selection to what's available on the Meta Quest 3 and Pico 4 Ultra) that you'll be able to play natively on the headset itself.
The demonstrations also mentioned SteamVR, so I'd assume other wireless connection apps like SteamLink will also be present on GalaxyXR. Hands-on experiences at the launch event have found that the controllers use a single AA battery each, and that the headset has a secondary USB-C port on it, which doesn't have power delivery, but will be able to transfer data to or from a PC - meaning a link cable would work as another method of linking up to a computer.
The headset is fixed to the device, meaning that you won't be able to make use of the best Meta Quest accessories and swap out headbands to your liking - this is likely due to touchpads on the sides of the headstrap being an integral way of controlling the device.
A big allure of Galaxy XR (at least, in Samsung's eyes) is how handy the AI features and Google Gemini integrations are. The initial gaming showcase had Gemini working as an AI guide companion that can pull up articles, give you hints and tips, or show videos from YouTube while you're playing. With full mixed-reality features, you can organise multiple screens and videos around your space, which will be possible thanks to Qualcomm's Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor.
In terms of gaming, that was about as much information as I've managed to gather on Samsung's new headset. For the most part, Galaxy XR has been touted as a spatial computing headset that harnesses AI and looks to get mixed reality into the hands of more people.
I do think Samsung has been more careful to include gaming as an option here, though, which makes me optimistic. For me, the fact that controllers have been made for it is a big sign that gamers are a market Samsung wants to attract. With a cost as high as this, I'm not sure how many the brand will actually speak to. The Meta Quest 3S offers a very similar experience starting at just $299.99.
- Meta Quest 3: $499 at Amazon
- Meta Quest 3S: $299 at Amazon
- Pico 4 Ultra: £529 at Amazon
For more on VR, take a look at everything we know about Valve Deckard, Black Friday Meta Quest deals, and Black Friday VR headset deals.
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