I wish I waited for Galaxy XR instead of going broke on Vision Pro

I’m one of the few people who spent $3,500 on the Apple Vision Pro on launch day, and one year later, I have regrets. I’ve always been intrigued by extended- and mixed-reality headsets since I spend long hours working on computers and love watching immersive content. After an impressive in-store demo, I paid the price of a used car for my Vision Pro. The honeymoon phase wore off in the weeks and months that followed, and now, the recent Samsung Galaxy XR launch has me thinking I invested in the wrong XR platform.

The dream of having a do-it-all device that can handle your productivity, entertainment, and gaming needs is still very much alive. I question whether the hardware is mature enough to deliver on that dream, but one thing’s for sure: Samsung’s Galaxy XR comes closer to realizing it than Vision Pro. I’ve lived with the mistakes Apple made in creating the Vision Pro as an early adopter, forcing me to take extreme measures like 3D-printing custom comfort accessories, buying extra straps, and paying for overpriced digital content.

Samsung correctly identified exactly where Apple and Meta went wrong in their XR headsets and built the Galaxy XR to avoid those same pitfalls. As a result, a Galaxy XR is half the price of a Vision Pro and is somehow still the better product.

Apple made a critical error regarding apps and software on visionOS, the operating system that powers its Vision Pro. It allowed iOS and iPadOS apps to run on it even if they didn’t have a dedicated visionOS equivalent. However, the company put the choice in the hands of developers — they could opt out if they wanted to, and many did. With respect to developers, this was the wrong move, and it’s why critical apps like Netflix, YouTube, and Spotify are completely unavailable on the Vision Pro headset.

The Vision Pro could’ve had an ecosystem of nearly two million apps available on the iOS App Store, but instead, it has about 1.5 million compatible apps. That’s a big number, but when the biggest apps like NFL and Roku opt out, users feel the hit. Google must have watched the visionOS App Store flop, because it ensured almost all Android apps can run on Android XR devices, starting with the Samsung Galaxy XR.

Like iPad apps on the Vision Pro, Android apps on the Galaxy XR run in a small floating window that supports all of the headset’s native input controls. It’s essentially like using a tablet-sized window with hand and eye tracking in virtual reality. Unlike the Vision Pro experience, Android XR takes the situation out of developers’ hands, ignoring some APIs that restrict size and supporting nearly all of the Google Play Store’s over 3.5 million apps. The only Android apps that won’t work on a Galaxy XR, and future Android XR devices, are those that need specific hardware bits, such as GPS or LiDAR.

Apple and Google approached porting smartphone apps to XR platforms differently, and as a consequence, my Vision Pro has fewer essential apps available than the Galaxy XR will. I find the Vision Pro’s killer feature to be content consumption, but a video-watching device without Netflix and Roku is effectively dead-on-arrival.

Speaking of content, my Vision Pro is lacking there, too. The stunning movie theater simulation Apple shows off in demos is only available with the Apple TV app, meaning you’ll need to watch content purchased through Apple to use it. If I want to watch Paramount+ content in the visionOS movie theater and on my Android phone, I’ll need to subscribe twice.

Samsung’s Galaxy XR doesn’t just integrate with apps and streaming services better — it also offers free trials of YouTube TV, YouTube Premium, NBA League Pass, and Google Play Pass. You also get the Asteroid and NFL Pro Era games for free. These offers are only available through December 31, but they demonstrate Google and Samsung’s partner-first approach to XR platforms. Apple tried to do it all on its own, and that’s why the Vision Pro lives in an app and content desert.

Samsung’s improvements extend to the hardware, with a design that makes the headset feel more comfortable than the Vision Pro. It went with a hybrid facial interface, rather than an open or closed one. Facial interfaces determine how XR headsets interact with your face — open ones expand your peripheral vision and reduce facial pressure, while closed versions block light and create a physical seal around your face. The former is excellent for productivity, while the latter is preferred for immersiveness.

Typically, XR headsets have favored one option or the other. Meta used an open interface for the Quest Pro, a productivity-first device, while Apple used a closed interface for the content-first Vision Pro. Samsung smartly chose both for the Galaxy XR. It uses a plastic head strap with an open facial interface that rests on the wearer’s forehead, with two light blockers that are removable. This decision alone makes the Galaxy XR more versatile than my Vision Pro.

As a Vision Pro owner, I’ve decided that I much prefer open interfaces to closed ones. It makes an XR headset feel more like an oversized pair of glasses or goggles rather than a closed-off device, expanding my perceived field of view. The Vision Pro’s light seal is removable, but it’s the only way the headset sits on your face, and thus, you can’t wear the Vision Pro without it.

I’m so sure that the Galaxy XR’s hybrid interface with removable light blockers is the better option that I basically made it for my Vision Pro using a 3D printer and accessories. This project started before the Galaxy XR was even revealed, but my creation looks a lot like Samsung’s finished product.

I used a third-party Annapro head strap to add support from the top, and 3D-printed a facial interface that rests on my forehead with a cushion. This way, I can expand my Vision Pro’s field of view and improve comfort for productivity tasks. I’m content with this setup, but a $3,500 headset shouldn’t need this much work to provide a solid experience. To install or remove these custom support pieces, I need to physically remove the side straps with a SIM-eject tool every time. It’s simply not the experience I expect from a premium XR product.

It was already bad in isolation, but it really stings that Galaxy XR users get a more polished experience out of the box for half the price. I’m glad Samsung learned from the hardships of Vision Pro owners!

Apple’s Vision Pro has a surprisingly small field of view, and that’s part of the reason I tried so desperately to expand it on my headset. The displays aren’t as good as they look on paper, either. The headset offers micro-OLED panels with a 4K-per-eye resolution that simply aren’t good enough. Think about it: If I’m using what feels like a 25-foot screen in virtual reality, the visuals won’t be as sharp as a 27-inch 5K monitor.

Samsung hasn’t completely solved this problem, but the Galaxy XR is firmly the new industry-leader in XR displays. The screens have a 3,552 x 3,840 resolution and 29 million total pixels, which is six million more than Vision Pro. If that wasn’t enough, the Galaxy XR covers 96% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, and it’s more color-accurate than the Vision Pro. Apple doesn’t share the official Vision Pro horizontal field of view, but it’s estimated to be around 100 degrees. If that figure is correct, Galaxy XR surpasses it with a field of view of 109 degrees.

That’s more than just a specs dump. For every single display aspect my Vision Pro has disappointed me in, the Galaxy XR has a hardware improvement that will deliver better visuals for wearers. It’s worth noting that Apple’s M3 or M5 processors are a better raw performer than the Galaxy XR’s Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2. However, I’ve struggled to find many situations where the Vision Pro actually leverages that extra power outside of its higher 120Hz display refresh rate.

With the Galaxy XR, Samsung and Google used Apple’s typical strategy against it. Android XR and Galaxy XR are the result of the two companies waiting for the XR space to develop, seeing what works and what doesn’t, and designing their operating system and headset accordingly. They’re proving patience is a virtue, because Samsung’s Galaxy XR is making my Vision Pro feel outdated just one year later, and while costing much less.

Apple should’ve waited until the Vision Pro was more mature. I guess I probably should have, too.