Samsung is gearing up to launch an XR headset soon. Codenamed Project Moohan, the device runs Android XR, a new Android-based platform for VR and XR headsets. After a teaser at Unpacked last week, Samsung let popular tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee, aka MKBHD, try out its unreleased headset. The YouTuber just released a detailed hands-on video of the headset, revealing its completed design and key features.
Samsung’s XR headset aims to redefine virtual reality experiences with AI features
This yet-unnamed Samsung XR headset developed in collaboration with Google aims to streamline the fragmented VR market. The companies tout enhanced functionality and usability with a unified software experience enabled by Androud XR. You get Gemini AI access voice controls, as well as AI features like Circle to Search. The headset supports all Android apps distributed via the Google Play Store.
Samsung might have taken some design dues from Apple’s Vision Pro, but its XR headset has its specialties. According to Brownlee, the device redistributes weight to the brow area rather than under the eyes, enhancing comfort and usability. The battery is still attached externally, but the USB-C cable is detachable from both ends, allowing you to use any third-party battery in case the Samsung-supplied one runs out of power.
The headset has eight front-facing cameras and two more on the inside for tracing your eyes. You also get a bunch of sensors, a touchpad, and power and volume buttons on the body. Brownlee notes that Samsung’s XR headset might support handheld controllers, though the company didn’t provide any controllers for this exclusive demo where he revealed its key features. You can watch the full video below.
Launch date and price
While the headset shown in this video is an unfinished prototype, Samsung plans to launch Project Moohan this year. This showcases its confidence in the headset’s capabilities. More importantly, the design and software features we saw may be close to final. The company could be putting the finishing touches to the software before its public release sometime this year.
As far as the price is concerned, a tipster says Samsung’s Project Moohan XR headset will cost anywhere between $2,000 and $3,000. That makes it a pretty expensive headset, but still not as much as the Apple Vision Pro, which debuted with a price tag of $3,500. More details should emerge in the coming months as Samsung continues to work on the product behind the scenes.