I wore the Samsung Galaxy XR headset for a whole work week, and its so close to greatness but the head strap lets it down

Date:
Mon, 20 Jul 2026 14:42:53 +0000

Description:
One extreme week with the Samsung Galaxy XR its so close to greatness, but I need a better head strap.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter While the tech world is gearing up for the debut of Samsung s new foldables at Unpacked next week with the company teasing some major changes to its lineup here in the UK were finally able to get our hands on the Samsung Galaxy XR headset.

It's now available outside the US and Korea for the first time since its launch in October of last year, and Ive been taking the headset for a spin after Samsung sent me a review a few weeks ago, and seeing how it compares to my trusty Meta Quest 3 . Now, I could just rehash a lot of what our Editor at Large, Lance Ulanoff, said in his Samsung Galaxy XR hands-on praising the OLED screen, describing the comfort of the headset over several sessions, and listing the apps I love in XR that elevate the Android experience beyond what's possible on a phone or laptop. But I won't do that here. Latest Videos From Watch full video here:

Instead I'm putting my body (well, head and neck comfort) on the line to
bring you the return of my favorite VR headset testing format: can I spend a whole week wearing the Samsung Galaxy XR?

The short answer? Yes, but it could be comfier. Read on for more about my experience. You may like Samsungs Galaxy XR headset will finally land in the UK on July 8 You can save 100 on Samsungs Galaxy XR headset if you act fast Samsungs XR headset might help you relax the next time you give blood I last spent a week in VR with the Meta Quest Pro... (Image credit: Future) Into the Android XR-verse Just to be clear, I didn't wear the Galaxy XR headset 24/7
I haven't been walking around my local supermarket immersed in XR, or
sleeping in my Samsung headset .

I spent my whole working day in the headset (taking it off only for my lunch breaks, and to use the bathroom), and also wore it for a couple of hours each evening, to unwind with a movie or a game. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

I also made sure to spend at least a day relying on only the hardware in the Samsung Galaxy XRs box i.e., the headset.

Software-wise, I used everything Id normally rely on my PC or phone to work and stay entertained, and also had access to the Explorer Pack a suite of software and subscriptions worth 665 that you'll get for free with a purchase of the Galaxy XR until December 16.

A quick aside on this pack: with a year's access to premium Gemini models
(and 5TB of digital Google Cloud storage), plus a year of YouTube Premium, a Calm subscription, and plenty more, it's a really solid addition to the XR experience I'll be writing more about my experience with its services soon. What to read next RayNeo X3 Pro AI+AR Smart Glasses review This Meta Quest 3S Prime Day deal isnt really a deal buy it anyway Ray-Ban Meta (2nd
generation) review: still the best smart glasses for most people, but beginning to lag behind (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) Anyway, back
to the headset itself

Things got off to a good start on day one. Thanks to the XR multitasking I
was able to have a giant floating Slack window keeping me in touch with my TechRadar colleagues, and a second giant floating YouTube window featuring
the latest episode of one of my many podcasts or music playlists to keep me engaged, flanking a Google doc page for whatever I was working on, which I wrote in using a floating keyboard that reacts to my finger movements.

I could open Google Chrome tabs too, and conveniently flick through and between windows using eye controls the headset relies on eye-tracking to determine what buttons I want to press, which I indicate by simply pinching
my fingers while my hand rests lazily in front of me.

I was even able to join meetings virtually, with digital avatars that were good, but not yet great at representing me or mimicking my real-world facial expressions. My Galaxy avatar looked a bit too cartoonish for work meetings, and my Google avatar looked permanently distressed (which I dont think is my general state of being), and was also missing my glasses, which felt weird I always wear them, so it felt like the avatar was missing some of my identity.

That aside, I quickly found that any job which relies on lots of basic operations (essentially anything that isnt something like intense video editing, though there are Play Store apps for less sophisticated video
editing needs) is a breeze on the Galaxy XR headset. However, as the novelty faded, I hit my first hurdle: speed. (Image credit: Samsung) Gotta type fast! Eye-tracking controls are neat, and generally XR controls are incredibly intuitive, but the keyboard is not as responsive as even the most basic physical keyboard. This slowed my typing pace to a crawl, and with deadlines looming over me I couldnt spend my days steadily working through sentences at a snail pace.

