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

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

It’s not because the Galaxy XR – which Samsung once called Project Moohan – is that much better than the Vision Pro. That’s because the experience is comparable, but you get a lot more for your money. Specifically, the Galaxy XR costs $1,799, compared to an astronomical $3,499 for the Vision Pro. The headset launches today in the United States and Korea, and to attract more customers, Samsung and Google are offering an “Explorer Pack” with each headset that 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 will get a Vision Pro now? Well, probably people who need the power of a Mac to get work done and are truly integrated into the Apple ecosystem. But many other people will probably want that instead.

These were the thoughts running through my head while I got my second official demo of the Samsung headset ahead of today’s announcement. I was treated to a demo of a Moohan prototype last December, but this was the last iteration of this product. There are some notable changes. The front piece is more padded than I remembered from my last demo, and I finally got to try out the removable bottom light seal. But otherwise, little 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 that houses multiple cameras to capture your surroundings and your hand gestures. There are mini-LEDs inside that support 4K resolution and refresh rates up to 90Hz, which should make scrolling and gaming smooth. Samsung promises up to 2.5 hours of battery life, on par with the Vision Pro.

There’s no removable strap – it’s all lightweight plastic with a padded back and a dial that you use to adjust the tightness. The materials don’t feel as premium as the Vision Pro. But plastic is easier to clean than fabric, and when I put it on my head, it feels significantly lighter and the weight is distributed more evenly. (The first Vision Pro was extremely front-heavy, but a new strap helps a lot.) It took me until the end of the 30-minute demo to start feeling some tension.

Much of the experience inside the headset is similar to that of the Vision Pro which I imagine Apple’s lawyers bristling at. There is a high-resolution passthrough, although I wouldn’t say it’s crystal clear. The headset tracks what you’re looking at and you pinch your fingers to select. One difference is that there’s a Quest-like cursor when hovering over menus and XR items, making it easier to tell if the right thing is highlighted. Otherwise, the interface is a Google-optimized version of what you’ll find in a Vision Pro.

In terms of features, there’s everything from space photos and immersive environments to exploding multiple browser windows for maximum productivity. There is also automatic spatialization of existing 2D content. For example, when I go to YouTube to watch a recent show Edgecast episode, a 3D version of my colleague David Pierce bursts out of the video.

Google and Samsung would like to point out that this Android XR headset integrates Gemini. In fact, during a short speech to the press, executives from both companies emphasized that this device has “AI at the heart.”

This means that if, for some wacky reason, you decide to read a physical magazine with this headset on, you can circle to find 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. If you’re viewing a photo or YouTube video, you can start a Gemini Live session, share your screen with the AI, and ask it questions. Looking at a photo of a fluffy quadruped at Machu Picchu, Gemini told me that I was actually looking at a llama and not an alpaca. He then started telling me facts about llamas. Watching a 3D YouTube video of an Icelandic volcano erupting. Gemini misidentified it as a Hawaiian volcano. So, you know, there are limits.

I’m not convinced the average person will ever want these expensive, high-tech XR headsets. You could say that the Galaxy XR is also dead on arrival, especially since the zeitgeist seems to be moving heavily towards smart glasses. But for those who want helmets? On paper, the Galaxy XR headset offers much better value for money. You get a similar drinking experience. It’s almost half the price. (Hell, it costs less than a Z Fold 7!) It’s much easier to wear for a longer period of time.

There is a wide range of content and you have access to Google apps such as YouTube and Maps, among others. If you think AI is a selling point, Gemini is integrated much more effectively into this headset than Siri is in 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 so far for these headsets is to use them as your own personal theater. The Galaxy

Additionally, if you want to use it for productivity purposes, you can cast a Samsung Galaxy Book laptop’s screen to the headset (although it’s not clear how this compares to casting a Mac to a Vision Pro), answer calls, or share files between the headset and other devices.

I preempt all of this by remembering that demos are not the same as living with a device. When we put a Galaxy XR headset through testing, we may find things that tip the scales in favor of the Vision Pro. I’m curious to see how the M5 Vision Pro, which goes on sale October 22, will fare. But if the Galaxy XR holds up in both real-world testing and demos, there’s even less reason to buy a Vision Pro.