Google officially unveiled Android XR - an operating system for a potential competitor to Apple's Vision Pro
Google has officially unveiled Android XR, a platform for augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) devices. It seems that after the closure of the Google Glass and Daydream projects, the company decided to take a second chance in the "arms race" against Apple's VisionOS. The irony is that both companies are now fighting for your eyes, literally.
What Android XR promises
Google's new approach is based on integration with familiar Android tools and support for a wide range of existing apps from the Play Store. This means that your Google Maps or YouTube will get a new life in a three-dimensional format. In addition, Google promises a multi-window version of the Chrome browser so you can read the news and watch cats at the same time. Sounds very futuristic, doesn't it?
Apps for large screens take full advantage of the resizing capabilities in Android XR. Illustration: Android Developers Blog
Gemini AI in Android XR will add its own colour by working as an intelligent assistant: it recognises objects around you, generates real-life tips, and probably even better listens to your secrets to "improve your experience".
But here's the kicker: while Apple's VisionOS promises "spatial magic," Google has taken a simpler approach: "We're taking your favourite Android and making it more AR. And by the way, it's cheaper." Sounds like Apple's response: "We can do that, too, but in a simpler and less pretentious way."
Chrome on Android XR supports WebXR features, including depth maps, which allow virtual objects to interact with real surfaces. Illustration: Android Developers Blog
Android XR: open standards for new possibilities
Android XR continues the tradition of openness by introducing the OpenXR 1.1 standard, a "high-performance, cross-platform API" focused on portability. In addition, Google is extending these standards with the latest additions from manufacturers that add powerful capabilities to understand the world around us. Among them:
- Aneural network for hand rendering - a system that adapts to the shape and size of hands, ensuring that the diversity of users is accurately reflected.
- Detailed depth textures - allows real objects to "shade" or overlap virtual content.
- Advanced lighting assessment - ensures that virtual lighting matches real-world conditions.
- New trackers for objects such as laptops, phones, keyboards, or mice that can be integrated into virtual environments.
The Android XR SDK also supports open formats such as glTF 2.0 for 3D models and OpenEXR for high dynamic range environments. This approach ensures developers have the flexibility and easy access to the best tools to create immersive XR experiences.
What's next.
The first Android XR gadgets are expected to be available in 2025, and one of the first will be a Samsung headset codenamed Project Moohan. It will offer hand gestures and eye tracking, but the question is whether Google will be able to make these functions really convenient. Will the history of Google Glass repeat itself?
Source: Android Developers Blog
