Android XR is Google’s latest software platform, made “in collaboration with Samsung” to bring AI and apps to smart glasses, AR glasses, and mixed-reality headsets. It represents Google’s return to the mixed-reality space after consigning Google Glass to enterprise and discontinuing Google Cardboard and Daydream. Sameer Samat, president of the Google ecosystem, assured us that they “never stopped working on” XR despite these public failures and that the “Gemini era” means “the time is right for XR.”
While Google may make Android XR hardware in the future, demos like Project Astra’s multimodal AI may remain internal prototypes to focus on Android XR software for other brands — primarily Samsung — making XR devices.
Android XR may be the most exciting version of Android in years, but anyone unfamiliar with VR headsets or smart glasses may be confused about what Android XR is and what it’s built to do. This guide will run through the basics of what to expect, from Samsung’s Project Moohan to Google’s XR plans for Gemini.
What is Android XR?
“Android eXtended Reality” is an Android spinoff platform that’s designed for wearable devices, similar to Wear OS in that it’s (A) co-designed with Samsung and (B) has to deliver efficient processing in a smaller form factor like glasses.
XR is a common industry term encompassing virtual, augmented, and mixed-reality devices. Smart glasses don’t typically fall under this umbrella since they have no reality-changing display, only audio; Google has included it, however, because it’ll use the same baseline Gemini assistant as AR glasses.
Android XR software will underpin the XR headsets and glasses hardware, giving them access to Play Store apps that you won’t get on other platforms — mainly Meta’s Horizon OS on Quest.
The platform itself supports certain universal features like hand/controller tracking with external cameras or eye tracking with inward cameras — both enabling the kind of controls you see on the Apple Vision Pro. However, hardware developers will need to make devices that can take advantage of these tools.
What apps will run on Android XR?
Google Gemini is “at the core” of Android XR, the company says. Whether it’s a headset or glasses, it’ll use sensors and cameras so that Gemini can “see what you see, whether it’s digital or real content, hear what you hear, and react to your gestures alongside your voice.”
With the conversationality of Gemini Live, paired with multimodal AI insights, Android XR will let you use natural voice commands to control the UI or ask contextual questions about what you’re seeing, either in real life or in XR apps.
Outside of Gemini, Google has promised 360º videos on YouTube or Google TV, 3D Google Photos, Google Maps Immersive View, Google Meet, and Chrome with common AI tricks like Circle to Search.
Beyond Google apps, Android XR is compatible with both WebXR and OpenXR, the most common standards for web-based and native XR apps across the industry. That should mean many Meta Quest games should port over to compatible Android XR headsets.
The Android XR SDK also supports Android Studio, ARCore, Jetpack Compose, and Unity. Any current Android apps will “just work” on Android XR (according to Google) as long as the developer opts in, though this will probably be a floating window in the “infinite desktop” virtual space; developers will want to optimize the app to the OS for any 3D visual effects. A few devs have already developed apps for Android XR with early access, including MLB, Calm, and Adobe.
Android XR hardware: Project Moohan and others
Samsung revealed its XR headset, Project Moohan, at the same time as Google’s Android XR; Moohan means “Infinity” in Korean, matching the theme. Samsung promises “state-of-the-art displays, Passthrough capabilities, and natural multi-modal input” but hasn’t specified what specs it’ll have when it launches to consumers in 2025.
We do know it’ll use the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2, the chipset announced in January 2024 that supports up to 4.3K per eye, plus a 20% CPU boost and 15% GPU boost over the XR2 Gen 2 in the Meta Quest 3. However, it’s not guaranteed that Moohan will hit that resolution.
Based on the render above — plus private demos given to a few outlets — we know Samsung’s XR headset will have a comfortable Elite-style strap, as well as a removable light shield for better immersion during VR experiences but less isolation during mixed-reality apps. It’ll have outer IR cameras for tracking hands or controllers, plus inward cameras for eye tracking.
While Samsung has its own apps and Galaxy AI built off of Gemini, we believe Android XR (and Moohan) will default to Google apps and multimodal Gemini AI for commands and navigation, based on what we heard from Samsung.
Other Android XR hardware developers will likely choose the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 as well, given that Google partnered with Qualcomm and optimized the platform for its silicon. Google has confirmed that Xreal, Sony, and Lynx will develop Android XR devices.
At CES 2024, Sony announced an XR headset with the XR2+ Gen 2, 4K OLED micro-displays with pancake lenses that you can flip up like a visor, and 3D productivity software. It’s the most likely candidate for Sony’s Android XR device.
Xreal recently announced spatial AR glasses with up to 57-degree FoV and an add-on Xreal Eye Camera for capturing 1080p video and sending data to your phone for “multimodal AI.” We don’t think these glasses will support Android XR, but that camera sounds like the precursor to a newer version with Google software and Gemini built-in, with your Android phone powering things.
Lynx, whose current XR headset has dealt with delays and controversy, will develop a new Android XR headset rather than update the R1, based on a statement made to UploadVR.
Will Google make an Android XR device?
Google is taking a backseat to Samsung in terms of releasing an actual Android XR device, focusing on software. At least for now!
In 2023, The Information reported on Google’s XR prototypes, including Project Moohan, a monocular Google Glass-lookalike codenamed “Betty,” a two-display spin-off called “Barry,” and an unnamed pair of smart glasses from former Magic Leap CTO Paul Greco and his team.
It’s very possible that these devices are nothing more than prototypes developed to test Android XR, rather than anything planned for wide release. But Google did show off its own Android XR smart glasses demo to sites like The Verge with multimodal AI capabilities, and it also showed a glimpse of these glasses at I/O 2024 (see the screenshot above).
It’s possible that Google could join in on the Android XR fun, but it evidently wants to try and let its partners establish themselves first before cutting in on the action. It’s similar to how Google co-developed the new version of Wear OS with Samsung in 2021 but didn’t release its first Pixel Watch until late 2022.
Android XR vs. Meta Horizon OS
The biggest rival to Android XR will be Meta Horizon OS, the system behind Quest headsets. Meta is the most established brand in the XR space, and it tried to get Google to give Quest headsets Play Store access, only for Google to insist that Meta use Android XR, which Meta rebuffed.
Meta itself made Meta Horizon OS open to partners in 2024, announcing that Lenovo and ASUS ROG would make XR headsets with Meta software and apps. Meta and Xbox also plan to coordinate on a limited-edition headset.
Meta has a full library of games it can share with partners, as well as Meta AI. What it doesn’t have is access to a Play Store full of apps and a development pipeline designed to convert phone apps into Android XR apps, like Google has; it has to use progressive web apps, and it’s had very few productivity partners thus far.
Both platforms use Snapdragon chipsets, hand tracking, and UIs that float windows in virtual or mixed-reality space. Meta has its own popular Ray-Ban smart glasses, and the promise of Meta Orion AR glasses in 2027, and they both use a similar interface to the Quest.
All of this is to say, Meta Horizon and Android XR have similar goals, methods, and devices. It’s far too soon to say if Android XR will be better, worse, or a clone of Meta Horizon. What matters most is that Meta and Google will challenge one another, which ideally will lead to greater innovation in the XR space.