Comparing the Samsung Galaxy XR Headset With the Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3
If you’ve been waiting to get your hands on the Samsung Galaxy XR VR headset, now’s the time: the device is now available to pre-order on Samsung or Google’s websites for $1,799, with orders scheduled to begin shipping on November 4. To offset the price, the Galaxy XR comes with free access to Google AI Pro, YouTube Premium, and Google Play Pass for a year.
The Galaxy XR, created in collaboration with Google and Qualcomm, features two 4K micro-OLED displays with a combined resolution of 27 million pixels and a 100-degree horizontal field of view. All of this is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chip and packaged in a lightweight (1.2 pounds) form factor.
The Birth of Android XR
The headset will run on the new Android XR platform, which will allow users to run standard Android apps as 2D windows. The new ecosystem is built on Gemini AI’s system integration and is planned as the infrastructure for future augmented and virtual reality devices, including smart glasses. Key features of the operating system include the ability to trace objects in the real world and search for them online, as well as AI-powered transformation of 2D photos and videos into immersive 3D presentations.
Samsung aims to fill the gap between Apple and Meta
The Samsung Galaxy XR enters a rather crowded market, given the relatively lukewarm public response to virtual reality. Its main competitors are Meta’s Quest line of headsets and Apple’s Vision Pro, although both Meta and Apple are investing most of their augmented and virtual reality resources in smart glasses rather than headsets.
At $1,799, the Galaxy XR is almost exactly half the price of the Apple Vision Pro and more than three times the price of the Meta Quest 3. Samsung appears to be aiming for the technological middle ground: the price won’t be prohibitive for most, but it’s significantly higher than the Quest’s “gaming console” price. The target audience appears to be professional users interested in a headset with more powerful hardware than the Quest, but not ready for a $3,500 device. In other words, Samsung is chasing Apple’s polish and the Meta’s affordability, hoping to find a happy medium between the two.
In terms of specs, the Apple Vision Pro M5 chip and dedicated R1 spatial processor put it ahead in terms of raw processing power, though the Galaxy displays 27 million pixels versus Apple’s 24 million. The Quest 3 displays around 9 million pixels. The Galaxy also has a lower maximum refresh rate than Apple: 90 Hz versus 12 Hz. Ultimately, the more expensive headsets are roughly comparable if everything is working properly; I haven’t tested the Galaxy XR yet, so I can’t say. As for the Quest 3, its very low price isn’t the only advantage of the cheaper system: the Quest’s software library is orders of magnitude larger than its competitors’.
If Samsung can back up its impressive specs with software and comfort, the XR could be a cause for concern for both Apple and Meta, but whether any VR headset can generate the same public enthusiasm as smart glasses remains to be seen.