Samsung’s Galaxy XR โMixed Reality Headset Launches Today, Priced at $1,800
Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm โtoday announcedโฃ the official release of the Galaxyโ XR, a mixedโ reality headset aiming to bridge the gap between โฃhigh-end and mainstreamโฃ XR devices. Available now in โthe US and South Koreaโค for $1,800, the Galaxy XR offersโ a competitive price point significantly lower than Apple’sโฃ $3,499 Vision Pro, while exceeding the costโ of โคstandard VR headsets โlike the Meta Quest 3. Financing options are available at $149 per month forโ 12 months.
The Galaxy XR utilizes Qualcomm’s โSnapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chip and features pancake lenses to overlayโค virtual content onto theโ user’s real-world view.โฃ Inputโ isโ primarily hand-tracking, โwith optional controllers availableโข for separate purchase. The headset provides access toโ apps โfrom the Google Playโ Store, withโ XR-optimized applications designated with a “Made for XR” label.
During a recent demo event in New โขYork City, the device felt lighter than Apple’s Vision Pro due to its more plastic โconstruction, though someโ demo units showed visible wear on the tethered battery pack.Testers reported a comfortable fit, though some experienced โฃbrow sweat โafter approximately 25 minutesโ of use. the headset’s battery life is ratedโฃ at two hours, or 2.5 hoursโ for video playback-comparable to the original Vision Pro, while โApple’s upcoming M5-powered versionโค is expected to extendโ mixed-use battery life to 2.5 hours.
