Samsung to take on Apple, Meta with new XR headset ‘Project Moohan’

Samsung Electronics is set to enter the global extended reality (XR) headset race in earnest next week with the unveiling of “Project Moohan” — a direct challenge to Apple’s Vision Pro and Meta’s Quest lineup.

The new device, jointly developed with Google and Qualcomm, will debut at a Galaxy Unpacked online event on Oct. 22 at 11 a.m. under the slogan “Worlds Wide Open – A New Era of Multimodal AI.”

Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chip, the headset features dual 4K micro-OLED displays with a combined 29 million pixels and pixel density of 4,032 PPI — surpassing Apple’s 23 million-pixel Vision Pro. Weighing 545 grams, it is lighter than Apple’s device but slightly heavier than Meta’s Quest 3 (515g), and offers about two hours of general use per charge.

Project Moohan is priced at around $1,800, undercutting the Vision Pro ($3,499) while targeting premium users seeking professional-grade performance and integration within Samsung’s multi-device Galaxy ecosystem. About 100,000 headsets will be available at launch through official online platforms.

Learning from Apple’s early challenges with bulk and limited apps, Samsung has focused on wearability and ecosystem integration. In collaboration with Google, the device will support multimodal AI features such as voice and gesture recognition, hand and eye tracking, and contextual awareness. It will also run native Samsung and Google apps in XR mode, alongside standard Android compatibility.

To strengthen content offerings, Samsung is partnering with Unity Technologies, OpenXR and Naver’s CHZZK live-streaming platform to expand experiences across gaming, video, K-pop and education.

“AI will elevate the user experience across the Galaxy ecosystem — from home to office to in-vehicle environments,” said Roh Tae-moon, Samsung’s acting head of Device eXperience division. “It’s time to embrace AI through a new lens in the XR universe.”

According to Omdia, global XR headset shipments are projected to reach 61.5 million units by 2035 and over 200 million by 2045, with market acceleration expected as mixed-reality glasses mature in the 2030s. Meta currently leads with a 70 percent global share.

“Samsung’s launch of Project Moohan is not just about new hardware. It signals a broader push into XR, AI and content convergence that could reshape the digital ecosystem," said an industry source who requested anonymity.