Samsung has finally unveiled its long-teased XR headset, the Galaxy XR. But on Google’s new Android XR platform, the Galaxy XR is the first device to showcase Google’s spatial computing ambitions.
With the Galaxy XR, Samsung offers what it describes as an “infinite screen” experience where users can switch between full immersion in virtual reality and an augmented-reality overlay of the physical world (sounds familiar?). The headset supports apps from Google Play, including re-imagined versions of Google’s own services including Maps, Photos, and YouTube – now we know why there’s a native app for Apple’s Vision Pro.
Speaking of Apple’s headset, the Galaxy XR shares some similarity too. It can transform any room into a private theatre, enabling 180- and 360-degree video viewing, 3D conversion of existing 2D photo and video libraries, and resizing of the viewing screen for apps such as Google TV. But perhaps the most fun aspect – for me anyway – of the Galaxy XR is in allowing users to explore real-world places in 3D via Google Maps’ Immersive View.
