Samsung’s got a new mixed-reality headset, and yeah… it looks a lot like an Apple Vision Pro clone. They wrapped up a year of hype on October 21 (my birthday) by unveiling the Galaxy XR at the Galaxy Event October 2025. Sure, Samsung’s wearable borrows a few ideas from Apple, but that could actually benefit both companies—and their users.

Talking to Vision Pro owners, most say they use media in VR more for fun or social experiences. Some are all about catching Magdalena Bay concerts (POV: me, wishing I could be there). But once the novelty wears off, does the Vision Pro still feel worth it? Here’s a look at what the Galaxy XR can do—and why it matters for the VR scene.

1. Galaxy XR design

Samsung’s Galaxy XR looks more plastic and less premium than Apple’s Vision Pro. I like that its balanced frame should spread pressure across the forehead and back of the head, keeping it steady and comfortable. The headset weighs 545 grams (about 1.2 pounds), and the battery adds 302 grams (around 0.67 pounds). That’s much lighter than the M5 Apple Vision Pro, which comes in around 750 to 800 grams (1.65 to 1.76 pounds).

2. Galaxy XR multimodal AI

Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm teamed up to make AI feel real, and Galaxy XR is the first headset built on the new Android XR platform with Gemini right inside.

With Gemini running at the system level, Galaxy XR acts more like a smart companion than a tool. It helps users handle tasks and reacts naturally to voice, vision, and gestures. The headset sees what you see and hears what you hear, so it understands your surroundings.

Samsung added my favorite Galaxy AI feature, Circle to Search. With video pass-through, you can see the world around you, and Circle to Search gives instant info. Just draw a circle with your hand over anything, and you get details right away—no need to stop or leave what you’re doing.

3. Galaxy XR multitasking

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image Credit: Google</figcaption></figure>

The Galaxy XR opens up new ways to explore, play, and work, offers you natural, immersive experiences. Samsung also aims to cover lots of business needs, like virtual training for heavy industry and construction. They even teamed up with Samsung Heavy Industries to use the Galaxy XR for shipbuilding training, helping teams stay safe and productive.

Beyond training, the Galaxy XR lets you run multiple apps at once—your browser, documents, music app —and arrange them around you in a massive, private space. Spatial computing on the Vision Pro may have its quirks, but multitasking is a big selling point whether you’re at home, in the office, or on the road. Workhorses will love the productivity promises, but there is a catch.

The Galaxy XR’s each eye gets a 90-Hz refresh rate, a bit lower than the M5 Vision Pro’s 120 Hz. That’s a bummer for Samsung users, since the M5 Vision Pro shines in multitasking. With the current M2 chip, Vision Pro can slow down when multiple apps run, so you might see similar hiccups on Galaxy XR.

Battery life keeps the Galaxy XR experience going. With 2.5 hours on a single charge, you can enjoy content without interruptions, which matches Apple’s general use claims.

4. Galaxy XR gaming

You can hook the Galaxy XR up to a gaming PC for full PCVR support, letting you play PC games right on the headset, VR or not. That’s a nice step up since the Vision Pro doesn’t handle non-VR games very well. With Apple’s headset, you’re stuck playing them in a browser window and need a Bluetooth controller.

I’m excited about the Galaxy XR running non-VR games, but I do have a few concerns. How will games that rely on touch even work? Plus, giant floating screens still feel boring compared to real VR gaming.

On the bright side, you can connect a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse and play in a virtual space. Samsung and Google focused more on entertainment here, so most Galaxy Event October 2025 demos used touch controls, though optional controllers exist. You can also hook up a gamepad if you want, and there’s even an optional carry case for convenience.

5. Price

At $1,799, the Galaxy XR costs $1,700 less than Apple’s Vision Pro with M5. That price difference could pull a lot of people toward Samsung (more on that in my final thoughts).

The Samsung Galaxy XR hits the US and South Korea today. To attract more buyers, Samsung and Google throw in an “explorer pack” with each headset. You get a year of Google AI Pro, Google Play Pass, YouTube Premium, YouTube TV for $1 a month for three months, plus a full season of NBA League Pass.

Final thoughts

There are many issues why the Vision Pro hasn’t achieved widespread acceptance, from the device’s weight to a cumbersome setup process — but those are less important. Apple’s Vision Pro headset struggles for two main reasons—the $3,499 price tag and not enough features that feel fresh or useful. To me, it’s clear the first Vision Pro hasn’t hit its stride yet. The hardware works fine, but the software still holds it back. Now with the M5 Vision Pro, Apple bumped the refresh rate from 90 Hz to 120 Hz, cut motion blur, and added a better head strap. I’d say it feels more like an update than a 2.0. So what does Samsung bring to the table with its Galaxy XR?

Samsung’s headset feels lighter and costs less. That alone puts Apple in a tight spot. The Galaxy XR could push Apple to move faster on Vision Pro updates—or whatever other Vision devices it has cooking. Some might call Samsung’s headset a copy, but I see something bigger happening. XR headsets could grow past their niche status and start reaching more people outside the tech crowd.

In Q2 2025, global VR headset shipments dipped 2% from last year and 15% from the previous quarter. The drop shows how most people still don’t see much use in owning one. If your budget’s tight, spending thousands on a headset—and another hundred or more on games—feels hard to justify. Unless you only want free games, it’s a stretch. But with Samsung and Apple squaring off, things might finally get interesting.

Before you go

I get it, we need a few weeks to soak in all the Galaxy XR news. But Samsung isn’t standing still. They plan to show off their long-awaited trifold smartphone at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea later in October. The Samsung trifold is the company’s first handset with two hinges, so you can use it as a regular smartphone or open it up into a much bigger tablet.

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