It has been close to a year since Samsung first teased its upcoming extended reality (XR) headset on the stage. Since then, Google, Qualcomm, and Samsung have reiterated their commitment towards and plans for XR headsets. Now, it finally appears that Google is preparing the Play Store for Samsung's XR headset.
Google Play Store will list apps for XR headsets in the future
Google Play Store already lists apps and games for Android-based smartphones, tablets, foldable phones, and smartwatches. According to a report from Android Authority, version 43.3.32-31 of the Google Play Store app has code related to app listings for XR headsets. The app also has an icon to depict XR devices.
For apps and games that are not optimized for XR headsets, the Play Store will display a message related to incompatibility: “This XR headset isn't compatible with this app.”
While there are plenty of XR headsets that run Android, none of them run a version of Android that is specifically optimized for XR headsets. Samsung would likely be the first brand to launch an XR headset with an optimized version of Android.
While Samsung confirmed that it is working on an XR device, it didn't reveal whether it would be an XR headset or XR glasses. It is rumored that the company is working on both types of devices, and its first device would use the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chip from Qualcomm.
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The company reportedly had plans to launch its XR device sometime in 2024, but looking at Apple's Vision Pro, it canceled its plan to improve the product. The device is reportedly not ready yet and its prototype version could reach developers before the end of this year.
Samsung could launch its first XR headset sometime next year. It will run an optimized version of Android and use a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip. The presence of killer apps and the right price point are necessary for Samsung's XR headset to succeed, and things are looking hard after Apple failed to sell enough Vision Pro headsets to reach its initial target.
