Samsung Galaxy XR is a mixed reality headset that runs Google's Android XR platform. It launched on October 21, 2025 in the United States at $1,799.99 and on October 22 in South Korea, then reached the United Kingdom on July 8, 2026. It uses a Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chip, 16 GB of RAM and dual micro-OLED displays.
In short:
- What it is: Samsung's first headset and the first device built on Android XR, the platform Samsung co-developed with Google and Qualcomm.
- What it costs: $1,799.99 on samsung.com in the US as of September 3, 2026, unchanged from launch. Controllers are sold separately at $249.99.
- Where it is sold: United States, South Korea and the United Kingdom. Samsung's Canadian newsroom stated at launch that the product is not available in Canada.
- What it is not: It is not the Samsung intelligent eyewear shown in July 2026. That is a separate, screenless product.
What is the Samsung Galaxy XR?
Galaxy XR is a standalone mixed reality headset made by Samsung Electronics that runs Android XR with Google's Gemini assistant built in. Samsung unveiled it on October 21, 2025 and describes it as the first product built on Android XR, which Samsung, Google and Qualcomm developed jointly. Users navigate the interface with voice, hands and eyes. They can move between a fully virtual environment and a passthrough view of the room.
The headset was known as Project Moohan during development. Samsung sells one configuration: 256 GB of storage, 16 GB of memory, in a single color called Silver Shadow. An external battery pack connects by cable and is required for the device to operate.
When was the Galaxy XR released and what does it cost?
Galaxy XR went on sale in the United States at 10 p.m. ET on October 21, 2025 for $1,799.99 through samsung.com and Samsung Experience Stores. South Korea followed on October 22, 2025 at 2,690,000 won. Google's launch post listed the US price as $1,799 or $149 per month. Buyers who purchased by the end of 2025 received the Explorer Pack, which Samsung valued at more than $1,000 and which bundled 12 months of Google AI Pro, YouTube Premium, Google Play Pass and an XR content pack.
On September 3, 2026, the samsung.com US product page listed the 256 GB Silver Shadow model at $1,799.99 with no strikethrough price. No price change has been published on Samsung's newsroom since launch.
Galaxy XR availability by country
- United States: on sale since October 21, 2025 at $1,799.99.
- South Korea: on sale since October 22, 2025 at 2,690,000 won.
- United Kingdom: pre-orders opened June 17, 2026, on sale July 8, 2026 at £1,699 RRP with a limited-time Explorer Pack Samsung valued at over £665.
- Canada: Samsung Newsroom Canada's launch release stated that the products and features mentioned are not available in Canada. No later Canadian launch has been published.
Reports in November 2025 named Germany, France and Canada as 2026 expansion candidates. As of September 3, 2026, no Samsung newsroom release confirms a launch in any of the three.
Galaxy XR specifications (claimed)
All figures below are Samsung's claims from its launch press release specification table (October 2025) and its samsung.com product pages. None are independent measurements.
| Specification | Galaxy XR (claimed) | Source note |
|---|---|---|
| Display type | Micro-OLED, 6.3-micron pixel pitch, 95% DCI-P3 | Samsung spec table |
| Resolution per eye | 3,552 x 3,840 | Samsung spec table, samsung.com US |
| Total pixel count | 27 million (spec table) or 29 million (product pages) | Both published by Samsung, see note below |
| Pixel density | 4,032 PPI | samsung.com US |
| Refresh rates | 60 Hz, 72 Hz (default), 90 Hz (upon service request) | Samsung spec table |
| Field of view | 109 degrees horizontal, 100 degrees vertical | Samsung spec table |
| Processor | Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 Platform | Samsung spec table |
| Memory | 16 GB | Samsung spec table |
| Storage | 256 GB | Samsung spec table |
| Headset weight | 545 g with forehead cushion | Samsung spec table |
| Battery pack weight | 302 g | Samsung spec table |
| Battery life | Up to 2 hours general use, up to 2.5 hours video playback | Samsung spec table, test conditions in footnotes |
| Cameras | One 6.5 MP F2.0 3D camera, two passthrough cameras, six world-tracking cameras, four eye-tracking cameras | Samsung spec table |
| Other sensors | Five IMUs, one depth sensor, one flicker sensor | Samsung spec table |
| Biometrics | Iris recognition | Samsung spec table |
| Audio | Two 2-way speakers (woofer and tweeter), six-microphone beamforming array, Dolby Atmos | Samsung spec table |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 | Samsung spec table |
| IPD range | 54 to 70 mm | Samsung spec table |
| Controllers | Sold separately, $249.99 | samsung.com US, checked September 3, 2026 |
Displays and optics
Galaxy XR uses two micro-OLED panels at 3,552 x 3,840 pixels each. Samsung's specification table states 27 million pixels in total, while its samsung.com product pages state 29 million. Both figures come from Samsung and are reproduced here rather than reconciled. The default refresh rate is 72 Hz, with 60 Hz available and 90 Hz described in the table as available "upon service request." Prescription wearers need optical inserts, sold separately. Samsung notes that glasses or contacts may affect eye tracking precision.
Battery and weight
Samsung claims 545 g for the headset with forehead cushion and 302 g for the external battery pack. Claimed runtime is up to 2 hours of general use and up to 2.5 hours of video playback. Samsung's footnote describes the general-use test as Wi-Fi on, YouTube playing in a virtual environment, Chrome with three websites open and Google Meet with an avatar. The device can be used while the pack is charging.
Controllers and accessories
Galaxy XR ships without controllers. Samsung's Galaxy XR Controllers are a 6DoF pair with analog sticks and haptic feedback, listed at $249.99 on samsung.com US. On September 3, 2026 the US accessory page showed them as not available for delivery or pickup. The box includes the headset, light shields, cushion adjusters, forehead cushion, external battery and cables, per Samsung's UK product page.
