MKBHD Video Gives The First Real Look At Samsung's Android XR Headset

MKBHD’s newest video provides the primary actual have a look at Samsung’s upcoming headset, and the Android XR working system it’ll run.

What Is Samsung’s Headset?

Samsung’s first standalone headset is launching this 12 months, working Google’s new Android XR working system and powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chipset.

At the moment often called “Challenge Moohan”, the headset will characteristic “state-of-the-art shows”, eye monitoring, hand monitoring, and an exterior tethered battery. Past this, Samsung is not but sharing detailed specs.

UploadVR’s Ian Hamilton went hands-on with Samsung’s headset final month, however we weren’t allowed to take photographs, movies, or display recordings, so we may solely present a Samsung-provided render of the headset and Google-provided Android XR simulator footage of choose apps.

Now, Samsung and Google have given YouTuber Marques Brownlee an unique hands-on with the headset, together with permission to seize and share footage of each the {hardware} and software program.

Palms-On With Samsung’s Android XR Headset, Transport In 2025

Samsung’s first standalone headset is coming in 2025, working Google’s new Android XR working system and powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chipset.

In the case of the {hardware}, Brownlee repeatedly remarks on the headset’s distinct visible similarity to Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional, saying that when teasing the video earlier than launch with a picture of him sporting the headset, a lot of his followers questioned why he was making one other Imaginative and prescient Professional video.

He does nevertheless observe 4 vital variations within the {hardware}: the face pad, the strap, the shortage of EyeSight, and the open periphery (by default).

Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional has the identical sort of ski-mask facial interface as Meta Quest and Pico headsets, the place the strain is distributed all through your brow, cheeks, temples, and nostril. Samsung’s headset alternatively has a gentle halo strap, much like Meta Quest Professional and PlayStation VR2, the place the vast majority of the strain applies to your brow and the entrance of the highest of your head. One other distinction with the face pad is that by default, Samsung’s headset doesn’t block out your view of the true world from the edges and under. Precisely like Quest Professional did, Samsung presents an optionally available mild protect attachment for this.

In the case of the strap, there are additionally vital variations. Each of the straps included with Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional are made of sentimental materials, which do not present a lot of a counterbalance to the headset’s weight. Samsung’s headset makes use of a padded inflexible plastic strap, much like the Elite Strap accent for Meta Quest headsets. This offers a counterbalance, however comes with a major tradeoff: you may’t actually lay your head again on a settee, mattress, or chair to chill out.

Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional additionally contains a distinctive characteristic that hasn’t shipped in every other headset: EyeSight. This characteristic makes use of a curved OLED panel with a lenticular lens on the entrance of the headset to point out a rendered view of your eyes to others within the room with parallax, mimicking transparency. But it surely’s comparatively dim, the parallax does not work vertically, and it provides value and weight to the product. Samsung’s headset, alternatively, does not appear to have any type of entrance show.

Samsung’s Android XR headset – in actuality, not only a render.

On the software program aspect, Brownlee had most of the identical takeaways as UploadVR’s Ian Hamilton.

Each discovered the implementation of the Gemini AI assistant to be far past Meta AI on Quest headsets or Siri on Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional.

Whereas it’s attainable to ask Meta AI about what you are seeing, within the US & Canada not less than, the assistant solely responds with speech. Gemini alternatively helps you to circle actual world objects, and may search the net or open Google Maps places based mostly on what it sees. Gemini may also carry out all kinds of duties within the working system and Google apps, whereas Meta AI continues to be fairly restricted

Additional, Meta AI on Quest headsets merely captures a picture upon your question, and at the moment solely sees passthrough, not apps. Gemini on Android XR, alternatively, can run a stay session, persevering with to see what you see whilst you ask questions, about each actual world passthrough and the content material of apps.

Siri on Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional presents an odd center floor. Whereas it might carry out many visionOS duties, it does not but have visible capabilities, so cannot see what you see.

Talking of Google Maps, each Brownlee and Ian have been extremely impressed by its implementation on Android XR, with the flexibility to modify between the normal flatscreen app view and immersive VR, paying homage to Google Earth VR, at any time.

In the case of the Android XR app launcher and system menus, Brownlee’s preview exhibits it to be extremely paying homage to Apple’s visionOS. Urgent the highest button or opening your palm and pinching brings up a floating grid of round app icons that may be scrolled horizontally by pinching and dragging.

Android XR – in actuality, not a simulator.

Samsung says its headset continues to be on observe to launch later this 12 months, however there isn’t any phrase but on a selected month.

And whereas Samsung’s headset would be the first to run Android XR, it will not be the one. Sony, Lynx, and Xreal are constructing Android XR gadgets too, and different corporations together with Play For Dream say they need to use it sooner or later.

We’ll deliver you any additional information or reveals of Samsung’s headset and Android XR, the brand new working system set to shake up the business by providing direct competitors to Meta’s Horizon OS – and maybe finally even direct competitors to its Quest headsets.