The ideal alternative would be a Bluetooth keyboard that pairs with your headset, and most standard models will get the job done after youve connected one. I gave one a quick try, and it was much more effective than the virtual keyboard for actually working productively in XR the brief pause I had to contend with between virtual key presses was eliminated.

My predicament gave me an excuse, however, to see how the headset works when paired with a PC giving me the massive virtual displays of XR combined with the convenience of a fully powered desktop. The Samsung Galaxy Book6 Pro (Image credit: Peter Hoffmann) The perfect setup would involve a Samsung Galaxy Book, which pairs more seamlessly with the headset, like the Vision
Pro and a MacBook pair for Apple users. However I dont have a Galaxy Book, so I instead had to turn to Virtual Desktop.

Its an app Ive used previously to pair Meta headsets with my PC, and its very effective. The connection, even in a room a few meters from where my router lives, is seamless, with next to no delay between what I do on my PC and see on my headsets view. Plus, with the ability to drag displays around and
resize them, I could create the ultimate multi-monitor setup.

The downside is that you cant access the full multitasking capabilities of
the Galaxy XR headset within the Virtual Desktop app. Other apps seem not to suffer from these issues; however the trouble is that several, such as
Googles PC Connect, werent available in the UK when I was conducting my
tests, and it seems that every app has a downside (for example, PC Connect only lets you stream a single monitor, not multiple). (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) This compatibility friction with non-Samsung PCs would be the biggest change Id like to see addressed from a productivity standpoint,
as otherwise the Galaxy XR excels on the software side.

My other two big changes would be to the design: the addition of a silicone facial interface and a top strap. I cant feel my head when Im with you The
UK, where Im based, has been buffeted by heat waves in recent weeks,
including while I was testing the Galaxy headset. In homes designed to retain heat, and which lack A/C, this means things can get pretty hot and sweaty, which isnt ideal when a headset is strapped to your face and its even less ideal when you can feel that sweat being soaked up by the fabric facial interface.

If I was in charge of making headsets Id mandate that all facial interfaces are made of silicone, or at least that headsets come with a swappable
silicone interface, or a silicone cover for the fabric interface, in the box. Unfortunately I can't force such a change on Samsung, but hopefully its a change itll make for the Galaxy XR 2; its more hygienic, and makes the
headset easier to share, and Ive found it doesnt impact the comfort at all
(if anything it makes me feel more at ease in the headset, as I know Im not immersed in months-old sweat).

As for a top strap (one which runs over the top of my head rather than simply around it), I firmly believe it would help to make the headset comfier to
wear for long stretches, as it would further spread the weight of the device across my head.

Day one wasnt too bad, but by the midpoint of day two I was feeling a little discomfort. By day four I was ready to give up my challenge; and the end of day five couldnt come fast enough.

Samsung gets so much else right in terms of the Galaxy XR's comfort chiefly moving the weight of its bulky battery to an external puck, so that youre
only carrying 545g on your head so its a shame that the headset is let down by something as simple as its headband.

For a few hours I found it was fine, but for my extreme testing sessions it didnt hold up. (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) Yet again, then, Ive found that I dont really want to spend my whole day inside a VR headset, even though the Samsung Galaxy XR headset represents a serious improvement in
terms of visual performance (courtesy of its superb OLED screen), the usefulness of its features, including eye-tracking (which Ive previously
found is quite gimmicky), and delivering solid multitasking performance
(aided by the expansive app library of the Play Store) compared to the last time I tried a similar exercise with the Meta Quest Pro a few years ago .

Even if I wont be spending all my time in the Galaxy XR, I plan to wear it plenty more, albeit just for more casual sessions, and Ill definitely be taking it on a flight, as soon as I have the opportunity, to see how it fares
perhaps thats where itll really shine. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Today's best Samsung Galaxy XR deals 14.05 View 249 View 1,699 View Show more We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices



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