We all know for sure {that a} new Samsung XR/VR headset is within the works, with the gadget being made in partnership with Google. However a lot of the XR product’s particulars (XR, or prolonged actuality, is a catchall for digital, augmented, and combined actuality) are nonetheless shrouded in thriller. 

This so-called Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional rival (an XR headset from Apple) will seemingly have spectacular specs – Qualcomm has confirmed its new Snapdragon XR2 Plus Gen 2 chip shall be within the headset, and Samsung Show-made screens will most likely be featured. It’s going to additionally seemingly have an equally premium price ticket. Sadly, till Samsung says something formally, we gained’t know precisely how a lot it would value, or when it is going to be launched.

However utilizing the few tidbits of official information, in addition to our business data and the rumors on the market, we will make some educated guesses that may clue you into the Samsung XR/VR headset’s potential worth, launch date, and specs – and we’ve received them down under. We’ve additionally highlighted a number of of the options we’d wish to see when it’s finally unveiled to the general public.

Samsung XR/VR headset: Worth

We gained’t know the way a lot Samsung and Google’s new VR headset will value till the gadget is formally introduced, however most rumors level to it boasting premium specs – so count on a premium worth.

Some early experiences advised Samsung was taking a look at one thing within the $1,000 / £1,000 / AU$1,500 vary (similar to the Meta Quest Professional) although it might have modified its plans. After the Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional reveal, it’s believed Samsung delayed the gadget probably to make it a greater Imaginative and prescient Professional rival in Samsung’s eyes – the Imaginative and prescient Professional is spectacular, as yow will discover out from our hands-on Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional evaluate.

If that’s the case, the VR gadget won’t solely extra carefully match the Imaginative and prescient Professional’s specs it’d undertake the Imaginative and prescient Professional’s $3,499 (about £2,725 / AUS$5,230) beginning worth too, or one thing near it.

Samsung XR/VR headset: Launch date

Very like its worth, we don’t know something concrete concerning the incoming Samsung VR headset’s launch date but. However a number of indicators level to a 2024 announcement – if not a 2024 launch.

Firstly, there was the teaser Samsung revealed in February 2023 when it stated it was partnering with Google to develop an XR headset. It didn’t set a date for once we’d hear extra, however Samsung seemingly wouldn’t make this teasing announcement if the venture was nonetheless a great distance from ending. Normally, a extra full reveal occurs a 12 months or so from the teaser – so round February 2024.

There was a rumor that Samsung’s VR headset venture was delayed after the Imaginative and prescient Professional announcement, although the supply maintained that the headset would nonetheless arrive in 2024 – simply mid-to-late 2024, reasonably than February.

Then there’s the Snapdragon XR2 Plus Gen 2 chipset announcement. Qualcomm was eager to focus on Samsung and Google as companions that will be placing the chipset to make use of. 

It might be odd to focus on these companions if its headset was nonetheless a 12 months or so from launching. These companions might have most well-liked to work with a later next-gen chip, if the XR/VR headset was due in 2025 or later. So this might once more level to a 2024 reveal, if not a exact date this 12 months.

Lastly, there have additionally been solutions that the Samsung VR headset may arrive alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 6 – Samsung’s folding telephone that is additionally on account of arrive in 2024.

Samsung XR/VR headset: Specs

A number of the brand new Samsung VR headset’s specs are nonetheless a thriller. We are able to assume it’ll use Samsung-made shows (it will be wild if Samsung used screens from one in all its opponents) however the kind of show tech (for instance, QLED, OLED or LCD), decision, and measurement are nonetheless unknown.

We additionally don’t know what measurement battery it’ll have, or its space for storing, or its RAM. Nor what design it would undertake – will it appear to be the Imaginative and prescient Professional with an exterior show, just like the Meta Quest Three or Quest Professional, or one thing all-new?

However we do know one factor. It’ll run (as we predicted) on a brand-new Snapdragon XR2 Plus Gen 2 chip from Qualcomm – an up to date model of the chipset utilized by the Meta Quest Professional, and barely extra highly effective than the XR2 Gen 2 discovered within the Meta Quest 3.

