Samsung Galaxy XR launch LIVE — Samsung’s mixed reality headset set to debut

Under the hood

Unlike Qualcomm's smartphone chips, its XR chips haven't received an annual release. Instead, we've known about the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 platform since at least 2024.

It helps that it was built in partnership with Samsung and Google for this very device.

Here's what it brings to the table. Support for up to 4.3K resolution in each eye, running at 90 frames per second. Increased performance compared to the XR2 Gen 2 in the Meta Quest 3 headset and support for up to 12 concurrent cameras (like in the Apple Vision Pro) for tracking.

We don't totally know how Samsung and Google will leverage the Qualcomm chipset, but it should be a powerful system on par with the Quest 3 and Vision Pro.

Our first look at the Galaxy XR from January

Samsung Project Moohan XR Headset First Look! This Is Familiar... - YouTube

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During the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event in January where the company launched the Galaxy S25 series, we also got our first glimpse at Project Moohan in person.

At the time, we were only able to see the headset. Hands on previews wouldn't come until later.

Will the Galaxy XR be comfortable?

During his hands-on at Google I/O, Philip Michaels didn't find the headset overly burdensome, though the time with the headset was short.

The headset is rumored to weight 18.6 ounces, a little more than the 17.6 ounce Meta Quest 3 headset, and lighter than the refreshed Apple Vision Pro M5, which comes in at 21.2-22.9 ounces.

The Galaxy XR features one strap unlike the new strap for the Vision Pro, hopefully it's not enough especially for longer sessions.

Potential surprises

I fully expect the Galaxy XR to be the sole focus of tonight's event, though I suppose Samsung could talk a bit more about other mixed reality plans — like many other tech giants, the company is said to be working on its own set of smart glasses, for example. But there's always the possibility of Samsung ending the event with a surprise, like it did in January, when it teased the Galaxy S25 Edge launch just after introducing the other S25 models.

If there's a likely candidate for a surprise appearance, it could be Samsung's long-rumored triple-folding phone. After all, Samsung has indicated it plans to release the phone at some point before the end of the year, even if it's in limited markets. And the timing of the event — late morning in South Korea — would line up with the idea that the Galaxy Z Tri-Fold — could appear first in that country.

Potential Galaxy XR apps

If you're wondering about what kind of apps will be available for the Galaxy XR — and other Android XR-based headsets — Google may have already tipped its hand. A Reddit user posted images pulled from the Play Store that tout "immersive experiences made for your XR headset." The screenshots show off apps that have been optimized for mixed reality headsets, and the device featured on the main page looks an awful lot like the Project Moohan headset Samsung has shown off in demos.

The featured apps mostly look like games, including Asteroid and Vacation Simulator, but there's also XR-ready versions of streaming apps and virtual desktops, too.

Revisiting our Project Moohan first look

How long have we been waiting for Samsung's headset? Here's a video Kate Kozuch put together back in January, when Project Moohan made its first public appearance at the Galaxy Unpacked event that brought us the Galaxy S25 lineup.

Samsung Project Moohan XR Headset First Look! This Is Familiar... - YouTube

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What the competition is up to

Whether by coincidence or by design, reviews of Apple's revamped Vision Pro headset, now powered by an M5 chip, are appearing just before the Samsung event to show off its mixed reality headset. And, of course, we've got our review, too.

In his Apple Vision Pro M5 review, Mark Spoonauer praises the faster performance and comfier fit of Apple's headset, but finds the lack of multi-modal AI to be a frustrating limitation. And the fact that price hasn't changed from the original $3,499 is a bit of a bummer, too.

Samsung's savings

It's not too late to save on the Galaxy XR headset — or whatever else Samsung announces tonight. In the spirit of similar promotions ahead of Galaxy Unpacked events, Samsung is promising a $100 credit if you register your name and email address with the company ahead of the 10 p.m. ET event. You aren't under any obligation to pre-order the device, and you can apply any other pre-order offers that Samsung may make leading up to the release of its headset.

An early Project Moohan hands-on

It's rare that I've had the chance to try out a product before it's announced, but that's the case with the Galaxy XR. I attended Google I/O in May, and Samsung was at that event offering demos of its Project Moohan headset.

I was impressed by what I saw at the time, and I'm not really inclined to enjoy using headsets. I did appreciate the passthrough view on Project Moohan, which let me see the world around me, without that feeling of being cut off that I get when using Meta's headgear.

As you might imagine at an event focused on Google's software efforts, a lot of the demo focused on the Android XR platform and how Google apps will work on Samsung's headset. Using gesture controls, I tried out apps like Photos, YouTube and Google Maps — the latter was easily my favorite demo, as I could get a bird's eye view of a city and then dive in for a closer look at various points of interest.

What will the Galaxy XR cost?

As with any new product launch, the biggest question surrounding the Galaxy XR is how much the headset will cost. Samsung hasn't had much to say in this regard, though at least one report out of Korea has forecast what the price might be.

Back in August, a publication called Newsworks listed a price range for Samsung's mixed reality headset, claiming it could cost between $1,800 and $2,900. At the high end of that range, the Galaxy XR would cost less than the $3,499 Vision Pro headset. However, Meta's top offering, the Meta Quest 3, starts at $499. So that's quite a bit of a price gap.

Rumored specs

Samsung hasn't had much to say about the specs for its new headset. But leakers haven't been so reticent, with a report claiming to detail the specs for Galaxy XR leaking earlier this month. Here's what it listed:

Galaxy XR vs Apple Vision Pro

Assuming a ship date sometime in the next month or so, Samsung's Galaxy XR headset will arrive more than 1.5 years after Apple's Vision Pro headset arrived. In fact, Apple has even updated the Vision Pro, releasing a new version that runs on M5 silicon.

Any time Apple and Samsung release products in the same category, you're going to see comparisons spring up — especially since the Galaxy XR and Vision Pro have similar designs and seem to offer many of the same experiences (at least if we go by the demos Samsung has shown up until now).

Based on what we know so far about all the Project Moohan disclosures and augmented by leaked reports of the device's specs, we've put together a Galaxy XR vs. Apple Vision Pro M5 comparison. But one of the biggest differences could be price as even if the Galaxy XR hits the higher end of its rumored price range, it would still cost hundreds of dollars less than Apple's $3,499 headset.