I watched World Cup football in the Samsung Galaxy XR and it blew my mind – I'm now sold as it comes to the UK
I spent two hours with the Galaxy XR ahead of its UK launch date – here are my initial thoughts
The Samsung Galaxy XR might have taken its sweet, merry time to come to the UK, but a release date is now imminent and I got the chance to spend two hours with one prior to it arriving.
Pre-orders are now open for the £1,699 headset with shipping to start on 8 July, and although it was launched in the US and South Korea last October, this was my first chance to try it personally.
In many ways, prospective UK owners might have had longer to wait, but they are getting a better product. Some of the initial software quirks and bugs have been ironed out, and new features have arrived in post-launch patches. So what are my first impressions?
Well, even from the first minute I was struck by just how sharp the dual Micro-OLED displays are. You cannot see the pixels (3552 × 3840 per eye). The resolution is higher even than the Apple Vision Pro, which I was already impressed by, and it's the first time in any VR or mixed reality headset that I've even stopped looking for flaws.
The field of view is also exceptional – at 109° x 100° – and so you stop thinking that you're looking through a couple of lenses at a virtual scene, but just allow yourself to get swept away in it.
That's enhanced by its relative light weight – 545g – which is impressive considering the build quality and materials used. And also by the lack of latency in its external view mode.
As soon as you put the headset on, you can see the outside world in glorious colour and high resolution 3D, shot through two outward facing, passthrough cameras. It helps ground you, as you see everything in real time around you.
The super low latency continues with gesture sensing, as the additional six cameras on the faceplate and just underneath also track your hands and fingers. It seems extremely responsive and accurate, with fairly light movements tracked accurately.
I'll be going into more detail when I've had even more playtime with the headset for a full review, but interacting with the virtual overlays and utilities was as akin to Minority Report as I've ever got before. Within seconds (thanks to a startup tutorial) I was throwing around windows in the demo room, and bringing up and resizing software like a pro.
Among all the built-in tools I tried, Google Maps was one of the most impressive – allowing me to literally zoom into London's Camden, the place of my childhood, and visit the streets where my parents still live.
I also tested the spatial imaging options in Google Photos, which turn your pictures and videos into 3D to look around in a different perspective. However, arguably the most impressive tryout was with 4K World Cup highlights in YouTube.
Grabbing the corner and expanding the screen to IMAX-like sizing, I was left in no doubt that this was the best way to watch live football. Admittedly, there were fewer friends and pints involved, but I've never seen the action so close and so pin sharp before.
I can only imagine how good it'd be to take a Samsung Galaxy XR on a long-haul flight to catch up on some of the latest blockbusters in a full cinema-style experience.
Of course, there's much more to the headset and I'm looking forward to giving the Android XR software a more robust test in the coming week or so. And I'd like to see just how much playtime I can get from the separate battery pack (up to 2.5-hours, claims Samsung).
Until then, I'll watch the England and other World Cup matches on my 65-inch OLED – albeit with a background feeling that it's no longer the best way possible.
Samsung Galaxy XR UK pre-order deals
The Samsung Galaxy XR is available to pre-order on Samsung's UK webstore for £1,699.
There are also a few deals available for those looking to get in early. For starters, if you order via PayPal, you'll get £100 off. You just need to enter the code PAYPALXR at checkout.
That offer is available until 7 July 2026, the day before the full release.
Other offers do last a bit longer.
Deals until 4 August 2026:
- Get 10% off Galaxy XR when you buy any Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
Deals until 30 September 2026:
- Save 30% on a travel case and controllers, and 10% off any Galaxy Buds or Galaxy Watch when ordered with the Galaxy XR.
Deals until 16 December 2026:
- Redeem an explorer pack for free, containing a bundle of apps and subscriptions (Google AI Pro, YouTube Premium Pass, Google Play Pass, and more).
The UK is the next country to get the Samsung Galaxy XR, after the US and South Korea. It is T3's understanding that it will also become available in other regions over the coming months.
