No New Android XR Headset for Now: Google Announces Agreement with Lynx
Lynx plans to introduce a new mixed reality headset with a wide field of view in early 2026 but surprisingly has to forgo Google's Android XR operating system.
Lynx's next mixed reality headset will not be delivered with Android XR after all.
(Image: SL Process / Linx Mixed Reality)
French manufacturer Lynx has announced that its next mixed reality headset will not be based on Google's new Android XR platform after all. Instead, the company is relying on its own open-source operating system and promises the largest field of view for a standalone headset to date.
Originally, Lynx was part of Google's Android XR initiative, which was introduced at the end of 2024. However, according to a statement from Lynx founder Stan Larrroque to the XR trade magazine UploadVR, the partnership was “surprisingly” terminated by Google. Google declined to comment on the status of the collaboration but confirmed to the magazine that it continues to cooperate with Sony and Xreal.
New Lynx Headset with Wide Field of View
The new prototype from Lynx will be fully unveiled at the SPIE trade conference in January 2026. According to Larroque, it is a “midrange” headset that is expected to be priced between the Meta Quest 3 and Samsung's Galaxy XR. The biggest innovation: an exceptionally wide field of view, made possible using aspherical pancake lenses from a collaboration with the Israeli company Hypervision. Larroque is still withholding details.
Instead of Android XR, the headset will now be based on Lynx OS, an open-source variant of Android with OpenXR support. According to Lynx, the source code will be published to provide open access to both companies and hobby developers. In contrast to the Lynx R1 announced in 2020, there will be no pre-orders or crowdfunding campaigns for the new headset this time. It will only be delivered when the device is market-ready.
Videos by heise
At the time, the company wanted to launch an affordable mixed reality headset for around 500 US dollars. However, delays, technical problems, and a change in strategy led to the price rising to the current 1,300 US dollars, and the focus shifted to business customers. The first units were delivered years later, when Meta Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro were already established.
(joe)
