Samsung's XR headset sets its sights on the Vision Pro

The first images and videos of Samsung's Mixed Reality (XR) headset have appeared on various portals. The glasses are still a prototype called "Project Moohan". Samsung unveiled them back in December and then showed them at the event for the new Galaxy smartphones. It is the first to run Android XR, Google's operating system for headsets and smart glasses.

The design has many similarities to the Apple Vision Pro. From the front, the two headsets look practically the same. Both have an aluminium housing with a fabric cushion on the inside. Just like Apple, Samsung does not install the battery in the headset, but outsources it. This reduces the weight on the head, but means a cable that can get in the way.

In the rear area, on the other hand, Samsung was more inspired by the Meta Quest. A rigid headband connects the front section with the padding for the back of the head, and the headset can be tightened using a rotary knob. How things like the display and sensors compare to the competition is not clear from previous reports.

Android XR looks promising

YouTuber Marques Brownlee has already been able to try out Project Moohan. In his demo, the controls worked - just like with the Vision Pro - using gesture control and eye tracking. Samsung will presumably also support controllers in the future and it is still unclear whether one will even be included in the scope of delivery.

At first glance, the user interface of Android XR is very reminiscent of Apple's Vision OS. The advantage of Google's operating system is said to be the same as Android for smartphones: it is not exclusive to Samsung, but is also accessible to other headset manufacturers and can access the entire Play Store. This makes it more attractive for app developers to adapt their applications for the XR glasses. Google is thus following in the footsteps of Meta, which has also opened up its Horizon OS to other manufacturers. Or as one comment on YouTube aptly puts it:

Brownlee also has words of praise for the integration of Gemini. Google's multimodal AI bot is probably well suited to XR headsets with their many cameras and microphones. While you first have to take a picture on a smartphone, Gemini can record inputs directly from the field of vision in a headset. In the video, Brownlee shows the AI a picture of a desert, for example, which the assistant uses to find the location on Google Maps.

Gemini also responds to voice commands and can arrange windows or navigate in apps, for example. The integration of AI also sets Samsung's headset apart from the Apple Vision Pro, which does not yet offer anything comparable. It is not yet clear when Project Moohan will be launched as a finished product, but Samsung is planning to launch it this year. The South Koreans have not yet revealed the price.