The upshot is that this platform can now help two shows at 4.3K decision working at as much as 90fps. It will possibly additionally handle over 12 separate digicam inputs that VR headsets will depend on for monitoring – together with controllers, objects within the house, and face actions – and it has extra superior AI capabilities, 2.5x higher GPU efficiency, and Wi-Fi 7 (in addition to 6 and 6E).

What we need to see from the brand new Samsung XR/VR headset

1. Samsung’s XR/VR headset to run on the Quest OS 

That is very a lot a pipe dream. With Google and Samsung already collaborating on the venture it’s unlikely they’d need to herald a 3rd celebration – particularly if this headset is meant to compete with Apple and Meta {hardware}.

However the Quest platform is simply so good; by far the most effective we’ve seen on standalone VR headsets. It’s clear, feature-packed, and residential to the most effective library of VR video games and apps on the market. The one platform that perhaps beats it’s Steam, however that’s just for individuals who need to be tethered to a PC rig.

By partnering with Meta, Samsung’s headset would get all of those advantages, and Meta would have the chance to determine its OS because the Home windows or Android of the spatial computing house – which could assist its Actuality Labs division to generate some much-needed income by licensing the platform to different headset producers.

2. A (comparatively) reasonably priced price ticket

There’s solely been one profitable mainstream VR headset up to now: the Oculus Quest 2. The Meta-made gadget has accounted for the huge, overwhelming majority of VR headset gross sales over the previous few years (eclipsing the entire lifetime gross sales of all earlier Oculus VR headsets mixed in simply 5 months) and that’s down to at least one factor; it’s so darn low-cost.

Different elements (like a pandemic that compelled everybody inside) most likely helped a bit. However essentially, getting a strong VR headset for $299 / £299 / AU$479 is a really enticing supply. It could possibly be higher specs-wise but it surely’s greater than adequate and provides considerably extra bang in your buck than the PC-VR rigs and different standalone headsets that set you again over $1,000 once you consider the whole lot you want.

Meta’s Quest Professional, the primary headset it launched after the Quest 2 that has a way more premium $999 / £999 / AU$1,729 worth (it launched at $1,500 / £1,500 / AU$2,450) has seemingly bought considerably worse. We don’t have precise figures however utilizing the Steam {Hardware} Survey figures for December 2023 we will see that whereas 37.87% of Steam VR gamers use a Quest 2 (making it the preferred possibility, and greater than double the following headset) solely 0.44% use a Quest Professional – that’s about 86 occasions much less.

So by making its headset reasonably priced, Samsung would seemingly be in a win-win scenario. We win as a result of its headset isn’t ridiculously dear just like the $3,499 (round £2,800 / AU$5,300) Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional. Samsung wins as a result of its headset has the most effective likelihood of promoting tremendous effectively.

We’ll have to attend and see what’s introduced by Samsung, however we suspect we’ll be disillusioned on the worth entrance. An element that would hold this gadget from changing into top-of-the-line VR headsets on the market.

3. Controllers and house for glasses 

We’ve mixed two smaller factors into one for this final ‘what we need to see’.

Hand monitoring is neat, however ideally it’ll simply be an optionally available characteristic on the upcoming Samsung VR headset reasonably than the one option to function it – which is the case with the Imaginative and prescient Professional. 

Most VR apps are designed with controllers in thoughts, and since most headsets now include handsets which have related button layouts it’s quite a bit simpler to port software program to completely different programs. 

There are nonetheless challenges, but when your management scheme doesn’t must be reinvented, builders have advised us that’s a large time-saver. So having controllers with this normal structure may assist Samsung get a strong library of video games and apps on its system by making it simpler for builders to carry their software program to it.

We’d additionally prefer it to be simple for glasses wearers to make use of the brand new Samsung VR headset. The Imaginative and prescient Professional’s prescription lenses resolution is needlessly dear when headsets just like the Quest 2 and Quest Three have a free in-built resolution for the issue – an optionally available spacer or option to barely lengthen the headset so it’s additional out of your face leaving room for specs.

Ideally, Samsung’s VR headset would even have a free and straightforward resolution for glasses wearers, too.

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