Google Prepares Help for XR Headsets on Play Retailer, Marking The Subsequent Chapter in XR Competitors

Code found in a latest Google Play replace signifies the corporate might quickly roll out help for XR headsets on its Android app retailer, which might mark a decisive shift within the aggressive panorama.

As reported by Android Authority, code in model 43.3.32-31 of the Google Play app accommodates point out of “XR headset,” together with a brand new headset icon that ostensibly signifies whether or not an app works with the supported machine.

Google has technically hosted XR video games on Play within the type of Cardboard apps since 2014, which use Android smartphones as advert hoc VR shows—one thing that was huge in kickstarting person curiosity within the early days of shopper VR, however not a lot within the day of standalone headsets like Meta Quest 3 and Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional.

The addition of a devoted part within the Play retailer and official machine help nevertheless factors to one thing larger than Cardboard, and even its now-defunct Google Daydream platform, which the corporate deserted in 2019.

So what’s spurred this renewed curiosity in XR? There are some things, arguably the most important of which is the Google, Samsung and Qualcomm headset collaboration, which was introduced in early 2023. Samsung is constructing the {hardware}, Qualcomm the chipset, and Google the Android-based XR working system.

Though the businesses have confirmed the headset will probably be introduced (and presumably launched) by the top of this 12 months, virtually nothing is understood in regards to the XR collab. Trade rumors keep Samsung initially delayed the machine to raised compete with high-end blended actuality headsets, corresponding to Imaginative and prescient Professional.

Then there’s the latest report from The Info that claims Google and Samsung wish to accomplice on a Ray-Ban Meta Good Glasses competitor, which might be materially ‘simpler’ to provide than a full-fledged XR headset, for the reason that comparatively cheaper AI-centric smartglasses don’t embody shows.

Nonetheless, such a tool doubtless wouldn’t want such a detailed tie-in to the broader Android ecosystem like a possible Imaginative and prescient Professional competitor, which might doubtless commerce on its capability to not solely play XR video games printed on Google Play, but in addition run customary 2D apps too, like Imaginative and prescient Professional does with its tens of millions of suitable iOS apps.

This follows revelations from earlier this 12 months that Meta and Google held talks in effort to deliver Android XR to Quest, nevertheless talks apparently stalled attributable to Google’s phrases being too restrictive for the liking of Meta. Within the meantime, Meta has been making overtures to Android builders to deliver their apps on to Quest in a bid to additional flesh out Quest as a basic computing platform.