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Samsung’s new Galaxy XR headset powered by Android XR is the Apple Vision Pro’s biggest rival yet when it comes to the best XR headsets. In this video, Mark goes hands-on with the device formerly known as Project Moohan, and explains actually fixes a lot of what people didn’t love about Apple’s $3,500 headset. The Galaxy XR is lighter, more comfortable and includes key apps like Netflix and YouTube, which are still missing from Vision Pro. It also costs just $1,800, making it one of the most affordable high-end mixed reality headsets on the market.
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0:00
So the Galaxy XR is real, I'm wearing it right now, and we're going to tell you about our first
0:04
impressions of this mixed reality headset using the new Android XR platform. And I think in a way
0:10
you could make the case that this is solving all the major problems that people have had
0:14
with the Vision Pro, or at least mostly. It's cheaper, it's lighter, and it has real AI that
0:20
people want to use inside. Using the Galaxy XR, the responsiveness feels pretty solid thanks to
0:26
the Snapdragon XR2 Plus Gen 2 chip, though speaking purely anecdotally doesn't quite match the
0:32
smoothness of the Vision Pro. Moving and resizing windows takes a bit of practice, and the eye
0:36
tracking cursor sometimes lagged behind my gaze. That said, the gestures feel intuitive. You pinch
0:42
to select, wave to scroll, and can zoom in and out by bringing your hands together and apart
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Pulling up the main menu is easy too. Just pinch your fingers together with your palm facing up
0:51
Where the Galaxy XR really separates itself from the current headset market is its integration with
0:55
Gemini and Gemini Live being able to summon the voice assistant instantly to chat or share your screen as a layer of interactivity that feels genuinely futuristic Apps also feel smarter and more
1:06
dynamic as a result. You can explore Google Maps with live directions, get tips in Stardew Valley
1:11
without leaving the game, or bring old photos to life as short videos in Google Photos
1:17
The exclusive Adobe Pulsar app stands out too, letting you edit videos in 3D space
1:21
and generate titles with Gemini's help. It's like having a co-pilot in mixed reality, guiding you through every interaction
1:30
Media consumption is surprisingly immersive. Watching VR 180 and 360 YouTube content, seeing fighter jets up close
1:36
or diving into interactive films like Asteroid really showcases the potential of mixed reality
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Some experiences still feel more like games than cinematic, but the ability to interact with characters or move multiple windows around
1:47
like watching four NFL games at once, makes the Galaxy XR feel like a sneak peek
1:52
at the future of home entertainment. So I just finished my demo with the Galaxy XR headset and the one thing I want to say is just like how light and comfortable this is Like even after like a pretty decently long demo I still feel like I not really not like not
2:07
wearing anything, but it's definitely like lighter than I expected, which is good because sometimes
2:12
like when you're feeling something like heavy, it pulls you out of the experience. And in this case
2:16
I felt more immersed because of like just how light it felt. In terms of the experiences themselves
2:21
like I think photos is probably like the one that a lot of people are going to gravitate to because
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it turns your 2D photos into something that's spatial. And the fact that it can bring your old photos to life
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even through video in terms of AI, I think is going to tug at a lot of heartstrings
2:35
I thought that was pretty cool. But I think overall, probably the biggest takeaway is that Gemini is integrated across the board
2:41
And you can have it look at whatever's on your screen and share that in real time
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And you can ask questions. So it's sort of like having a co-pilot with you
2:48
as you're experiencing this new XR device. I tried four or five different experiences
2:52
and across all of them, I could use or invoke Gemini at any time
2:56
And it really easy to do and also pretty easy to dismiss if you don want it listening and watching everything that you do Yeah like in terms of like complaints I would just say that these like light shields I think
3:08
it's really good that you have the option of putting them on and off, but I did notice a little bit of light leakage from the left and right side, like the extreme sides in terms of your peripheral
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vision, but it's not enough to, again, like to disrupt the experience. Right now, it doesn't seem
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like a great time to launch a mixed reality headset given the momentum behind smart glasses
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But for those who are looking for a more immersive experience, the Galaxy XR is certainly worth a look
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It's way cheaper than the Apple Vision Pro, and it's also noticeably lighter and more comfortable to wear for extended periods
3:37
Having Gemini Live on board is also pretty transformative. But $1799 is still a lot of money for a device you'll mostly use at home, and the new M5 Vision Pro should keep Apple in the performance lead
3:48
But if you want a sneak peek of what the future of mixed reality looks like, the Galaxy XR looks like a solid evolutionary step forward for spatial computing
3:55
Stay tuned for our full Galaxy XR review and be sure to like and subscribe if you want
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to see more videos just like this. For Tom's Guide, this is Mark Spoonhour
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