Samsung's upcoming mixed reality headset is shaping up to be a formidable competitor in the high-end XR market. Recent reports suggest that Project Moohan will feature cutting-edge display technology that could potentially outperform Apple's Vision Pro, signaling Samsung's determination to establish itself as a leader in premium extended reality hardware.
Sony's Advanced Display Technology
According to reports from The Elec, Samsung's Project Moohan will utilize Sony-manufactured Micro-OLED displays measuring 1.3 inches with an impressive 3552×3840 resolution. These displays boast approximately 3,800 pixels per inch (PPI), significantly higher than the 3,391 PPI displays used in Apple's Vision Pro. Sony will reportedly begin mass production of these OLEDoS (OLED on Silicon) panels next month, preparing to ship them to Samsung for integration into Project Moohan. These are reportedly similar to the displays used in Sony's own SRH-S1 productivity headset.
Superior Visual Specifications
The technical specifications of Project Moohan's display are genuinely impressive. Compared to Apple Vision Pro, Samsung's headset would deliver nearly 2 million more pixels per eye (13.64 vs. 11.79 million), with 4% better DCI-P3 color gamut coverage at 96%. The displays are expected to offer 1,000-nit brightness at 20% power and support frame rates up to 90 FPS. This combination of high resolution, color accuracy, and refresh rate could make Project Moohan one of the most visually impressive XR headsets on the market when it launches.
Premium Positioning and Price Concerns
The high-end components in Project Moohan suggest it will be positioned as a premium device with a price tag to match. The Sony ECX344A 4K display reportedly had a sample price of approximately JPY 150,000 (about USD 1,000) per unit in 2023. Considering that each headset requires two displays, plus the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chip and other components, Project Moohan will likely be priced closer to the USD 3,500 Apple Vision Pro than the USD 500 Meta Quest 3. For comparison, Sony's SRH-S1 headset, which uses similar display technology, is priced at approximately USD 4,750, though it targets enterprise customers rather than consumers.
Strategic Delay and Market Positioning
Interestingly, reports suggest that Samsung originally planned to release an XR headset in 2023 but delayed those plans after seeing the specifications of the Apple Vision Pro. According to The Elec, Samsung's attitude is that hardware specifications and manufacturing competitiveness are strengths that Samsung Electronics should highlight, indicating that the company deliberately took time to ensure its product could surpass Apple's offering in key technical areas. This strategic delay may have allowed Samsung to incorporate more advanced technology, but it also raises questions about whether the company has learned from Apple's challenges in finding a mass market for such expensive XR hardware.
Limited Production and Future Plans
Samsung reportedly plans to produce approximately 100,000 Project Moohan headsets annually, suggesting a cautious approach to this new product category. The company is also said to be developing a more affordable XR headset featuring two 2.1-inch displays with a lower 1,700 PPI resolution. This two-tiered strategy mirrors approaches from other companies in the space, with Apple rumored to be working on a USD 2,000 version of its Vision headset after the limited commercial success of the premium Vision Pro.
Software and Ecosystem
On the software side, Project Moohan will run on Android XR, with Google's involvement potentially providing a more robust app ecosystem than Apple's Vision Pro currently offers. The headset is expected to support OpenXR, which should allow it to run popular games and applications already available on platforms like the Meta Quest 3. This software compatibility could be crucial for Samsung to establish its headset as a viable alternative in the XR market, especially given the high expected price point.
 |
|---|
| Project Moohan's software ecosystem could benefit from Android XR capability |
Release Timeline
While Samsung showcased Project Moohan at MWC 2025, the company has been tight-lipped about specific details and release dates. With Sony reportedly beginning production of the display panels soon, it's likely that Samsung is targeting a release in the second half of 2025. This timeline would potentially allow Samsung to unveil more details at a summer Galaxy Unpacked event alongside other flagship products like the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Watch 8.