On December 13th, Google announced Android XR, stealing some of the spotlight from The Game Awards happening on the same day. It’s always satisfying to see XR upend the traditional non-immersive world, even if only for twenty-four hours.

While the details have been covered elsewhere, here’s a quick recap: Google is back in XR. After experimenting with Google Glass, Cardboard, Daydream, and a handful of other projects, it seemed they had left the industry for good. However, with the Apple Vision Pro entering the space, as well as Meta, Bytedance, HTC, and others putting more and more emphasis on productivity and spatial computing, it seems Google started to experience FOMO and is now back with an ambitious plan to create a universal operating system for immersive devices.

If Google persists, Android XR might indeed become a big disruptor.

Multimodal Means Flexible

Google partnered with Samsung, Sony, XREAL, and a couple of other XR manufacturers. Android XR is meant to be multimodal, meaning it can support eye-tracking but doesn’t have to, and it can support hand-tracking but can also work with motion controllers. Potentially, it can even support screenless devices similar to Meta’s Ray-Bans.

This versatility could prove to be one of Android XR’s strengths. For now, Samsung’s upcoming high-end headset (Project Moohan) will likely set the benchmark for what’s possible with Android XR. All the XR affordances, including passthrough, hand and eye tracking, and AI smarts will probably be included.

It is somewhat disappointing that Google did not open-source Android XR and instead chose to work with only hand-picked partners. This, on one hand, guarantees that their operating system will get the best possible treatment in terms of functionality and presentability, but on the other, makes the entire proposition look a lot like what Meta is doing with Horizon OS. Currently, Meta is following a similar case-by-case model of exclusive collaborations and has recently partnered with Microsoft to deliver a Horizon-OS-powered Xbox headset.

For now, both players act as gatekeepers but there’s a strong reason to believe that, in time, Google will become much less restrictive in its OS licensing, especially if Android XR starts gaining momentum.

In the past, Google experimented with the lowest common XR denominator  — Google Cardboard, a project that many consider infamous for its over-the-top simplicity. Moreover, Google showcased a wide variety of prototypes at their event, including a monocular device — underscoring how versatile their operating system is meant to be.

Open-source Android XR would be a huge disruptor as it would allow smaller, less-known manufacturers to enter the space. It could also lead to a wave of cheaper, more casual headsets entering the market, putting pressure on other big players to be less strict and more flexible with how they approach their proprietary OS systems.

Humbled by Meta

Google’s announcements got the XR industry buzzing, but we have seen this in the past, with Apple announcing the Apple Vision Pro or Bytedance announcing their consumer-facing Pico 4. As always, pundits (especially on social media) are quick to jump to unrealistic conclusions. Some suggest that Google could easily grab a 25%+ market share or that Meta should adopt Android XR — essentially abandoning hardware aspirations like Sega once did and focusing solely on software licensing.

Competition is important, but such unrealistic expectations can also be dangerous. Bytedance, for instance, had to scale back its grand ambitions after failing to meet overly optimistic sales projections. Despite challenges from Sony, Pico and Apple, Meta’s market share has actually grown in recent years.

While it’s exciting that Google’s name will soon appear in market share charts, we must understand it will most likely be a single-digit number.

It’s important to highlight this because Google has a habit of shutting down projects that don’t deliver immediate results. The most famous example is their cloud-based console, Stadia. In the XR space, projects like Daydream, Cardboard, Tilt Brush and Blocks were all discontinued. Considering Google’s track record, it’s no surprise that some developers prefer to wait until 2026, to see if the company is prepared for a more lasting commitment this time around. And if Google’s decision about whether to open source Android XR hinges on how well it does, this could create a negative feedback loop, where the closed ecosystem leads to less interest, which leads to less adoption. That then leads to Google keeping the OS in its proprietary form.

Impact on Adoption & Accessibility

In a sense, Meta remains the only entity with an all-in attitude towards XR, and developing around the Meta ecosystem is and will be the primary objective of most XR companies. A fair share of resentment has accumulated over the years — arbitrarily prioritizing Horizon Worlds in their search results being the latest grievance — but overall, especially in the gaming and entertainment sector, the Meta-first dynamic isn’t likely to change.

The ace in Google’s sleeve is, of course, access to the Play Store. If leveraged correctly and across a number of different XR devices, this could truly allow Android XR to expand and become the first true threat to Meta’s XR reign.

Looking past 2025, the announcement of Android XR is even more impactful. Outside of the Western world, XR adoption is stumbling, and Android XR might just be the thing to galvanize it. Emerging economies in Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America are all great markets full of consumers hungry for immersive content. Still, due to financial constraints, most report their VR experience as limited to mobile phone viewers and the (now discontinued) Samsung Gear VR.
Interestingly, Samsung Gear VR is still being re-sold in some countries with adapters that connect to Samsung S10 models, bootlegged Gear VR APKs and other workarounds.

A mid- or low-tier XR headset is desperately needed to fill this gap. Caution regarding best practices is important, but if done right, it could significantly boost the accessibility and proliferation of XR in emerging economies.

Such a stripped-down solution was never likely to happen with Meta’s Horizon OS, but now, with the announcement of Android XR, new possibilities have opened. If Google stays committed, it might reach a critical mass, resulting in a flurry of new, independent headsets, dramatically improving XR accessibility and adoption in the process.

Mat Pawluczuk is an XR/VR writer and content creator. As with all AR Insider contributors, his opinions are his own.

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