Samsung’s Project Moohan XR headset looks set to take on the Apple Vision Pro — packed with a ton of sensors, super-sharp OLED displays and Android XR to bring AI to spatial computing in a big way.
But I’ve got some good news and bad news.
As reported by Business Post, mass production of Samsung’s XR headset is set to start next month with a Q3 release date in mind (July, August or September). But one key detail suggests it could be very expensive.
In short supply
That detail is the annual production target. At 100,000 headsets, that’s surprisingly low — lower than I expected for sure. This indicates each one takes a lot of high-cost hardware (like 4K OLED display tech from Sony), and could be a complicated build.
One thing that’s for sure is that there is always a direct correlation between these two indicators and the price of it. For example, 500k Apple Vision Pros were built and that was $3,500… So what on earth is Project Moohan going to cost!?
While a specific number isn’t part of the report, I’m getting a little nervous that this could be just as pricey as Apple’s headset, and therein lies the fatal flaw.
Affordability is key
I do believe spatial computing will be the next thing, but it needs more time in the oven. At the moment, it’s very much a solution in search of a problem. A problem that absolutely nobody has when using a PC or laptop.
Add the steep price tag into the mix, along with the fact that this Android XR headset is (as Google itself says) an “episodic product” — something you will only wear every once in a while.
With that kind of price-to-time equation in people’s minds, you can see why frustrations may grow. It helped me understand my rich friend’s dumbfoundedness when pinching around in visionOS, questioning his £3,500 purchase.
And this is why until we’re at a point that we can clearly answer that spatial computing is very much here, affordability is crucial. Translation: you (and your bank account) will feel much better getting the Meta Quest 3 or Quest 3S — the two best VR headsets you can buy right now.