What software does the Galaxy XR run?
Galaxy XR runs Android XR, Google's operating system for headsets and glasses, with Gemini as the built-in assistant. Google describes Gemini on the headset as able to see what the wearer sees and act across apps by voice, for example answering questions about on-screen content or arranging windows on request.
Android XR and Gemini
Google's launch post names YouTube, Google Maps, Google Photos, Chrome, Google TV, Google Meet and Google Play as first-party apps on the headset. Android XR supports OpenXR, WebXR and Unity, according to the same post. Google's developer blog dated October 22, 2025 lists the Jetpack XR SDK, Jetpack Compose for XR, ARCore for Jetpack XR and Unity 6 as the development paths.
App compatibility and the Play Store
Google Play is available on the headset. Google states that "in most cases" a mobile app runs on Android XR with little or no additional development, and its launch post describes access to millions of mobile and tablet apps. By April 2026, Google counted more than 100 apps built specifically for XR, which it said was more than double the number at launch.
What has changed since launch?
Samsung and Google have shipped two documented feature waves and one new country since October 2025. No price change has been announced.
December 2025: PC Connect, Travel Mode and Likeness
On December 8, 2025, Google announced three features. PC Connect (beta) mirrors a Windows PC desktop or window into the headset. Travel Mode stabilizes the view during transit. Likeness (beta) creates a realistic digital representation of the wearer's face for video calls. Samsung said the features began rolling out on December 8 in the United States and Korea.
April 2026: enterprise support and five years of updates
On April 7, 2026, Samsung announced Android Enterprise support for Galaxy XR with Samsung Knox, zero-touch and QR code provisioning, managed Google Play and remote lock and wipe. The same release committed to regular software updates including security patches for up to five years, counted from the October 2025 launch. Google's post the same day listed auto-spatialization of 2D content, pinning apps to walls, real-hand rendering, session restore and hand, eye and accessibility improvements.
June and July 2026: United Kingdom launch
Samsung opened UK pre-orders on June 17, 2026, put the headset on sale on July 8, 2026 and confirmed the £1,699 RRP on July 10, 2026.
Samsung intelligent eyewear
On July 22, 2026 at Galaxy Unpacked in London, Samsung showed intelligent eyewear built on Android XR in two designs with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker. Samsung's release lists a Snapdragon AR1 Gen1 platform, a built-in camera, up to 9 hours of battery per charge and Gemini features such as translation and navigation. It does not mention a display or a price and says only that the product is coming "soon". Google said at I/O on May 19, 2026 that audio glasses arrive this fall. It is a separate product from the Galaxy XR headset.
Galaxy XR vs Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3
Galaxy XR sits between the two on price and on claimed resolution. All figures are manufacturer claims from the pages cited below, checked September 3, 2026.
| Item | Galaxy XR | Apple Vision Pro (M5) | Meta Quest 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resolution (claimed) | 3,552 x 3,840 per eye | 23 million pixels total, per-eye not published | 2,064 x 2,208 per eye |
| Refresh rates | 60, 72, 90 Hz | 90, 96, 100, 120 Hz | 72, 90, 120 Hz |
| Chip | Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 | Apple M5 and R1 | Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 |
| Memory | 16 GB | 16 GB | 8 GB |
| Headset weight (claimed) | 545 g plus 302 g battery pack | 750 to 800 g plus 353 g battery | Not disclosed on Meta's compare page |
| Battery life (claimed) | Up to 2 h general, 2.5 h video | Up to 2.5 h general, 3 h video | Not listed on Meta's compare page |
| US price | $1,799.99 (256 GB) | From $3,499 (256 GB) | $599.99 (512 GB) since April 19, 2026 |
| Platform | Android XR | visionOS 26 | Meta Horizon OS |
| Launch date | October 21, 2025 | October 22, 2025 (M5 model) | October 10, 2023 |
Apple's figures come from its October 15, 2025 newsroom release and its Vision Pro tech specs page. Meta's come from its Quest 3 compare page and its April 16, 2026 pricing update, which raised the 512 GB Quest 3 to $599.99. For a wider set of headsets see Best XR headsets and the BestInXR directory.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. How much does the Samsung Galaxy XR cost?
Galaxy XR costs $1,799.99 in the United States on samsung.com as of September 3, 2026, the same price as at launch. It costs 2,690,000 won in South Korea and £1,699 in the United Kingdom. Controllers are sold separately at $249.99.
2. When was the Galaxy XR released?
Samsung unveiled Galaxy XR on October 21, 2025 and put it on sale in the United States the same evening and in South Korea on October 22, 2025. The United Kingdom followed on July 8, 2026.
3. Does the Galaxy XR run Android XR?
Yes. Galaxy XR is the first device built on Android XR, the platform Samsung co-developed with Google and Qualcomm. Gemini is built in and Google Play is available on the headset.
4. Is the Galaxy XR available outside the US and Korea?
Yes, in the United Kingdom since July 8, 2026. Samsung's Canadian newsroom stated at launch that the product is not available in Canada and no Samsung release has confirmed launches in Germany or France as of September 3, 2026.
5. How does the Galaxy XR compare to the Apple Vision Pro?
Galaxy XR claims 3,552 x 3,840 pixels per eye, 545 g for the headset and a $1,799.99 price. Apple Vision Pro with M5 claims 23 million pixels in total, 750 to 800 g and starts at $3,499. Galaxy XR runs Android XR with Gemini, Vision Pro runs visionOS 26.
