Samsung Galaxy XR adds spatial depth to 2D content

Android XR currently only supports the Samsung Galaxy XR VR headset. About six months after its market launch, the operating system is receiving a second major update that brings several new features. According to Google, more than 100 immersive apps are now available, more than double the number at launch.

The most important new feature is called "Auto-Spatialization". With this experimental feature, according to Google, any flat content can be converted into a spatial representation at the touch of a button. This includes apps, games, websites, as well as photos and videos. The goal is to adapt this content more closely to the spatial display capabilities of immersive computer glasses.

The conversion is done system-wide and only affects the active window at a time, not multiple contents simultaneously. Technical limitations include that the display is currently limited to about 1080p and 30 frames per second and can increase energy consumption.

Android XR is the first VR operating system to offer system-wide 3D conversion across many different media formats. Whether the function goes beyond a stereoscopic depth effect, how well it actually works, and what added value it offers, a practical test will have to show. In addition to Google, display glasses manufacturers Xreal and Viture are experimenting with automatic 3D conversion.

More comfort and new apps, but hardware strategy remains unclear

Also new is a pinning function that allows apps to be attached directly to surfaces like walls. Once placed, they remain anchored in their position and serve as fixed elements of a virtual work or entertainment area. Apple Vision Pro has supported a similar feature since visionOS 26, Meta Quest since HorizonOS 2.1.

Further innovations aim at ease of use and everyday suitability. Users can now see their hands instead of just their outlines, as before, while interacting with virtual elements in the home environment. Google is also introducing automatic session continuation, which automatically reopens previously used apps after putting on the VR headset. Android XR now also supports Android Enterprise, targeting large-scale use in companies, for example for training or virtual collaboration.

New immersive apps for Android XR include a port of the fishing simulation Real VR Fishing and a soccer app from Paris Saint-Germain, which allows games to be analyzed from a virtual tabletop perspective.

In December, Google had already released a first major update for Android XR. Since then, there have been no concrete announcements regarding the further hardware strategy. The Samsung Galaxy XR, priced at around $1,800, is still only available in the USA and South Korea. Whether and when other VR headsets based on Android XR will appear is unclear. It is only known that Project Aura plans a display glasses with a wired pocket computer later this year. In addition, the first smart glasses with Gemini integration are expected to be released.

(mack)