"Find Me the Best Pizza Places": Google Maps Unfolds in Midair with a Single Command... AI Headset 'Galaxy XR' [Review]

Gesture, gaze, and voice: XR headset enables three simultaneous controls
Outstanding image quality, but eye fatigue, weight, and battery remain limitations

"Gemini, find me the best pizza places in Seoul."

"There have been many searches for top pizza spots in Seoul. According to Dining Code, 'OO Pizza' and 'Pizzeria XX' are among the highest ranked."

Wearing the Galaxy XR headset and asking it to find the best pizza places in Seoul, the space before my eyes transformed. A map of Seoul unfolded on Google Maps, displaying a list of pizza restaurants. By making a pinching gesture with my fingers, I could instantly click on a restaurant to view more information, and as I moved my gaze, the cursor on the screen followed. The moment I actually tried the first XR (extended reality) headset jointly developed by Samsung Electronics, Google, and Qualcomm-the Galaxy XR-I experienced the sensation of "AI blended with reality."

Headset-type XR device 'Galaxy XR.' Photo by Park Yujin

Gestures, Gaze, and Voice-All in One Screen

The Galaxy XR is the first device based on the 'Android XR' platform, co-developed by Google and Qualcomm. It is equipped with the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chipset and features a binocular resolution of 3552×3840 pixels, which is currently the highest among commercial XR devices. When worn, the display naturally overlaps with the real world. The pass-through camera at the front of the headset shows the surroundings as they are, with apps and videos layered on top.

The core feature is multimodal input that simultaneously recognizes eye movement, hand gestures, and voice. From the initial setup, the device tracks your gaze, allowing you to move the cursor just by shifting your eyes. You select menu items with your gaze and click by pinching your fingers together.

Upon actual use, the first impression is "the image quality is astonishing." Thanks to the deep blacks and sense of depth provided by the OLED display, the experience feels as immersive as being inside a movie theater. When pushing the screen up or resizing it, you use a gesture of grabbing the corners with both hands. The device recognizes both eye movement and finger clicks, and even when a video is displayed in front of your eyes, the screen remains stable without flickering.

However, eye fatigue set in quickly during prolonged use. Peripheral lens distortion and focal fatigue have not yet been fully resolved. At 545g, it is lighter than the Vision Pro, but it is inconvenient to have to carry the battery pack separately. Since the device shuts off immediately when the battery is detached, portability remains an issue.

Screen manipulation is generally intuitive. Pinching your thumbs and index fingers together with both hands allows for natural gestures like zooming in and out. However, aside from the pinching gesture, it does not support more flexible hand movements, which limits the sense of control. When using the on-screen keyboard, you also have to type each letter one by one in a hunt-and-peck fashion with a pinching gesture, making text entry time-consuming. The front-facing recognition calibration also occasionally malfunctioned. Voice control, which is based on Google Gemini, showed inconsistent Korean recognition speed and response accuracy depending on the situation.

A reporter is executing the click button with the 'Galaxy XR'. Making a pinching gesture with the finger has the effect of pressing the click button. Photo by Park Yujin

"Technology Leads, but User Experience Still Lags"

The Galaxy XR has undoubtedly opened the door to the "next-generation reality interface." However, in terms of completeness, it remains experimental. The experience of freely interacting with your eyes and hands was refreshing, but there were significant drawbacks in prolonged wear, precise input, and portability. While the technological potential is excellent, the user experience still needs refinement. The price is also a considerable burden. At 2.69 million won, it is not an easy choice for a home device.

Nevertheless, the open nature of the 'Android XR' platform deserves attention. Samsung is building an "XR content hub" that goes beyond its own ecosystem, supporting a variety of apps including Google Play Store and Coupang Play Sports Pass.

The Galaxy XR is a "device that overlays reality." For now, it is heavy, causes eye fatigue, and is expensive. Yet, after actually using it, there remains a sense that "the future is visible" despite these inconveniences.

Galaxy XR components. From the top left clockwise: main unit, protective cover, external light blocking pads (left/right), power cable, and external battery. Additionally, an adjustable forehead cushion spacer (thin/thick), forehead cushion, USB power adapter, USB cable, cleaning cloth, and quick start guide are also provided. Photo by Park Yujin