Will we ever see the Samsung XR headset? That’s the question I’m left asking after yet another report that the rumored XR hardware collaboration Samsung and Google have been working on is delayed – this time saying it won’t arrive until 2025 or perhaps even 2026.
Delay rumors – especially those of unannounced tech – don’t matter too much in isolation. The Apple Vision Pro was delayed plenty of times before eventually making its debut, but with the Samsung delays, I’m left wondering if its headset might never see the light of day.
First, because the Apple Vision Pro, which Samsung is seemingly attempting to mimic wasn’t even that successful. The headset that reportedly convinced Samsung and Google to hold off on releasing their headset initially might be technologically impressive, and specs-wise it’s far and away the best consumer VR headset, but it’s also $3,499 / £3,499 / A$5,999. From a design and functionality perspective, Apple doesn’t do enough to convince folks they should spend this much instead of snagging a far cheaper and equally useful (in ways more useful) Meta Quest 3.
A not insignificant part of the Vision Pro’s limited success I suspect, is because it’s an Apple product. Apple tech has a rabid fanbase that most mainstream tech brands – i.e. Samsung and Google – don’t replicate. So I strongly suspect a $3,499 / £3,499 / A$5,999 Samsung headset – even one that’s a little cheaper, say $2,499 / £2,499 / A$4,499 – would struggle to sell as well as the Vision Pro unless it boasts some massive performance and utility upgrades.
Could glasses be the way to go?
Then there’s the new kid on the block: Meta Orion AR glasses. Even at this prototype stage Meta has wowed tech journalists and industry experts alike – our own Lance Ulanoff called the experience “everything Apple Vision Pro should be today.”
While I love my Meta Quest 3 and VR in general, I acknowledge that full immersion, or even mixed reality, via a bulky face wearable isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. A pair of thinner, lighter, and more comfortable glasses is much more approachable.
If it had landed this year I suspect Samsung’s hardware could have made a name for itself, but if it’s delayed until 2026 then that only gives it a year, maybe a year-and-a-half if it launches early 2026, before the consumer version of Orion is expected to debut (late 2027 per leaks).
If Meta brings Orion to market sooner or teases the consumer version a year in advance – as it did with the Meta Quest Pro – that could provide an even swifter end to the Samsung XR headset hype. Next to fully-fledged AR glasses, I imagine the headset will feel almost immediately ancient.
Samsung and Google promised we’d hear more about their XR collab before the end of 2024, and until the official line changes, I’m hopeful we’ll see something in the next couple of months.
I’m even hopeful that we’ll get some hardware and the rumors are false, as a bit of competition is always excellent for innovation.
But I’m not holding my breath. The winds of change are blowing strong in the XR space, and Samsung’s high-end headset feels progressively dated as the days pass. Maybe it’s time to pull the plug and focus fully on the rumored Samsung smart glasses instead.
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hamish.hector@futurenet.com (Hamish Hector)
