Extended reality, AI, and compatibility: the convergence of immersive technologies
Faced with the rise of immersive experiences, Google, Samsung, and their partners are stepping up their efforts to make extended reality (XR) more accessible, open, and sustainable. The arrival of Galaxy XR headsets, the Android XR operating system, Google XR smart glasses, and the OpenXR standard is transforming the ecosystem. This article highlights these innovations and all devices compatible with Android XR.
1. Extended reality (XR): a unifying concept
XR encompasses virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR). Its goal is to superimpose digital information onto the real world or immerse the user in virtual worlds. Thanks to headsets and glasses equipped with better technologies, XR experiences are becoming more immersive. For the sector to continue to grow, open platforms must be promoted. This is how OpenXR and Android XR came into being.
The advantages of XR
- Immersion and productivity: with a headset or glasses, it becomes possible to work virtually or play 3D games.
- Powerful AI: thanks to AI, Android XR merges digital information with the real world and assists users in their tasks.
- Compatibility: with OpenXR, developers can design a single application that is compatible with many XR devices and graphics engines.
2. Android XR: an immersive AI platform
In 2024, Google announced Android XR as an operating system dedicated to XR developed with Samsung. It relies on Gemini generative AI to provide real-time assistance. The OS is designed to be open and compatible with WebXR and OpenXR standards. In addition, it supports Android tools such as ARCore, Android Studio, Jetpack Compose, and Unity. This system unifies experiences for headsets and glasses. Its official launch took place in October 2025.
Experiences enhanced by Gemini
Android XR is an immersive operating system designed by Google in collaboration with Samsung to unify virtual, augmented, and mixed reality experiences. The OS is backed by significant investments in AI, AR, and VR. It also aims to provide an open and unified platform for headsets and glasses. Gemini, integrated at the system level, offers multiple interactions: object recognition, navigation, search, and translation. Here are some of the innovations available with Android XR:
- Send messages and access your calendar: the assistant reads or writes messages and reminds you of appointments.
- Navigate and translate in real time: users can get directions in Google Maps or translate conversations.
- Search by gesture: the Circle to Search feature allows you to select an object in augmented reality to obtain information.
Smart glasses and Google’s vision
Google is developing its own glasses: Google XR, a lightweight device that accompanies you in your daily life. The glasses incorporate cameras, microphones, and speakers so that Gemini can see and hear the environment. Thanks to Gemini and the connection to your smartphone, the glasses offer live translation, hands-free navigation, and assisted search functions.
Google presents its glasses as an extension of the smartphone: most of the calculations are done on the phone, which allows for a lightweight frame and a smaller battery. By combining design, AI, and Android XR compatibility, Google XR aims to democratize connected glasses and create new everyday uses.
3. Galaxy XR: a collaboration between Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm
On October 21, 2025, Samsung released Galaxy XR, the first headset running on Android XR. It retails for $1,799 (approximately €1,700). Designed with Google and Qualcomm, this headset combines the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chip with 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. However, the device is not yet available in France.
Key features of the Galaxy XR
- Display: 3,552 × 3,840 pixel micro-OLED screen, 90 × 95° field of view, 90 Hz refresh rate
- Sensors: 12 cameras and sensors (high-resolution passthrough, hand tracking, and eye tracking). The XR2+ Gen 2 chip supports up to 12 cameras for advanced tracking.
- Design: lightweight shell with detachable light shield, connection to a smartphone via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi 7.
- AI features: navigation with Maps and Gemini tips, color passthrough, 3D spatial photos and videos, and Circle to Search gesture search. Samsung also offers a PC Streaming service for streaming games in VR.
4. OpenXR: a unifying standard
Developed by the Khronos Group, OpenXR is a royalty-free standard that provides a common interface for XR applications. The goal is to reduce fragmentation: developers no longer need to create specific versions for each headset. Version 1.1 of OpenXR enjoys broad support from major manufacturers in the sector, such as Meta, HTC, Microsoft, Sony, Varjo, Pico, Acer, Canon, and Valve.
Widespread adoption and developments
This development makes developers’ work easier. Thanks to the direct integration of extensions, it is no longer necessary to manually manage add-ons, making applications more easily compatible with multiple devices. OpenXR 1.1 introduces several significant improvements. The Local Floor feature provides better floor stabilization, while Stereo Foveated Rendering optimizes performance by focusing high resolution on the area being viewed.
5. Device compatibility and ecosystem
While the OpenXR specification ensures compatibility between different platforms, Android XR is currently limited to a small number of devices. The OS is jointly developed by Google and Samsung to provide an immersive experience on selected devices. The headsets and glasses below are the first devices compatible with Android XR.
Android XR headsets
- Galaxy XR
Android XR glasses
- Google XR Glasses
- Project Aura (Xreal)
- Warby Parker & Gentle Monster
- Project Haean
- Audio-centric glasses
Other headsets and glasses (Meta, HTC, and Varjo) are compatible thanks to the OpenXR standard, but they do not run the Android XR OS. The arrival of Android XR and its compatibility with OpenXR should nevertheless encourage more manufacturers to adopt the system in the coming years.
6. Technological synergies and interconnections
The XR ecosystem is becoming interdependent. Android XR relies on the OpenXR standard to ensure that applications created on Android are compatible with a wide variety of headsets and graphics engines such as Unity, Unreal, and Godot. This allows developers to design a single XR application that works equally well on a Galaxy XR, a Meta Quest 3, or a Varjo headset.
The collaboration between Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm illustrates a joint effort to improve their technologies. By combining XR2+ Gen 2 chips, the Android XR operating system, and Gemini artificial intelligence, they are optimizing performance, energy consumption, and user experience. Thanks to WebXR/OpenXR compatibility and the Android XR development kit, many existing applications (games, training solutions, productivity tools) will be able to run on different devices. Users will be able to switch from a headset to glasses without losing their data or interrupting their experience.
Conclusion: towards accessible and open XR
Google, Samsung, Qualcomm, and partners such as Xreal, Warby Parker, and Gentle Monster mark the beginning of a new era for XR. With Android XR, Google offers an open, AI-powered platform, while the Galaxy XR headset demonstrates the power of high-end hardware. OpenXR plays a key role in ensuring compatibility between devices, limiting fragmentation and encouraging innovation.
In the coming years, the combination of these technologies will enable wider adoption of XR. Google XR smart glasses will offer AI-assisted support, while headsets will provide increasingly realistic immersive experiences. The future of XR is shaping up to be an open, connected, and user-centric ecosystem.
Are you missing any information?
Do you have questions about our existing products or suggestions for products and guides to add to our knowledge base ? We’re here to help !