After a lot of anticipation, Google has finally unveiled its entry into the emerging market of virtual and augmented reality with Android XR OS. The new and upcoming OS will feature Gemini with a variety of Google apps. Google says it will help you perform tasks in an entirely new way.
Android XR OS is a product of Google’s collaboration with Samsung and Qualcomm. It’s a platform that aims to bring new experiences to XR using AI. It will allow developers to develop apps and games freely for the platform using existing tools like Unity, OpenXR, ARCore, and Jetpack Compose. If you’re wondering, XR stands for “eXtended reality” which encompasses AR, VR, and MR. Android’s XR OS will be capable of AR, VR, and more experiences, and the apps will define these experiences.
From smart glasses like the Ray-Ban Meta (hands on) to XR Headsets, manufacturers like XREAL, Samsung, and Sony are already on board. Google also mentions that Samsung will be the first to launch a headset with Android XR OS next year. It is currently called Project Moohan. We have a few details about the headset. For instance, it will be powered by the Snapdragon XR2+ and will come with eye and hand tracking.
In their announcement, Samsung explains why they named it Project Moohan. It’s because Moohan means “infinity” in Korean, and Project Moohan represents infinite possibilities in an immersive space.
Besides, Google also shared in their blog post a few glimpses of how Android XR OS would look on XR headsets. Starting with YouTube videos, Circle to Search, Google Photos, and Google TV, and it all looks pretty great. Google also shared a demo of Android XR glasses features in action. The demo heavily involved Gemini and a nod to Project Astra-like assistant features which Google showcased in I/O 2024.
You can check out more details about XR OS on Android’s latest landing page. This page also confirms that the first set of headsets and glasses with XR operating system will be available in 2025.
What are your thoughts on the Android XR OS launch? Will it be the next big thing in the XR space? Let us know in the comments.
