Samsung’s answer to Apple’s Vision Pro headset has been teased for months now, but there’s little information about what hardware and specs it will offer. Now, though, data on the device is starting to come out, including that it will reportedly use a 4K micro-OLED display from Sony.
According to Korean site The Elec, highlighted by UploadVR, the Samsung XR headset will use a Sony 1.35-inch micro-OLED display, which is the same hardware that Sony is using in its own flip-up XR headset, the Sony SRH-S1. That is an exceedingly expensive model, costing even more than Apple’s Vision Pro at $4,750 and therefore aimed more at the enterprise market than at your average consumer. But the Samsung XR offering is more of a Vision Pro competitor, presumably for a more mainstream audience.
If the reports are correct, the Samsung XR offering would have a slightly smaller display than the Vision Pro, at 1.35 inches compared to 1.4 inches, but with better resolution of 3552×3840 compared to Apple’s 3660×3200. UploadVR also points out that the new display will have a wider color gamut with 96% DCI-P3 coverage, compared to 92% for the Apple Vision Pro.
In its first year of sales, the Vision Pro hasn’t proven hugely popular — likely at least in part due to its hefty $3,500 price tag — and customers are asking for a more affordable model. Whether or not Apple comes forward with a more budget friendly option, other companies are getting interested in filling that niche with a range of upcoming rivals to be released. As well as Sony and Samsung’s headsets, Meta has shown interest in expanding its Quest headset lineup, possibly working with LG.
Whether any of these companies can produce a device that has enough functionality to match the Vision Pro whilst still being affordable, however, remains to be seen. As well as its XR headset, Samsung has also dropped info that it is working on smart glasses, but little information is available on these yet. And Apple may be working on a refreshed Vision Pro, so this year promises to be an exciting one for fans of VR.
